A unique, extensively restored 1991 Land Rover Defender with a Project Kahn body kit has recently fetched $129,000 at an auction in the United States. Let’s see what makes it special.
An LS engine swap probably was one of the biggest selling points. The off-roader lost its original engine in favor of a 6.2-liter LS3 V8 driven by a huge 4.0-liter Whipple supercharger. The listing doesn’t mention the output, but it may as well lie in the four-digit territory with a supercharger like that. A six-speed automatic transmission delivers the torque to all four wheels, while a two-speed transfer case guarantees solid performance off road.
There is much more to the project than the swap, though. The suspension has been completely overhauled with new springs, shocks and stabilizers, the brakes have been reinforced and the hood and grille at the front have been replaced for better engine cooling. The driver gets to enjoy a reversing camera, plenty of auxiliary lighting all around, power windows and climate control – the base SUV had none of the above.
A fully restored interior trimmed with black leather with a new gear lever, a Momo steering wheel and improved noise proofing rounds off the list.
The seller didn’t mention how expensive it was to build, but we’ve seen similar Defender restomods made for $250,000 and more.