Land Rover has introduced a one-off, custom-built Rugby World Cup 2015 Defender designed specifically to carry the Webb Ellis Cup on a 100-day tour of England and Ireland. Built by the automaker’s Special Vehicles Operation team, the badass custom Defender boasts an illuminated, temperature-controlled trophy cabinet in the boot to display the diminutive rugby trophy, last won by England in 2003’s memorable final against Australia. According to Land Rover, the unique off-roader took nearly 6,000 hours to design and build. What started as a stock long-wheelbase Defender 110 was customized by chopping off the sheet metal between the C- and the D-pillars and replacing it with a large trophy cabinet designed to safely carry the Webb Ellis Cup.
The Rugby World Cup 2015 Defender wrapped in promotional livery, rugby colors and stadium-style auxiliary lights for the night-match experience. Land Rover has not made any mechanical modifications to the Defender. It was unveiled last Friday in a publicity stunt in central London, as Land Rover floated a giant 8.2m-high rugby ball 25 miles down the Thames from Tilbury Dock to the middle of town.
[Via – DigitalTrends]
