There’s no shortage of classic Land Rover Defender restomods but since there are so many of them, the sense of occasion one would expect from such a project is not always there. Well, you can say anything about this Defender D90 restomod, but you can’t possibly deny that it’s very special and stands out in a sea of custom Defenders. Officially known as the Reef D90, this project was fully reconditioned and rebuilt by Arkonik for a Florida couple.

The owners wanted the perfect beach buggy (of sorts) to explore New Smyrna Beach, the type of vehicle that would allow them to breathe the sea air while cruising along the sandy beaches, taking in the views and looking for the perfect surf spots. The short-wheelbase Land Rover Defender 90 seemed like the perfect choice, particularly the soft-top model.


Arkonik got to work and turned a 1992 Land Rover Defender 90 into this stunning Reef D90 sporting a Sky Blue bodywork with a contrasting tan soft top. The rugged SUV is also decked out with silver accents including a KBX Signature grille, aluminum checker plates above the wheels and on the side sills, and KBX wing-top air intakes. The tasteful exterior treatment also includes body-color wheel arches, Truck-Lite Twin-Cat LED headlights, LED DRLs in the front bumper and Chawton White 16-inch steel wheels shod with BFGoodrich All Terrain T/A KO2 tires.

The six-seat cabin is equally unique as it combines superb Aniline Cracked Brown leather with polished wooden flooring in the rear compartment and black carpet in the driver and front passenger’s area. Adding to the charm of the cabin are features like the 15-inch Evander wood rimmed steering wheel and alloy gear knobs and door handles.


Contemporary touches include the Pioneer Touch screen with Apple Car Play and reversing camera display, Ice White LED lighting, as well as the lock box with 12V socket and twin USB ports. There’s no mention of a powertrain upgrade so we can assume the ‘200Tdi’ 2.5-liter four-cylinder turbo diesel is in stock form and produces 107 HP and 255 Nm of torque. It comes with a five-speed manual transmission sending power to all four wheels via a 4WD system with differential lock and low range.

You should stop reading now if you want to keep the dream of owning a custom Defender like this one alive. That’s because the folks from Arkonik will charge you US$ 175,000 to build your own Reef D90.