THERE'S NOTHING QUITE as tense as watching a pair of brand new £225,000 Land Rover Classic-built Defenders attempt to cross a river via a makeshift wooden bridge. Especially as we had only just rebuilt the structure using basic knot-tying skills learned less than 24 hours earlier!
It's good to get outside your comfort zone once in a while and the Land Rover Classic Trophy is certainly helping with that. It's designed to evoke memories of the epic Camel Trophy expeditions, with challenges condensed into an action-packed three days off-road at the Consall Hall Gardens Estate in the glorious English countryside of rural Staffordshire.
So what exactly is the Land Rover Classic Trophy? For those lucky enough to buy one of the 25 limited-edition Defender Works V8 Trophy II cars, entry into this exclusive off-road competition is included in the purchase price. Octane has been invited to join this year, taking part in 'SNO', JLR Classic's engineering car, used extensively to test the bespoke modifications for the Trophy II. Everybody else will be using their own freshly built cars.
We start the day at the JLR Classic Works near Coventry, where each of the teams is introduced to their new Defender for the first time. Although most are experienced Land Rover owners, it's a good opportunity to be shown around the car and its unique features, not to mention being given a tour of the facility.
Denne historien er fra November 2023-utgaven av Octane.
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Denne historien er fra November 2023-utgaven av Octane.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Will China Change Everything? - China is tearing up modern motor manufacture but is yet to make more than a ripple in the classic car world. That could be about to change dramatically
China now dominates the automotive world in a way even Detroit in its heyday would have struggled to comprehend.Helped by Government incentives, the new car world is dominated by China's industries: whether full cars that undercut Western models by huge amounts, ownership of storied European brands such as Lotus and Volvo, or ownership and access to the vast majority of raw materials that go into EV cars, its influence is far-reaching and deep. However, this automotive enlightenment hasn't manifested itself in the classic world in any meaningful way - until now.
Jem Marsh
The hard-bitten Marcos boss was driven like few others and never knew when he was beaten. Thankfully
Vandamm House
A Mid-Century Modernist masterpiece that was immortalised on celluloid - despite never actually existing
Making light
Alfa Romeo's post-war renaissance began with the 1900 saloon - and matured with Zagato's featherweight coupé version, as Jay Harvey discovers
FULL OF EASTERN PROMISE
Is burgeoning classic car interest in the Middle East good for the global classic market? Nathan Chadwick investigates
Before the beginning
This rare Amazon Green pre-production Range Rover is Velar chassis number 4. James Elliott charts its historically revealing factory restoration
Ben Cussons
As the outgoing chairman of the Royal Automobile Club hands on to his successor, Robert Coucher quizzes him about the evolution of this great British institution
BULLDOG & THE PUPPIES
We gather five motoring masterpieces by avant-garde designer William Towns - and drive all of them
Below the tip of the Audrain iceberg
As the Audrain organisation grows, we take a look behind the scenes at the huge car collection that feeds it
Flying the Scottish flag
Young Ecurie Ecosse driver Chloe Grant gets to grips with the Ecurie Ecosse Jaguar C-type at Goodwood. Matthew Hayward is Octane's witness
