450kW Land Rover Defender may be coming

Jaguar Land Rover is reportedly working on an even faster version of its Defender SUV, with BMW-sourced power on the horizon.

The new Defender would presumably wear the SVR badge, denoting it as a top-spec car in line with the existing Range Rover Sport SVR. The name is notably absent from the just-released Defender V8, indicating Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) intends to save it for a higher-performance car — one which may arrive as soon as 2023.

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Launched this year, the 2022 Defender V8 joins 2020’s four and six-cylinder models. The V8 is available as either a short-wheelbase 90 or long-wheelbase 110, which bodes well for the future SVR to appear in both guises.

While there’s nothing official from JLR so far, MotorTrend reports the Defender SVR would likely use BMW’s 4.4-litre, twin-turbo V8. In the current BMW M5 CS, the engine offers 467kW, and 750Nm of torque.

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JLR has used its current V8 since 1997

Even if detuned for the SVR, it would remain a considerable increase over the current Defender V8. That car is powered by the marque’s own supercharged 5.0-litre V8, making a more-than-respectable 386kW/625Nm.

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V8 power has been a Land Rover staple since 1979

If BMW's twin-turbo 4.4 does make its way into the SVR, it wouldn't be a first for Land Rover. Between 2003 and 2005, the third-generation Range Rover could be optioned with an earlier iteration of BMW’s 4.4-litre V8, as well as a Bavarian diesel six. Land Rover of South Africa also offered a BMW six-powered Defender between 1997 and 2001.

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It's safe to assume the SVR would be priced well above the current range-topping Defender V8, which begins at $200,540 (plus on-road costs) in Defender 90 form. The cheapest 2022 Land Rover Defender is the 90 P300, at $71,500 before on-road costs.