Land Rover may have released a new Defender, as have LEGO with the officially-licensed 42110 Technic version, but this is the Defender we want! Yes, LEGO have finally created a ‘classic’ Land Rover Defender set, and doesn’t it look good? This is the brand new 10317 Icons Land Rover Classic Defender 90.
Of course the real car isn’t called ‘classic’ anywhere in its title, but we suppose both LEGO and Land Rover are keen to remind us that there is indeed another Defender on the market. Replicating the short wheel-base ’90’ hardtop, 10317 does wear Land Rover’s marvellous heritage green colour (as re-used on the final run of ‘classic’ Defenders) superbly though, with a good proportion of the set’s colossal 2,336 pieces in the hue, including the wheels and the new wheel-arch parts similar to those that first debuted on the ‘other’ Defender set some four years ago.
Working steering and suspension, opening doors and hood, and a really beautifully detailed engine account for some of that chunky parts count, as does a degree of customisability, because – as per the recent 10304 Chevrolet Camaro, 10300 ‘Back to the Future’ Time Machine, and 10265 Ford Mustang sets – 10317 can be built in a number of configurations.
Two different engines and three different hoods can be constructed, but the bulk of those extra parts are there should you wish to build your Defender to look like every single one in London; with a huge array of totally unused off-road accessories. These include an uprated front bumper with a working winch, side rails, jerrycans, a toolbox and jack, a shovel, pickaxe, hammer and axe, fire extinguisher, roof cage, snorkel and traction plates.
Of course any real Land Rover Defender driver wouldn’t be within 100 miles of those items – with their vehicle instead carrying a flask of tea, a roll of duct-tape, and a sheep – but you can always build these at home for true Defender authenticity.
The new LEGO Icons 10317 Land Rover ‘Classic’ Defender 90 will reach stores in April of this year, is expected to cost around $240 / €240 / £210, and we’re in the queue. We’re already working on our brick-built sheep.
