Rally Special Landie Defender 90 honours 60 years of James Bond

Land Rover is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the James Bond film franchise by entering into the 2022 Bowler Defender Challenge.

The marque’s weapon of choice is a rally-prepared, liveried Defender 90 with Mark Higgins at the helm in the North Wales leg on 26 March. Higgins is a three-time British Rally Champion and Bond stunt driver and will compete in the challenge alongside his co-driver Claire Williams. 

Based on the current Defender 90, it features a black and gold Bond livery as well as a special 007 60th logo on its roof and sides. It is powered by a P300 Ingenium engine that pushes out 221 kW and 400 Nm of torque. To make it a compelling rally car, it is fitted with safety and styling modifications in the form of a full roll cage, 18” Bowler wheels shod with all-terrain rubbers, bespoke suspension design, modified subframes, new springs, unique turrets for increased stiffness, enhanced cooling for the engine and transmission, sports exhaust and a new rear roof spoiler. 

According to Mark Higgins, the New Defender is a tough and capable vehicle when it leaves the production line and he’s seen it perform really well with challenging stunts on the set of No Time To Die. The race-ready enhancements are made by the Bowler team. 

The 12-team 2022 Bowler Defender Challenge is regulated by the Motor Sports Association and operated by Bowler and it is designed to act as a feeder series for global rally-raid competitions including the annual Dakar rally. 

‍