Land Rover Defender 2023 – Arctic trucks creates tough-looking version of Defender off-roader

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Say hello to one of the most hardcore-looking Land Rover Defenders ready to take on the most extreme locations on Earth.

It’s been built by Arctic Trucks, a company known for converting various four-wheel drives into seriously capable off-road machines.

In typical Arctic Trucks style, the main addition to the Land Rover Defender is the fitment of giant 35-inch tyres wrapped around 20-inch alloy wheels. 

A lift kit that is compatible with the existing adaptive air suspension system or standard springs has also been added to give more ground clearance. 

The Arctic Trucks Defender is now 70mm taller than before with the air suspension in its highest setting (now 360mm), while the traditionally sprung Defender now offers 270mm of ground clearance (up from 228mm). 

With the larger, wider wheels, Arctic Trucks also had to fit wider fender extensions, along with mud guards. For easy recoveries, a winch has been fitted, as well as an electric towbar and anti-corrosion coatings. 

The Land Rover Defender AT35 has been introduced by the Russian side of the Arctic Trucks business, with no pricing disclosed. 

Has the Arctic Trucks Defender received any more performance?

There have been no modifications to the engine department of the Land Rover Defender. This means that the standard mild-hybrid 3.0-litre straight-six petrol engine of the Defender P400 carries over. 

This powertrain produces 294kW of power and 550Nm of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission helps put the power to all four wheels. 

Arctic trucks: a quick overview 

You may remember Jeremy Clarkson and James May driving to the North Pole in a converted Toyota Hilux made for such harsh conditions. 

This vehicle was an Arctic Trucks creation, a business that has been around since the 1980s specialising in adding big tyres and off-road suspension to standard four-wheel drives. 

Arctic Trucks began by modifying Toyota Land Cruisers, however it has since built serious off-roaders from brands including Volkswagen, Isuzu and Nissan. 

Some of the wildest creations from the brand include a six-wheeled Toyota Hilux and even a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter van re-engineered as an off-road special vehicle.

There are several Arctic Trucks workshops across the globe, including in the United Kingdom, Iceland, Norway and as far away as the Middle East. 

While most of the custom trucks are built for arctic conditions, in the Middle East, several off-roaders have been built and set up to conquer sand dunes. 

If you’re interested in buying an Arctic Truck, you’ll need to supply the car yourself, and while pricing is not public, a 6×6 Toyota Hilux will cost around USD$275,000.