Land Rover Finally Gave the Defender 130 a V8
Last year, land Rover added a new model to its Defender lineup in the form of a longer, larger model that could seat eight. The Defender 130 was billed as a practical family hauler, with oodles of cargo space, comfortable room in the third row for adults to sit, and a very sensible hybrid inline-six. Now, Land Rover is letting the 130 have some fun and has thrown a V8 in the front of its biggest Defender.
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The Land Rover Defender 130 has been given the same five-liter, supercharged V8 found in the 110 SE model. This means that the 130 now produces 493 horsepower, which is nearly 100 hp more than you could previously get in Land Rover’s largest Defender. The supercharged V8 will now help the new Defender go from zero up to 60 mph in as little as 5.4 seconds.
But Land Rover has done more than just change the engine in the V8 130, it’s also added a few trim updates so that all your friends and family know you’ve got as many cylinders as you have seats.
A James Bond villain’s perfect family car. Image: Land Rover
On the outside, Land Rover has given the 130 a “stealthy aesthetic” to match the stylings of the V8-powered 90 and 110. This means you get a choice of black or very, very dark gray, which Land Rover calls Carpathian gray or Santorini black – a slightly strange name for a black color, as Santorini is famous for its blue roofs, but what do I know.
The 130 V8 also comes with quad outboard-mounted exhausts, a sliding panoramic roof with a black contrast roof, V8 exterior badging, privacy glass and 22-inch satin dark gray alloy wheels. It looks exactly like the kind of car a family-hauling Bond villain would drive.
The Defender 130 starts at $116,600 here in the U.S., making it $16,700 more than the most powerful inline six-powered 130 and $5,100 more than the Defender 110 V8.
But this isn’t the only new Defender 130 Land Rover is introducing today. It also premiered the 130 Outbound, which the automaker says blends “luxurious interior space and all-terrain capability.”
Outbound: No V8 in here. Image: Land Rover
The Outbound doesn’t get the V8 under the hood, and instead has Land Rover’s P400 hybrid inline-six engine, which produces 395 hp. The Outbound also doesn’t get eight seats, and is exclusively available with five instead to free up 46.93 cubic ft of storage space in the trunk.
To spot an Outbound 130 on the road, look out for the shadow atlas matt finish that Land Rover gave the bumpers and grille insert. Land Rover will also only ship the Outbound model in Fuji white, Santorini black, Carpathian gray and Eiger gray. The model also comes with 20-inch wheels fitted with standard advanced all-terrain tires.
If the 130 Outbound sounds like your cup of tea, it’ll start at $84,500. Both the Outbound and 130 V8 are available to order now.
