I can agree with most of his talking points
o
That's essentially what I've been saying the whole time.
I'm still cool with the 18" wheels, though. It used to be you couldn't get 16" tires in many places, because nobody used wheels that "big" in the middle of nowhere. Now it's difficult to get exactly what you want in 16"
domestically because it's too small... That does matter; it's going to annoy you much more often when you live in the US, because you typically don't ship a car when bouncing around the world; you get one locally. That means you're living with this Defender
here, in The States, because that's where
it lives.
I'll take the 18s on a vehicle that can get the best out of them. The only place that rig is going where it matters is South America, and tires won't be hard to find there. Mongolia? Sure; but it's not going there if it lives here. That's too much expense just to get a job done.
Of course, today, as he said, 16" is more common elsewhere. It's no different than 22" wheels. You see them on cars that have survived long enough to putter enthusiasts around. Wait a while, and 18" wheels will pepper the world as newer rigs begin to replace older models again. It's a cycle. Bigger wheels and brakes have great benefits.
Land Rover built an overland rig. That's what it is. It appears to be a
comfortable overland rig, but that's valuable, as well. It's not just the vehicle getting the shit kicked out of it, after all. The more fatigued you are, the less work you're going to get done, and the more problems you'll have later in life.
I can't really fault any manufacturer intending to sell a car in the US for difficult service, though. I can see the Apple comparison, but that's pretty much every new vehicle allowed in the United States. Not even diesel is safe from our complication. Even Cummins had to give in eventually.
It's not hard to define a Defender, and it's not hard to define this vehicle, either. Strip away the fancy screens that everything has these days, and you've got a modern overland rig. This is not a simple replacement. Look around. Even the G has changed dramatically. This is not D1 to DII.
This is
Series II to DII, and Land Rover isn't the only one on that boat; they're just piloting it. Off pavement vehicles are changing, and we've been seeing the last throws of passion out of other manufacturers as they follow suit.
The Defender just kind of "fit" when adapted to circumstance. This is a more tailored, purpose-built endeavor, as strange as that sounds. Jeep doesn't really count, because they pretty much get away with murder. It's not a fair contest by any stretch of the imagination. Let Toyota
encourage people to remove their doors and see how that works out for them after the first broken arm...
The game is rigged here, and it has been for a long time.
Cheers,
Kennith