2020 Defender

mgreenspan

Well-known member
Feb 28, 2005
4,723
130
Briggs's Back Yard
Only the Wrangler has that image; and it's far less of an adventure image and much more of a "play" image.

Cheers,

Kennith

I disagree. DI and DII kitted our with brush guard and rack was inspiring. Defender has always been adventure inspiring. I’d say adventure and play thing are the same. Not the play thing level of those side by sides, but play things nonetheless.

They aren’t on the same level as far as tech, luxury, ride quality, etc.; however, that’s not what really sells. Sex sells. Joint strike fighter for example. Yes there’s more to the JSF, but looks play a part. They always will and always have. Defender, in laymen’s terms, sexy. New Defender, bland. It’s just like every other Kiayotissordai. I just can’t wait to see how awkward it looks when they unveil it with a white roof.
 

fishEH

Well-known member
Jan 26, 2009
6,927
201
Lake Villa, IL
I disagree. DI and DII kitted our with brush guard and rack was inspiring. Defender has always been adventure inspiring. I’d say adventure and play thing are the same. Not the play thing level of those side by sides, but play things nonetheless.

They aren’t on the same level as far as tech, luxury, ride quality, etc.; however, that’s not what really sells. Sex sells. Joint strike fighter for example. Yes there’s more to the JSF, but looks play a part. They always will and always have. Defender, in laymen’s terms, sexy. New Defender, bland. It’s just like every other Kiayotissordai. I just can’t wait to see how awkward it looks when they unveil it with a white roof.
Exactly. The Wrangler looks the part.
-Teenage girl wanting to cruise the mall with your friends and the top down? Wrangler.
-Beach cruiser? Wrangler.
-Midlife crisis play toy? Wrangler.
-Weekend adventure? Wrangler.
-Hardcore rock crawler? Wrangler.

A single platform fills all those desires because it looks the part and is built to be customized.
The new Defender is bland and uninspired, and therefore uninspiring.
Selling a sleeper off roader isn't going to pay the bills.
 

ERover82

Well-known member
Nov 26, 2011
3,899
450
Darien Gap
New underbody shots
59886743_2134546796652208_2828993453454367729_n.jpg

59022980_220488918930316_1736303500417472353_n.jpg
 

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
I disagree. DI and DII kitted our with brush guard and rack was inspiring. Defender has always been adventure inspiring. I’d say adventure and play thing are the same. Not the play thing level of those side by sides, but play things nonetheless.

They aren’t on the same level as far as tech, luxury, ride quality, etc.; however, that’s not what really sells. Sex sells. Joint strike fighter for example. Yes there’s more to the JSF, but looks play a part. They always will and always have. Defender, in laymen’s terms, sexy. New Defender, bland. It’s just like every other Kiayotissordai. I just can’t wait to see how awkward it looks when they unveil it with a white roof.

We only disagree on the nature of the Jeep. I understand and agree with your contention regarding the older Land Rovers.

Cheers,

Kennith
 

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
I don't know what the hell they're up to now, but they sure seem proud of it. They're still trolling and hiding things, though.

There's no telling how much of this stuff is actually going to be on the Defender itself. The platforms are confusingly similar.

Cheers,

Kennith
 

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
3.0-liter inline-six with electric supercharger and 48-volt mild-hybrid system
Range Rover bound, but likely Defender too
https://www.autonews.com/cars-concepts/range-rover-gets-its-first-inline-6-high-tech-powerhouse

I love a damned straight six. It's a great engine choice for off-pavement use, and even fun on the road.

Doesn't that thing have electronic valves or something similar, though? Their engine lineup is a little confusing these days.

Cheers,

Kennith
 

ERover82

Well-known member
Nov 26, 2011
3,899
450
Darien Gap
I love a damned straight six. It's a great engine choice for off-pavement use, and even fun on the road.

Doesn't that thing have electronic valves or something similar, though? Their engine lineup is a little confusing these days.

Cheers,

Kennith

It'll be a low-rpm torque monster with that tech trifecta. The AMG E53, with very similar tech, achieves 384 lb-ft @ 1,800 flat through 5,800 rpm.

Maybe electronic VVT.
 

XCELLER8

Well-known member
Sep 21, 2009
249
12
I love a damned straight six. It's a great engine choice for off-pavement use, and even fun on the road.

Doesn't that thing have electronic valves or something similar, though? Their engine lineup is a little confusing these days.

Cheers,

Kennith
I agree........I once had a Ford p/u with a straight six (carbureted) ....I bought it because the damn thing had more torque than the 302 v8 at the time, it turned out to be a reliable beast, later on I owned a 4.0l straight six jeep........even that was snotty
 

discostew

Well-known member
Sep 14, 2010
7,706
1,015
Northern Illinois
I love a damned straight six. It's a great engine choice for off-pavement use, and even fun on the road.

Doesn't that thing have electronic valves or something similar, though? Their engine lineup is a little confusing these days.

Cheers,

Kennith

It holds the valve open with oil pressure. The only thing that stays the same is when the cam opens it and how far it opens it. Then it's held open as long as its commanded. It's got an electric super charger it runs to get rid of turbo lag. It's pretty impressive. They tuned the 4 cylinder to just short of 300 hp in one of the jags. It's pretty much the same engine with a couple more cylinders.
 

JackW

Well-known member
Mar 17, 2005
675
69
Straight sixes are inherently balanced - its why BMW never abandoned them and Mercedes is going back to them.
The only thing smoother than a straight six is a V-12 - which has three cylinders on a power stroke at any given moment in time.

Straight sixes are usually easier to work on and I'm excited to see Land Rover adopting them over the V-6
 

Friday Night Disco

Well-known member
Jan 14, 2018
60
7
Fall City
I am on my 3rd BMW straight - 6 (Z4 MC, 335i, 128i), I will say that the engine is fantastic. However, as far as being easy to work on...I disagree. Partly due to the location but, mostly due to the specialized tools required.
 

kennith

Well-known member
Apr 22, 2004
10,891
172
North Carolina
It'll be a low-rpm torque monster with that tech trifecta. The AMG E53, with very similar tech, achieves 384 lb-ft @ 1,800 flat through 5,800 rpm.

Maybe electronic VVT.


Looking at the specifications, it'll probably drive pretty damned sweet, as the hallmark of the straight six is similar to that of the very Rover V8 that carried them so long; constant, manageable, smooth power. Now it's typically a choice between gas or diesel; but the RV8 split the difference.

I wish more of these engine designers would actually stop for a minute and really take a long, hard look at the Rover V8.

Forget the low output, and just consider how the power is delivered. It's a damned special engine, and just because it suffers issues related to packaging intent doesn't mean they didn't nail it. It seems weak on paper, but that's not how it drives, and it's been under-developed for sixty years, now.

For what it is (an engine designed in 1959 and essentially hod rodded by Land Rover without a heck of a lot of development, the output is impressive.

It may have it's flaws, but that doesn't change the fact that from a performance perspective it's one of the best engines ever made. It was just never made the way it could be. That should have happened.

Cheers,

Kennith