Easily one of the most intricately detailed models you’ll find of the classic Defender 90, this might just be LEGO’s most brilliant build kit yet. A treat for Land Rover lovers and LEGO fans alike, the model comes with 2336 pieces to it, and when fully assembled, features active steering, real suspension, a functional hood underneath which you’ve got swappable engine models, a working winch on the front, and an entire kit of accessories including a functional jack as well as a tiny yet somehow openable toolbox. The only thing it doesn’t come with at this point is the new car smell…
Designer: LEGO
This LEGO Icons build represents 75 years of classic Land Rover design, capturing all the iconic elements from the silhouette to the details, the front end, and the Land Rover’s anywhere-anytime attitude. The LEGO model is highly authentic and modular, with three different versions available (featuring two hood types), and varying features including off-road accessories and a top rack for transportation.
Unlike other LEGO builds, especially from the Ideas community, the LEGO Icons series requires great amounts of research and work from LEGO’s team. For the classic Defender, LEGO’s Design Masters went to Land Rover’s manufacturing centers to study how each automobile was built. This construction process helped inform the end-result’s design, allowing LEGO to understand the chassis shape, how the steering connects to the wheels, and how the suspensions are factored into the automobile. The brick-based result wonderfully mimics the original, with iconic detailing including even the headlights which capture the Land Rover aesthetic, and the minimal overhang on the hood, which results in the front wheels practically being located inches behind the headlights. To help realize this build, LEGO even designed a new part in the form of a squarish wheel-arch, to match the arch seen on Land Rover models.
In fact, the car’s build is so realistic that people apparently began referring to the actual car as a bigger version of the LEGO model. The 2336-brick model comes with a stunning amount of realism, including opening doors, an opening hood, functional steering, responsive suspension, and the choice between two incredibly realistic engine models – a V8 engine and a 5-cylinder turbo diesel. You’ve even got a working winch on the front, making the LEGO Land Rover as authentic as it gets.
But that isn’t all. Builders can completely max out their model with the complete off-roader adventure kit. This includes even more bits and bobs, like a complete set of outdoor tools including a pickaxe, shovel, hammer, and axe, along with a smaller red tool-box (with opening doors), two Jerry cans, a functional car-jack, and finally a fire extinguisher… all of which sit either on the car’s body or on top of its detachable roof tray. I’d be tempted to take this bad-boy out for a spin, but I’d be afraid of getting even a speck of dirt on this beautiful build!
