(Our Auto Expert) — The 2023 Land Rover Defender aka the British Jeep has arrived, and it’s beautiful. Largely unchanged from the previous year, aside from a new model (the 130) we still get the best of what Land Rover has to offer. 

When you first enter the Defender’s cabin, it’s shockingly sensible for also being so plush. It still feels like a Land Rover, however, the exposed rivets in the console and door panels add a rugged feel. A fun extension of the dashboard helps focus the driver’s attention on the driving modes, and climate conditions. 

The center area holds the shift lever as opposed to the center console, this little detail really defines the looks and feel of the inside.

The Defender is powered by a turbocharged four-cylinder engine using an eight-speed automatic transmission. Every Defender model features four-wheel drive and locking differentials for navigating unwelcomed terrain. We also want power, if you want some additional capabilities and performance. Upgrade to the supercharged 518 HP V8, which takes the Defender from 0-60 in just 4.7 seconds. 

On a unibody construction versus a body-on-frame situation, and replaces old rigid solid axles with all-independent suspension. The Defender has 11.5 inches of ground clearance and can dance in 35 inches of water, which smokes the Jeep Wrangler in both categories. 

Queen Elizabeth drove a Land Rover Defender just a few days before she passed away last year. It’s one of the most robust vehicles on the market. And in fact, this was designed on a beach in Wales and what it was originally constructed for was the use of old aircraft parts and was made of aluminum. The original colors of the vehicles were the old aircraft colors, the blue and green that they had from the second world war. That’s what they use to paint the original Land Rovers, which is what became the Defender.

With a top speed of 150 miles an hour, supercharged V8, ultra-luxurious, and a starting price point of just $54,975 this doesn’t sound very much like something that use to be made out of old aircraft parts, does it?