This off-road adventure features some very special V8-engined Defenders. Matthew Hayward endures the Land Rover Classic Trophy
Photography JLR Classic / Nick Dimbleby / Simon Kay
THERE’S NOTHING QUITE as tense as watching a pair of brand new £225,000 Land Rover Classic-built Defenders attempt to cross a river via a makeshift wooden bridge. Especially as we had only just rebuilt the structure using basic knot-tying skills learned less than 24 hours earlier!
It’s good to get outside your comfort zone once in a while and the Land Rover Classic Trophy is certainly helping with that. It’s designed to evoke memories of the epic Camel Trophy expeditions, with challenges condensed into an action-packed three days off-road at the Consall Hall Gardens Estate in the glorious English countryside of rural Staffordshire.
So what exactly is the Land Rover Classic Trophy? For those lucky enough to buy one of the 25 limited-edition Defender Works V8 Trophy II cars, entry into this exclusive off-road competition is included in the purchase price. Octane has been invited to join this year, taking part in ‘SNO’, JLR Classic’s engineering car, used extensively to test the bespoke modifications for the Trophy II. Everybody else will be using their own freshly built cars.
We start the day at the JLR Classic Works near Coventry, where each of the teams is introduced to their new Defender for the first time. Although most are experienced Land Rover owners, it’s a good opportunity to be shown around the car and its unique features, not to mention being given a tour of the facility.
It’s all very civilised, and if you’ve ever been to Classic Works you’ll know just how much cool stuff is usually either hanging around in the showroom, or being repaired or rebuilt in the workshop. JLR Classic expert Mike Bishop raised an eyebrow when I mentioned my relative lack of off-roading experience. Thankfully I’ve been partnered with Sophie Devon for the event – aka ‘Land Rover Sophie’ on YouTube – and I’m feeling more confident after finding out that she’s a hardcore Land Rover enthusiast who enjoys green-laning and has several classic Land Rovers on her fleet.
At this point, we’re shown around SNO – ‘our’ 110 Station Wagon. Before we look at bespoke Trophy II modifications, a brief reminder of the standard Works V8 specification. Starting with a late model-year Defender, the big change is under the bonnet where in place of the old 2.2-litre diesel engine is a de-tuned, naturally aspirated 399bhp version of the current JLR V8 engine. That also means the Defender gets the eight-speed
