Just last week Land Rover officially launched the new Defender here in New Zealand. And while there four and six-cylinder engines on display, the biggest one is still yet to come.
It's been known for quite a while now that a V8 Defender was on the cards, but it looks like JLR is planning on looking beyond its factory for the power plant, and reviving the partnership with BMW.
Click here to view all Land Rover listings on DRIVEN
According to a recent report out of Britain, both a hybrid version of the 2.0-litre engine and a V8 option is coming to the Defender line-up after the latter was recently spotted testing at the Nürburgring.
As well as the obvious soundtrack that would accompany the V8-powered off-roader, this new Defender 110 was said to feature enlarged mufflers and quad exhaust tips, similar to those found on the V8-powered Range Rovers.
But unlike those Range Rover models, this Defender has reportedly ditched JLR's 5.0-litre V8 in favour of BMW's twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8. Something that makes a fair bit of sense, considering that the same JLR V8 has been used since 2009.
While exact specs haven't been revealed, this German-sourced V8's output starts at 331kW and 650Nm of torque, and goes all the way through to 460kW/750Nm, which is found in the range-topping M models.
Even the lowest spec BMW V8 will offer a hefty bump over what the current top-spec Defender offers from the twin-turbo 3.0-litre six. Thanks to the mild-hybrid system, this engine pumps out 295kW and 550Nm.
At this stage, the BMW engine is still a rumour, but makes a lot of sense considering JLR's plans to scrap the 5.0-litre V8 in order to make way for a plethora of turbocharged, hybridised six-cylinder engines.