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.
