This
year brought us a wide variety of new vehicles, with an all-new Land Rover
Defender being one of the most important, yet those who find the previous
iteration more appealing would probably appreciate East Coast Defender’s (ECD)
latest creation more: the Project Blackcomb.
Building
on the Defender 90, the British SUV is finished in Zermatt Silver with glossy
black accents. It rides on 18-inch Sawtooth alloy wheels shod in BF Goodrich
all-terrain tires and rocks a few upgrades that contribute to its enhanced
stance while also improving practicality and off-road prowess. The new front bumper
with integrated daytime running lights leaves room for the winch and there’s an
exoskeleton as well.
Step
inside and you will see the soft black leather on the bucket seats in a diamond
pattern with white stitching, black suede headliner and Momo steering wheel.
The gauges are also new and so is the infotainment system that’s hooked up to
the audio system complete with amplifier and subwoofer. The custom Defender features
remote engine start, keyless entry, Wi-Fi hotspot, rear air vents, dusk-sensing
headlights and a few other features. The load area is complete with the two
forward-facing jump seats that can fold up to make room for cargo.
Most
of ECD’s tuned Defenders are powered by the Corvette-sourced LS3 V8 and the
Project Blackcomb makes no exception. The 6.2-liter engine is paired to a
six-speed automatic transmission and develops 565 horsepower, which should be
more than enough to get you up on a steep hill and allow you to challenge some
modern-day sports car to a drag race.
