LAND ROVER CLASSIC HAS NEW OCTA PALLETTE FOR THE CLASSIC DEFENDER V8. WE LIKE.
Land Rover Classic has cracked open its vault of heritage magic and sprinkled a fistful of OCTA stardust onto its most coveted creation. The result is a Classic Defender V8 that can now mirror the newest Defender OCTA’s palette, swagger and sensory drama. Think of it as a time slip: 1990s square-jawed legend meets 2020s apex predator, forming a two-car constellation for collectors who enjoy lighting cigars with banknotes. Available as a 90 or 110 Station Wagon or a 90 Soft Top, the Classic Defender V8 now absorbs five new exterior colours lifted straight from the OCTA high command. Feast your eyes on Petra Copper, Faroe Green and Sargasso Blue, plus the suited-up gloom of Narvik Black and the crystalline shine of Patagonia White. These join the existing grey trio already served at Classic Defender V8’s colour bar: Borasco, Carpathian and Charente. Every vehicle spends about 300 hours in the paint shop, treated like a cathedral relic. Prep, polish, perfect. Clients can go full gloss or choose a custom satin finish that echoes the OCTA’s Matte Protective Film. The result looks less painted and more… hewn.
Inside, Land Rover Classic finally gives the Defender cabin a taste of OCTA’s material tech. The new menu includes Ultrafabrics PU in Khaki Green, Light Cloud and Lunar, plus the molten warmth of Burnt Sienna semi-aniline leather. For OCTA Black purists, Ebony leather awaits. Heated Recaro sports seats can be hand-trimmed to match, while the design team helps map colour placement across wheel, levers, dash, headlining and doors so nothing feels accidental. The Classic Defender V8 also gets accessories forged specifically for this OCTA-inspired era: a gloss black grille that mimics OCTA’s open-jawed aggression for better cooling, and Chopped Carbon Fibre bonnet script that feels like a calling card from a secret high-stakes rally.
Dominic Elms, Director of Land Rover Classic, sums up the fever:
“Defender OCTA is the most dynamically accomplished and toughest Defender ever made, while the Classic Defender V8 remains hugely characterful and sought after. Since the OCTA launch, clients have been asking for a matching Classic V8, so our Works Bespoke team has taken the gloves off to make the ultimate pairing.”
Here’s the twist: you don’t need to own a Defender OCTA to commission this twin. Through the Works Bespoke programme, each Classic Defender V8 begins life as a 2012-2016 donor, then undergoes rebirth. Stripped, restored, re-engineered and armed with a 5.0-litre V8 pushing 302 kW, it becomes a retro bruiser with modern nerve. Every build uses an eight-speed ZF automatic with sport mode, wrapped in a chassis fortified with custom springs, dampers, anti-roll bars, revised steering and bigger brakes (335mm front, 300mm rear). The result: old-school silhouette, new-school authority. Customer-selectable treats run deep: infotainment upgrades, a crystal lighting pack, and five wheel designs in 11 finishes, plus accessories for exploring, posing or both.
Pricing for the Classic Defender V8 starts at £190,000 (around R4,310,000 in local currency) before taxes. Each one comes with a one-year, unlimited-mileage warranty, as if anyone commissioning one of these is worried about mileage.
Take a look at the YouTube video from the Global Vibes chaps as they tell us more about the new options for those in the Classic Defender game: Land Rover Classic Defender V8 Gets OCTA-Inspired Makeover: New Colors, Materials & More! | Global Vibes Network
Be sure to check out our YouTube channel here for more exciting and exclusive SXdrv content! And don't forget to smash that subscribe button!