From the outside, this Land Rover Defender looks like any other example of the
postwar British classic that conquered the African outback—and the automotive world’s heart. But when I step on the accelerator, my own heart jumps. The Defender charges like a lioness on a wildebeest’s scent, slaying 60 miles per hour (almost 100 kilometers per hour) in about 5 seconds. That acceleration is so out of character for this doughty old truck, and so fun, that I’m forced to do it again.
Clearly, that’s no lazy Rover diesel chugging below the hood—or even a Chevrolet V-8, a current go-to engine for vintage-car fans seeking a contemporary edge. This Defender, known for
raiding tombs, has raided Tesla’s temple of tech.
The Insta-worthy specimen I’m driving—dubbed “Project Britton” and built by
E.C.D. Automotive Design (formerly East Coast Defenders), in Kissimmee, Fla.—highlights the small-but-growing phenomenon of people converting fossil-fueled cars to run on electricity. It’s also a plug-in twist on the hottest thing in car customization: “
restomods,” which update classics with modern power trains, suspensions, and creature comforts, all hidden under their vintage skins.