Land Rover Defender SVR To Feature A 600-Horsepower BMW-Sourced V-8 Under The Hood!

A BMW-powered Land Rover Defender SVR might just give the Mercedes-AMG G63 a run for its money

by Dim Angelov, on August 2, 2021, 14:00

As far as SUVs go, the Land Rover Defender has been the talk of talks in recent times. That is a big achievement, given the variety of SUVs. Not to mention the crazy demand. We already know that, for 2022, the Defender will get a 5.0-liter V-8 engine with 525 horsepower (391 kilowatts) and 461 pound-feet (625 Nm). We expect this to be the familiar from Jaguar 5.0-liter supercharged V-8. However, this will not be the top version for long, as something bigger is coming. This, of course, being the Defender SVR, which will reportedly put out in excess of 600 horsepower, from a BMW engine.

Land Rover Defender SVR To Feature A 600-Horsepower BMW-Sourced V-8 Under The Hood! Exterior Wallpaper quality
- image 973203 — In the 600+ hp Defender SVR, Mercedes G63 AMG will finally see a worthy adversary.

Rumors about a version more powerful than the Defender V-8 have been circulating for a while until they were finally confirmed by our colleagues from MotorTrend, who apparently got the info from a Jaguar-Land Rover representative.

Whether a more hardcore, performance version of the Land Rover Defender makes sense or not is irrelevant. Many Defender enthusiasts, no doubt, preach that the Land Rover Defender has always been and should always be a rugged off-roader and they would be right. But there’s also the obvious increase in demand for performance SUVs, so naturally, Land Rover wants a piece of that niche market.

Land Rover Defender SVR To Feature A 600-Horsepower BMW-Sourced V-8 Under The Hood! Exterior
- image 973197

The Land Rover Defender SVR will be offered in both 90 (short wheelbase) and 110 (long wheelbase) variants. This means that the Defender 90 SVR will be the first short-wheelbase performance SUV in a long time.

The engine is expected to be BMW’s 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 and will reportedly produce 608 horsepower.

At the same time, the tried and tested ZF eight-speed automatic is expected to feature shorter gear ratios.

Land Rover Defender SVR To Feature A 600-Horsepower BMW-Sourced V-8 Under The Hood! Exterior
- image 973198

The SVR will stand out with the usual aesthetic enhancements, such as a more aggressive body kit and bigger wheels. Bigger brakes and sportier suspension are also to be expected from the Defender SVR, which is expected to debut around spring of 2022. When this happens, the Mercedes G-Wagon will finally have a proper competitor and it will be interesting to see how they stack up against one another.

Source: MotorTrend

Dim Angelov

Born in 1992, I come from a family of motoring enthusiasts. My passion for cars was awoken at the age of six, when I saw a Lamborghini Diablo SV in a magazine. After high school I earned a master’s degree in marketing and a Master of Arts in Media and Communications. Over the years, I’ve practiced and become skilled in precision driving and to date have test driven more than 250 cars across the globe. Over the years, I’ve picked up basic mechanical knowledge and have even taken part in the restoration of a 1964 Jaguar E-Type and an Alfa Romeo Giulia Sprint. Lately, I’ve taken a fancy to automotive photography, and while modern cars are my primary passion, I also have a love for Asian Martial Arts, swimming, war history, craft beer, historical weapons, and car restoration. In time, I plan my own classic car restoration and hope to earn my racing certificate, after which I expect to establish my own racing team. Read full bio

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