We love the new Land Rover Defender and its high-tech approach to off-roading. However, we’d be lying if we said we didn’t miss the farm-vehicle feel which made the outgoing Landy quite a charming vehicle. There’s just something about that vehicle that even the comfort and convenience of technology cannot replace. To that end, some British rally car builder is brewing something special within its walls.
If you’re a fan of the Dakar Rally, the name Bowler probably rings a bell. This company’s specialty is creating competition off-roaders for rally raid and long-distance events. The firm has produced cars with Land Rover Defender and Range Rover underpinnings, which make them quite formidable on loose terrain. With Jaguar Land Rover acquiring Bowler late last year, the parent company has given its newest baby the rights to use the Defender 110 body for its CSP 575 pet project.
While the styling of the CSP 575 looks agricultural, it’s anything but underneath the slab-sided body. The image on Bowler’s website suggests a heavily-modified Defender ladder frame with competition-spec bracing bolted on top. There is no word yet on other technical details such as suspension type, but the company does confirm the use of a JLR supercharged V8 engine. Yanked out of a Range Rover Sport, this beast of a motor produces 575ps (567hp), hence the CSP 575 moniker.
Bowler says that the CSP 575 will retain the practicality of the classic Defender 110 with room for four people and their stuff. The company also promises air-conditioning; something that wasn’t one of the classic Landy’s strongest suits. The whole package does come at a rather steep price tag, though. Bowler expects the CSP 575 to retail for around £200,000 (P12.7 million) in the UK. Deliveries start in the latter half of 2021.
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