Bowler Defender Challenge: Off-road Land Rover Defender race car revealed

Land Rover-backed British company Bowler Motors has revealed its Defender Challenge off-road racer, which is based upon the new 2021 Land Rover Defender 90 P300.

This is the first new-generation Defender to get the Bowler treatment – after the company made its name with upgraded rally-ready versions of the original Land Rover four-wheel-drive discontinued in 2016 – with improvements to the suspension, chassis, protection and clearance for high-speed off-road performance.

The P300 badge denotes a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, which sends 221kW/400Nm to all four wheels.

Running through an eight-speed automatic transmission, the smallest engine in the Defender lineup is powerful enough for a 7.1-second 0-100km/h dash.

The Defender Challenge will form the basis of a one-make racing competition in the United Kingdom.

And in keeping with requirements, the Defender Challenge will be fitted with a roll cage and fire protection certified by the FIA motorsport governing body. 

The Defender’s standard aluminium chassis is strengthened, and the vehicle's subframes are braced and modified to accept a bespoke suspension setup. 

Bespoke rally-spec Bowler 18-inch alloy wheels are used, and the Defender’s doors are trimmed down to accept additional chassis bracing and protection. 

Fox Racing shock absorbers are used, and the ride height is increased by 25mm over the standard showroom-specification Defender. 

Bowler has a history of building rally-raid vehicles since 1965, and has been working closely with Land Rover since 2012. Bowler was acquired by Land Rover in 2019, and has since been operating under Land Rover’s SVO (Special Vehicle Operations) department, using its facilities.

This allowed Bowler to work on the CSP-575 prototype, which keeps the same silhouette of the original Land Rover Defender.

Don’t be fooled by the old-school looks however, because this wild prototype is powered by a 423kW supercharged V8, and sits on a bespoke high-strength chassis built by Bowler specifically for off-road racing.

The Bowler Defender Challenge follows on from speculation of a high-performance, off-road-focused Defender, which could sit above the $200,000 Defender V8 now on sale in Australia.

Although the Defender V8 already brings higher performance at a high price, it's noticeably lacking in SVO high-performance branding.

Rather than focusing on on-road performance like the Range Rover Sport SVR, an SV-branded Defender could turn the focus towards off-road performance, with the help of Bowler’s off-road racing expertise.

This could be branded as Defender SVX, or perhaps by using the Bowler name.  The Land Rover Defender has previously used the SVX moniker, to celebrate sixty years of the Land Rover in 2008. 

Instead of mechanical and chassis upgrades, the 2008 Defender SVX made do with black exterior paint, unique alloy wheels, interior improvements and a silver grille.

Representatives from Jaguar Land Rover Australia told Drive that while Bowler vehicles aren't currently available in Australia, it's something that could change in the future.

And on the question of a future Defender SVX? The brand wasn't able to comment.

The Bowler Defender Challenge will form the basis of a 12-round racing series in the United Kingdom, with plans for it to become an annual event open to veterans and beginners alike. 

A package, which includes a vehicle and entry into the 2022 series, is priced from £99,500 (AU$187,000).