The original Land Rover Defender was an icon, and its contemporary successor is proving just as popular, including in the restomod scene. After revealing a modern Defender with a soft-top at this year's Goodwood Festival of Speed, Urban Automotive, in partnership with Heritage Customs, has now previewed two coachbuilt takes on a Defender pickup for the 2026 Goodwood FOS festivities. Both are based on a Defender 130 (that's the longest variant) with a 425-hp V8 engine (493 hp in the U.S.), and they look good enough to have been built by JLR itself. But because they're not, these will be even more expensive than the range-topping Defender 130 V8, which starts at a little less than $120,000.
Sporty Or Subdued
The white vehicle in these images is the Heritage Edition, described as "refined, elegant, and authentically classic," while the black vehicle is the Urban Edition, which is "powerful, contemporary, and unmistakably commanding." The former wears a copper-colored roof with a basket for additional storage, while the latter gets wheel arch extensions and a vented hood, as well as roof-mounted LED lights. Both pay tribute to the SUV on which they are based with a side-opening tailgate, but given how opulent the cabin looks, with quilted caramel leather and suede, we doubt many buyers will ever use either variant in a utilitarian manner. "After completing the convertible, it felt like the right time to bring another 'forgotten' model of the Land Rover Defender range back to life," said Heritage Customs CEO Jan-Pieter Kroezen, adding, "The classic 110 Defender crew cab has always been, in my view, one of the most desirable Defenders ever made."
More Details To Come
Urban Automotive hasn't revealed what the Defender pickup weighs, but we suspect that a large portion of the Defender 130 V8's original 5,800-pound curb weight has been shed, even with the appropriate areas being reinforced. There's also no word on how long each build will take to complete, but given that these companies started thinking about a Defender pickup around the same time as the convertible mentioned at the outset and that at least one example has already been produced, most of the development has likely been done already. We also don't know what buyers can expect to pay, but since these two companies specialize in custom builds, it's safe to say that numerous interior and exterior finishes will be offered, so the commissioning customer's budget will be the limit. Bank on at least $200,000, though.