Omega Owners Forum

Chat Area => General Car Chat => Topic started by: Jimbob on 31 August 2011, 08:50:10

Title: What have they done to the defender?
Post by: Jimbob on 31 August 2011, 08:50:10
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14726189
Title: Re: What have they done to the defender?
Post by: blackviper90210 on 31 August 2011, 08:56:51
Looks like the front end of a bmw mini on steroids and the back end of a postman pat van! Yuk
Title: Re: What have they done to the defender?
Post by: Kevin Wood on 31 August 2011, 09:16:00
Looks like a cross between a freegaylander and a toilet cubicle. :o
Title: Re: What have they done to the defender?
Post by: sticka_v8_init on 31 August 2011, 09:17:37
Think they should have left it alone, it was a classic. Now it looks like something from Bob The Builder.
Title: Re: What have they done to the defender?
Post by: maracus on 31 August 2011, 10:00:12
This is like 'two girls one cup', can't view the link ATM coz of poor signal but going off peoples reactions, it ain't good!
Title: Re: What have they done to the defender?
Post by: rob in gib on 31 August 2011, 12:49:15
Oh thats progress take something that works and i mean really works,give it a make over and turn it into a ugly piece of usless junk.

now dont get me wrong the defender would never turn heads for its looks but it was built to do a job,and that it done without equal.
Title: Re: What have they done to the defender?
Post by: Kevin Wood on 31 August 2011, 12:54:18
Can you imagine the state that thing'll be in once it's been through what the average Defender has? ;D

There'll be bits of plastic hanging off all over the place.

Some junior marketing executive has decided to make his mark on it without understanding what the product is about and why customers buy it. ::)
Title: Re: What have they done to the defender?
Post by: tunnie on 31 August 2011, 13:29:20
Similar issues with Ford & their Crown Victoria, they wanted to change that. But as nearly every law enforcement section uses them, FBI, Police not forgetting Taxi Cabs, think Ford got told they could not change it!
Title: Re: What have they done to the defender?
Post by: TheBoy on 31 August 2011, 17:51:35
I was shocked when I heard they were dropping the old defender a few months ago - its a constant, never changing, solid income. You could say the same of HP's computer division  :-X

Possibly part of the issue is getting the old design through new car rules  :-/
Title: Re: What have they done to the defender?
Post by: the alarming man on 31 August 2011, 18:08:25
the old defender is still being made...for the indian market only :y
Title: Re: What have they done to the defender?
Post by: TheBoy on 31 August 2011, 18:17:44
Quote
the old defender is still being made...for the indian market only :y
Its still being made for all markets for 2 or 3 years ;)
Title: Re: What have they done to the defender?
Post by: the alarming man on 31 August 2011, 18:54:21
well i was told the old would stay in india BUT we were getting the new one due to new car rules coming from the E.U and the old model could not conform?? :y
Title: Re: What have they done to the defender?
Post by: hotel21 on 31 August 2011, 19:03:43
The Defender falls into a number of camps by its very design and is exempt from loads of safety and security requirements. 

Off the top of my head, they include:-
No airbags
No immobiliser chip in the key
No crumple zones
No reinforced passenger safety cage
No (or limited) roll over protection
No side impact bars etc etc etc

As its a dual purpose vehicle (designed for use for passengers as well as goods) it is exempt from some of the legislation that other manufacturers now have to conform to which has led to changes in the design of other cars.  That the car is still a staple tool of farmers and other land users/workers has some bearing but, sadly, times move on.

As to looks for the new one, have a looksee at the new Evoque and look again at the new Defender......
Title: Re: What have they done to the defender?
Post by: Vamps on 31 August 2011, 21:34:09
An article in 'Classic Car Buyer' says the Defender, as we know it, will remain till 2016, save from an early fate due to a new 2.2 engine.......

