East Coast
Defender (ECD) has caught our attention again with yet another custom Land
Rover called the Project Soho. First and foremost,
power for this Defender comes courtesy of GM’s LS3 V8. The Corvette-sourced
6.2-liter engine has been tuned to 565 horsepower and is matched to a six-speed
automatic transmission.
The combo ensures that performance is way beyond what
the original’s creators, seven decades ago, would have ever thought possible,
whereas the Borla exhaust system, complete with Kahn tailpipes, has enhanced
the soundtrack.
Finished in Quantum
Grey, the Defender Project Soho has a slim Kahn bumper at the front, LED
headlights and rear work lights, underbody protection, gloss black accents,
full-length side steps and other parts. Filling the wheel arches quite nicely
are the 20-inch Kahn Mondial wheels, shod in BFGoodrich all-terrain tires, and
the final upgrade is a custom air suspension made by ECD.
While the exterior is
all rugged, the cabin has been inspired by supercars. Thus, it gets black
suede, red leather, contrast stitching, bucket seats at the front and in the
middle, black suede headliner and a full-length central console complete with
air vents, cup holders and smartphone wireless charging. It also has
bench-style seats in the load area with removable pads and red seatbelts.
Convenience
features include heated and ventilated front and middle-row seats, and this
custom Defender also gets an Alpine infotainment system, JL sound system with
subwoofer, Wi-Fi, keyless entry, remote start and LED interior lighting.
