Back in 2019, Land Rover acquired Bowler, a British tuning brand that has been modifying Land Rovers for years, and integrated it into its Special Vehicles Operations (SVO) division.
Just yesterday, Bowler announced its first vehicle beneath the Land Rover umbrella as it was granted permission to use the original Defender shape to build a limited number of high-performance off-roaders.
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Dubbed the CSP 575, this Defender is a far cry from the SUV's humble beginnings considering that the diesel lump beneath the bonnet has been swapped out for Land Rover's supercharged 5.0-litre V8.
It will be based on the 110 chassis, which is the largest Defender available, but the underpinnings will be replaced with a high-strength steel chassis paired with aluminium alloy body panels.
With less weight than a regular Defender, a high-performance 4x4 drive system, and 423kW on tap, we can imagine that the CSP 575 would be an incredible machine in the rough stuff.
“We’re excited to announce the first major project since our acquisition of Bowler. The ‘CSP 575’ will combine supercharged V8 performance and four-seat practicality with Bowler’s rally raid-proven CSP platform, broadening the appeal of the brand”, said JLR SVO’s Managing Director, Michael van der Sande. “The high-performance road-going model will sit alongside Bowler’s evolving range of rally raid models, which will continue to enjoy success in the world’s toughest motorsport events.”
As you could imagine, a high-performance Defender built in limited numbers is not going to be a bargain by any means, and the official figure is $387,000 — which is Porsche Taycan money. Also, it's only set to be sold over the UK, so if you're set on one, you're going to have to take care of the logistics.