It also says that the Defender has sold 25000, per year consistently since 1987 so obviously not a good seller so lets change it....... :( :(

To me the defender is a true 'Land Rover' and the Range Rover is what it says......  I can't see the Military being interested in this as a replacement...... :-/ :-/ :-/
Title: Re: What have they done to the defender?
Post by: tunnie on 31 August 2011, 21:51:26
have to wonder why they are changing it, if they are selling 25k a year, thats a nice little earner, with minor upgrades needed every so often.

Title: Re: What have they done to the defender?
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 31 August 2011, 22:00:52
Quote
have to wonder why they are changing it, if they are selling 25k a year, thats a nice little earner, with minor upgrades needed every so often.

yes, about time they started doing minor upgrades on the bloody things  ;D
Title: Re: What have they done to the defender?
Post by: the alarming man on 31 August 2011, 22:02:31
i quite the square shape no frills and frezzing your bits off in winter...mind you never get stuck :y
Title: Re: What have they done to the defender?
Post by: hotel21 on 31 August 2011, 22:32:35
I really quite like the original/current Defender, alongwith all its quirks.  There is no other vehicle platform, short of a lorry chassis, that can have so many assorted variations of body type and fitment based on the same chassis and cab/bulkhead.

Thinking vans, pickups, county style estates, flatbeds, cherry pickers, specialist offroad utility company vehicles, grit spreaders, fire engines, military variations etc etc.

And if you go back into the original concept of the series style then using the power take off facility, grass cutters, balers, tattie howkers and goodness knows what else!

Wonder if the new one will encompass all that? Eeeehhh......   :-X

Title: Re: What have they done to the defender?
Post by: aaronjb on 31 August 2011, 22:37:51
Quote
I really quite like the original/current Defender, alongwith all its quirks.  There is no other vehicle platform, short of a lorry chassis, that can have so many assorted variations of body type and fitment based on the same chassis and cab/bulkhead.

Thinking vans, pickups, county style estates, flatbeds, cherry pickers, specialist offroad utility company vehicles, grit spreaders, fire engines, military variations etc etc.

And if you go back into the original concept of the series style then using the power take off facility, grass cutters, balers, tattie howkers and goodness knows what else!

Wonder if the new one will encompass all that? Eeeehhh......   :-X


I had to google that part!  ;D
Title: Re: What have they done to the defender?
Post by: Sir Tigger KC on 31 August 2011, 23:55:39
Wonder if you'll still bang your elbow on the window??  ::)
Title: Re: What have they done to the defender?
Post by: Vamps on 01 September 2011, 00:11:17
Quote
Quote
I really quite like the original/current Defender, alongwith all its quirks.  There is no other vehicle platform, short of a lorry chassis, that can have so many assorted variations of body type and fitment based on the same chassis and cab/bulkhead.

Thinking vans, pickups, county style estates, flatbeds, cherry pickers, specialist offroad utility company vehicles, grit spreaders, fire engines, military variations etc etc.

And if you go back into the original concept of the series style then using the power take off facility, grass cutters, balers, tattie howkers and goodness knows what else!

Wonder if the new one will encompass all that? Eeeehhh......   :-X


I had to google that part!  ;D

Blaaady savonours.............. ::) ::) ::)
Title: Re: What have they done to the defender?
Post by: aaronjb on 01 September 2011, 00:15:06
Quote
Quote
Quote
I really quite like the original/current Defender, alongwith all its quirks.  There is no other vehicle platform, short of a lorry chassis, that can have so many assorted variations of body type and fitment based on the same chassis and cab/bulkhead.

Thinking vans, pickups, county style estates, flatbeds, cherry pickers, specialist offroad utility company vehicles, grit spreaders, fire engines, military variations etc etc.

And if you go back into the original concept of the series style then using the power take off facility, grass cutters, balers, tattie howkers and goodness knows what else!

Wonder if the new one will encompass all that? Eeeehhh......   :-X


I had to google that part!  ;D

Blaaady savonours.............. ::) ::) ::)

Hey now, I'm a northerner.. I just got transplanted down south 12 years ago  :P (Just not as far north as you & H21..)