Chances are you’ve heard Land Rover is all systems go for a 2020 Defender, with a finalized vehicle set to materialize some time in 2019. But the initial prospect, which had off-road junkies on both sides of the pond salivating, has gone to pot a bit, with people beginning to grumble. Will the designers maul the boxy utilitarian beauty that has led person after person to fall in love with the SUV against their better judgement?
We cannot answer these questions. What we can do is offer up the antithesis: an old-school Defender that, instead of being redesigned for the future, has undergone the vehicle equivalent of a Jekyll-and-Hyde transformation, bringing out its most insane qualities.
It’s called The Flying Huntsman Civilian 6×6, it seats nine, it has all-wheel drive and, most importantly, it’s up for sale right now — for an entirely appropriate $323,795.
Flying Huntsman Civilian (6 images)
If the name rings a bell, that’s because this particular build is the work of Kahn Design’s Chelsea Truck Company, a bespoke garage we’ve written about many a time (“Flying Huntsman” is actually the name for their line of coachbuilt vehicles). And while this particular build was unveiled last year, we missed it on the first go-round, and it’s still up for sale, so we couldn’t leave it alone.
To accommodate not just the extra seats but the extra axle, the team took a Defender 110 and stretched out the chassis. Powering the vehicle at the moment is a 170-HP 2.2-liter diesel engine, which gets the job done, but there is the option to swap it out for a 430-HP 6.2-liter V8 diesel. Depends on whether you need to tow something behind this behemoth.
The video above gives you a look into how they built the beast, but is sadly soundtracked by music rather than the roar of the engine. But hey, if you’re serious about dropping $350K on your own Huntsman, we’re certain Chelsea Truck Company would gladly send over a soundbite or two.
All images via Chelsea Truck Company
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