There’s a small but growing trend in car customization called “restomods”–it’s bringing a modern power train, suspension, and creature comforts to classic cars. That includes a small subset of classic Defenders that’ve been repurposed into speedy tech avengers, as in this Insta-worthy specimen I test drove.

The retro land rover defender  was originally an Australian military vehicle until it was reintroduced into the civilian market in the late 1970s. The Defender is an all-aluminum 4×4 SUV with a sturdy, solid-axle design that makes it ideal for off-roading. It has a unique drivetrain that incorporates coil springs front and rear, as well as a locking centre differential to give the Defender permanent four-wheel drive capability.

In the 1990s Land Rover started to take its upmarket, luxury SUV a step further by adding limited-edition versions of the Defender to its lineup. These included the SV90 station wagon with body protection and alloy wheels in 1992, as well as the 50th anniversary Defender 90 with a Range Rover 4.0-liter V8 engine and air conditioning in 1998.

The Land Rover Defender 110 Restoration Journey: From Rusty Frame to Pristine Condition

These vehicles were also painted a unique one-year color like Willow Green and had safety features such as rollover protection cages for the front seat passengers. They were also fitted with a full roof rack and an external safety cage for the rear doors, making them very comfortable and practical off-roading vehicles.

In 2020, Land Rover introduced a new Defender that’s even more upmarket and powerful than the old version. But the Defender isn’t for everyone. Thankfully, there’s an alternative, the retro Defender Works V8 Trophy. These are aftermarket conversions based on the defunct old Defender and available in two-door and four-door models.