For off-road driving enthusiasts, the Land Rover Defender 110 is nothing short of a dessert – an irresistible one. And for the purists, it is the original ‘Defender One Ten’ from the bygone eras of the 20th century, which has the quintessential bare-bones Land Rover pedigree of the yesteryears. Despite the arrival of the all-new Defender in 2019, many people still crave the original Defender 110 in its raw and rugged form. For such enthusiasts, the Florida-based ECD Automotive Design is a genie.

ECD Automotive Design is a well-known workshop for custom vehicles, which has built a reputation for restoring old-school Land Rovers and Range Rovers in their original forms. Out of numerous projects it has worked on, the ‘Project Neo’ caught our attention. This stealth-looking restored Land Rover Defender 110 looks like it can take on the apocalypse. But there’s much more under this dark-looking Defender 110 that is a treat for proper off-road-oriented SUV lovers.

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A British With An American Heart

Front three quarter view of the Custom Land Rover Defender 110 by ECD Automotive Design
via ECD Automotive Design

There was never a doubt about the potential of a Land Rover Defender as a hardcore off-roader. However, the folks at ECD Automotive Design felt that the Defender has the potential to exceed its already high-set benchmarks of capabilities. For that, these folks swapped the original powertrain of this Custom Defender 110 with a 6.2-liter LS3 V8 engine from Chevrolet.

Paired to a 6-speed automatic gearbox, this LS3 V8 engine of the Defender 110 produces 565 hp of maximum power. Apart from this new heart, this custom Defender 110 also gets a full stainless steel Borla exhaust system and EBC high-performance brake system. Lastly, the stance of this old-school off-roader gets complemented with an after-market suspension with a 2-inch lift kit, Fox shocks, and Old Man Emu springs.

The Looks Of A True Brute On Steroids

Rear three quarter view of the Custom Land Rover Defender 110 by ECD Automotive Design
via ECD Automotive Design

Among the old-school SUVs, the original Land Rover Defender ‘One Ten’ commands immense respect and has a remarkable road presence even in its stock form. However, the folks at ECD Automotive Design have made this custom Defender 110 an attention-grabbing head turner with significant visual tweaks on the outside.

This Project Neo is painted in the shade of Vulcan Grey Pearl, which perfectly goes in sync with the Black 6 Point roll cage over it. At the front, this off-roader gets a custom-made bumper having an Aircon winch from Warn Industries and an A-bar nudge frame in the middle. This front bumper also comes with daytime running LEDs on its side extensions. At the top, the roll cage above the front windshield has LED lights on it.

This custom Defender 110 from ECD Automotive Design comes with 20-inch Kahn Mondial retro wheels wrapped with 32-inch BF Goodrich all-terrain tires. The side profile also gets KBX Style air intakes, SVX full-length side steps, and CNC billet aluminum door, hood, and windshield hinges. The window panels towards the rear come armed with Bearmach guards over them. At the back, the off-roader comes armed with NAS Style rear step with an integrated 2-inch tow package with US wiring.

An Interior With A Fusion Of New School And Old School

Interior of the Custom Land Rover Defender 110 by ECD Automotive Design
via ECD Automotive Design

The Project Neo retains the sanctity of its origins but comes with a host of modern-era tweaks, which should impress the Gen-Z soul in you. The hand-stitched leather interior exudes a sense of personalization that was never there in the bare-bones Defender 110 in the past.

This long-wheelbase version of this custom Land Rover Defender 110 gets heated and ventilated Corbeau Racing seats in the first and second rows. At the back, this Defender 110 also gets two forward-facing jump seats in the load area, thus making it an eight-seater cabin. All these seats come finished in super-soft black and panda charcoal leather.

The cabin of this Project Neo looks premium with the leather-trimmed dashboard, steering wheel, and interior door cards. This cabin is also treated with triple-stage heat and sound insulation. The driver’s cockpit gets a Momo Jet steering wheel and Moal Bomber gauges in the instrument console.

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Despite being an old-generation SUV, this custom Defender 110 from ECD Automotive Design has several new-age comfort and convenience features. The star highlight of the cabin is the premium sound system comprising an Alpine infotainment system with eight amplified JL audio speakers and a subwoofer. The infotainment system also supports wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto and offers a display for reverse camera, compass, and external temperature.

Other modern-day features in the cabin of this custom Defender 110 are an in-car Wi-Fi hotspot, power windows for first and second rows, wireless charging, and rear AC vents. For safety and security, this Defender 110 has features like a Viper alarm with keyless entry, remote engine start, and automatic lights.