This Land Rover Defender 6x6 restomod from Manz Motor Company is a gentler version of the original, but rear passengers may still have problems.
. That’s what I discovered when piloting just such an example from David and Cole Manz, the father-son duo who founded the DefenderThis New 400-Foot Gigayacht Has 3 Pools and an Underwater Lounge
The Manz team, like so many other similar operations, adds modern performance and luxe appointments to the classic, formerly utilitarianquickly becomes an exercise in traveling slowly due to underpowered drivetrains and minimal braking muscle. Then there’s the steering of a land yacht and suspension that creaks and rattles over just about any road imperfection.
From behind the wheel, it’s easy to forget that there’s another axle all the way at the rear of the build.The classic seating position rides high and vertical, allowing for plenty of visibility over the hood. And offset pedals may entice some drivers to immediately begin left-foot braking. Behind the front buckets, the rear seats provide minimal legroom and require a similarly upright posture that may become uncomfortable on longer road trips.
Another sticking point for me was that a few modern touches throughout the build tend to clash with the overall appearance and spirit, especially the carbon-fiber hood and the digital push-button gear selector on the center console, both of which seem entirely out of place. But Manz will spec a true gearshift lever to match the transfer-case shifter in classic style, and specific build preferences can drop the use of carbon fiber altogether.
This Defender 6×6 restomod was originally developed as an engineering exercise to draw attention to the New Hampshire–based restoration house’s other Defender projects.Land Rover originally built a small run of Defender 6×6 to serve as troop transports, ambulances, and safari vehicles.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
New Chery iCar V23 Looks Like The Electric Defender That Land Rover Won’t Make (Yet)The second model from Chery's new iCar brand is a rugged-looking SUV with familiar styling cues developed with the help of Xiaomi's Zhimi Technology
Read more »
2025 Land Rover Defender OCTA Will Be The Most Powerful Ever Thanks To BMW V8The new flagship Defender will serve as a rival to trucks like the Mercedes-AMG G63 and Ford Bronco Raptor
Read more »
New Land Rover Defender EV gains in-wheel motors and 2000lb ftBritish firm Bedeo launches classic-oriented conversion project with a bespoke Defender 130
Read more »
Land Rover Defender electric restomod uses in-wheel motorsThe electric conversion of the classic Defender uses in-wheel motors from Protean.
Read more »
Extreme Land Rover Defender Octa due this year with snarling V8New brand for flagship Defenders kicks off with a hardcore super-4x4 that’s tipped to nudge £200,000
Read more »
Land Rover Defender OCTA Arriving July 3 As The Ultimate Off-RoaderLand Rover's engineers have spent more than three years testing the most extreme Defender ever
Read more »