What's all this about?

British Land Rover restoration company Kingsley has announced a new re-engineering of the iconic Land Rover Defender, which is apparently “designed for the modern driver.” Made to order, each car will be based on an existing Defender, but Kingsley says the cars will “deliver Range Rover levels of sophistication and comfort.”

Ha! In a Defender?!

Apparently so. Or, more specifically, in two Defenders. Kingsley will offer D90 and D110 configurations, with the former based on existing three-door ‘90’ versions of the Defender, and the latter based on the five-door ‘110’ variants. Each car will be rebuilt from the ground up, getting an overhauled chassis and engine, as well as new running gear, a new interior and refreshed bodywork.

So what exactly will this Kingsley lot do?

Each vehicle gets 1,500 man-hours of attention, with donor cars brought in and stripped down, before being rebuilt to customer specifications. Normally, cars will have their engines taken out and overhauled, before being replaced, but customers can choose to swap the original engine out in favour of a brand new V8 engine. And if they go down that route, they can choose between Kingsley’s high-torque, 220hp 4.2-litre unit or a Chevrolet LS3 or LT1 ‘crate’ engine.

Whatever the engine, Kingsley will overhaul the gearbox or fit an optional four- to eight-speed automatic transmission, then update the suspension completely, fitting active damping and upgraded brakes. There’s an upgraded cooling system, too, which Kingsley says will make the car more reliable, as well as more comfortable.

All cars will be rustproofed, both in the chassis and panels, and those who want to do so can add to Kingsley’s ‘standard’ upgrades with other features such as even bigger brakes and new comfort-orientated additions.

Suspension aside, what has Kingsley done to make it more comfortable?

In standard form, not very much. Of course, Kingsley will refurbish every D90 and D110 interior it gets, but those who wish to do so can start playing with the options to fully reimagine the car’s cabin in fine leather and with goodies such as Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity. For example, the demonstrator Kingsley is showing off at Salon Prive at Blenheim Palace this year has a smaller steering wheel, sandstone leather upholstery and touchscreen infotainment. Heated seats, tyre pressure monitoring and various audio systems are also on the menu.

Externally, each Kingsley can be specified in a range of colour combinations, with a range of ‘heritage’ hues on offer. Completely bespoke colours are offered on request, as well as options for custom paint protection film and ceramic coating. Customers can also choose whether they want a ‘normal’ hard top, a bikini cover, a canvas ragtop or a panoramic glass roof, while also getting the option of BF Goodrich off-road tyres.

“Reimagining the Defender is not just about preserving its legacy, but about enhancing it for the modern driver,” said John Sawbridge, the managing director of Kingsley Re-Engineered. “We take great pride in our meticulous approach to restoration and customisation, ensuring that each vehicle not only honours the past but also embraces the future with innovations and comfort – all while staying true and representative of Kingsley for a new age. Our goal is to deliver a Defender that resonates with the same spirit of adventure and robustness, but with the sophistication and driving dynamics that today’s discerning customers expect.”

So how deep will my pockets need to be?

Quite deep, really. Prices start from £140,000 plus tax, which is less than you’ll spend on Land Rover’s new Classic Defender V8 by Works Bespoke, but it’s still an awful lot of money. And once you start playing with options, you’ll probably be looking at a significant increase on that figure. Would-be customers with pockets of sufficient depth can create their car using the online configurator, and Kingsley will build it at its Oxfordshire HQ.