Ashana Sinha 
The Land Rover Defender has been with us in its current shape for a few years now. It arrived in 2019 as a plusher, more road-friendly reinvention of the agricultural original, wrapped in a Gerry McGovern body you could happily stare at across a car park. For most urban buyers, the mammoth proportions and unmatched road presence are half the appeal. This particular Defender, though, caught our attention for a very different reason, and it lives under the bonnet.
An endangered species
At a glance it could be any Defender. Then it clears its throat, This is the 110 P425, powered by JLR’s mighty 5.0-litre supercharged V8. And here is the poignant part. That engine has now been officially retired, which already makes this Defender something of an endangered species. The supercharged five-litre was only ever offered on a handful of Land Rover models, the Defender among them, which nudges this version towards collector’s-item territory. Because really, how often does anyone get to drive a supercharged V8 any more?
Spot the V8
Picking this V8 out of the wider Defender line-up is trickier than you would expect. The design cues are subtle rather than shouty. The easiest tell is a set of quad exhaust tips peeking out of the lower valance, and that is about the only visual wink the car allows itself. Everything else, cabin included, is left untouched. Then again, once the engine fires into life, it introduces itself quickly enough.
Solid to the core
As with most modern Land Rovers, the Defender feels reassuringly solid. Road or no road, it gives the impression it will outlive us all. The cabin is not Range Rover levels of opulence, but you never feel short-changed. A mix of materials, clean surfaces and bold DEFENDER lettering keep it parked neatly in the zone between honest tool and desirable object.
Allow me
Performance is where the Defender V8 leans in and says, allow me. Bury the accelerator and you genuinely forget you are piloting an SUV that is over five metres long and tips the scales a smidge above 2.3 tonnes. It lunges forward with the enthusiasm of a sports car, and thanks to its massive 380mm brakes, it stops like one too. The whole experience is lifted further by the engine’s intoxicating soundtrack. There is no classic V8 growl here. Instead there is the supercharger whine, and that alone is enough to send a shiver up your spine and straight past your better judgement.
Float, not carve
The air suspension does a remarkable job, letting the Defender float over rough surfaces with an almost lazy nonchalance. The catch is the driving position. You sit so high above the road that, at speed, the ride can feel a little unnerving to some. It was never built for corners, but ask the V8 to have a go and it makes a surprisingly competent attempt.
The only question that matters
In fairness, there is not much to fix. The Defender delivers very nearly everything you would want from a luxury off-roader. The real question is whether this supercharged five-litre is the version to buy. At 1.39 crore rupees it is not outrageously priced for its class. It does, however, have a drinking problem. Despite the 90-litre tank, you will be making more fuel stops than you would like. A diesel is far more practical and much kinder to your wallet, though we are assuming frugality is not top of mind for anyone spending this kind of money on a car. And if you are going to have a Defender, this one, the last of the supercharged cars, is truly one of a kind. No future version of the Defender is likely to carry a bigger heart. For most, that is more than good enough.
