
Bowler Challenge Defender given 007 makeover
Land Rover has entered a special 007-liveried Defender 90 into the North Wales leg of the 2022 Bowler Defender Challenge to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the James Bond film franchise.
Prepared by the brand’s high performance Bowler division, the rally-prepared Bowler Defender Challenge features huge gold numbering on the sides and the roof, all set against the iconic 007 logo. As a final flourish, the name of every Bond film has been written in gold lettering on the bonnet and tailgate.
Piloting the Bowler in Wales will be Mark Higgins, a three-times British Rally Champion and Bond stunt driver, who’ll be partnered with co-driver Claire Williams. Higgins has been at the wheel in four James Bond films – Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, Spectre and the most recent film, No Time to Die. He’ll also have plenty of experience of the new Defender with the car featuring in a key car chase in the latest Bond film.
Higgins thinks the 007 Defender can perform well in the Welsh forest, “The New Defender is a tough and capable vehicle when it leaves the production line and I’ve seen it perform really challenging stunts while on the set of No Time To Die. With the race ready enhancements made by the Bowler team and with Claire by my side we are confident we can have a great result.”
As for the Bowler Challenge itself, it’ll be the same as the one we recently drove, complete with 296bhp 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo petrol engine sending power to all four wheels. The 18-inch wheels are wrapped in all-terrain tyres, plus there’s a bespoke suspension system, additional cooling and a fully integrated roll cage, which could come in handy if there are any dramatic Bond-style rolls.
Land Rover and James Bond have a long history, dating back to the 1983 film Octopussy that featured a unique first generation Range Rover convertible. And of course the latest instalment, No Time to Die, starred plenty of current Defender’s and inspired this Land Rover Defender V8 Bond Edition.
Check out the latest Land Rover news and reviews here
New Mercedes-AMG One hypercar will be built in Coventry
Production of the Mercedes-AMG One – Merc’s hugely complex F1 engine-powered car [..]
New 2022 Alfa Romeo Tonale SUV: UK prices and specs revealed
The new Alfa Romeo Tonale is now on sale in the UK, [..]
New Kia XCeed facelift gets £22,995 price tag
The Kia’s XCeed crossover has been facelifted for 2022 bringing a fresher [..]
‘Rodin and Moke are set to shake up the car industry’
Car company bosses come in all shapes and sizes. Elon Musk is [..]
Porsche Taycan sets new Nurburgring electric production car record
Porsche has won countless races around the Nurburgring in its history, and [..]
Sporty Hyundai Ioniq 5 N spotted testing
The Ioniq 5, our Car of the Year in 2021, is set [..]
All-electric Mercedes A-Class replacement could still be on
The A-Class was the fourth best-selling vehicle in Britain last year and [..]
New 2022 Porsche GT4 RS Spyder spotted again
Porsche’s track-honed GT4 RS is set to receive a drop-top Spyder variant [..]