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Armored Helderburg Bellatrix based on the Land Rover Defender

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In the last few years, we have seen several modified Land Rover Defenders capable of protecting passengers from armed attacks, and one was recently presented by the American company Helderburg. It is the Bellatrix armored vehicle that looks like it came from the movies of the most famous secret agent James Bond. Price, just over 545,000 euros.

Helderburg plans to produce three copies of this model, and each will be equipped with an improved suspension, new brakes, hidden openings for weapons, a smoke screen system for evasive maneuvers, side mirrors through which tear gas can be used, reinforced bumpers for breaking through obstacles, a system of spikes for puncturing tires, and tires that allow movement even when punctured. There is also a hidden hatch for evacuation in case of need.

The interior is upholstered in a combination of leather and Alcantara, while the door panels and comfortable seats are covered with soft material. In front of the driver is a steering wheel with a wooden finish, and there is a classic dashboard. However, the central display supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

When it comes to powertrains, Helderburg offers a choice of a turbodiesel engine and a gasoline V8 engine.

Source: Helderburg

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Armored Helderburg Bellatrix based on the Land Rover Defender
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The Land Rover Defender EV will not hit the market before 2030

In an interview with Autocar, Jaguar’s chief commercial officer Lennard Hoornik hinted that the Land Rover Defender won’t hit the market until 2030.

Land Rover has conducted research into electrifying the Defender, which has shown a lack of space for batteries. “We said we would do an electric model for each of our new brands, Range Rover, Defender, Discovery and Jaguar. We remain committed to that. But finding the space in the current Defender is really, really difficult. We’ll have to use something different,” Hoornik said.

Hoornik also added that electrifying the current L663, which is based on the D7x platform, is not something the company wants to do. “The L663 is brilliant at what it does and we already have a four-cylinder plug-in hybrid version, but it’s not easy to find the extra space in the chassis that you need for the batteries, given the axle and the capabilities that are required,” Hoornik said.

It is not known whether a new platform will be developed or whether JLR will use an existing one for the future Defender EV.

Source: Autocar

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JLR will compete in the Dakar Rally

Jaguar Land Rover has announced that it is preparing to take part in one of the most famous and difficult rally races in the world, the Dakar Rally. The race has been held since 1979 with several breaks and changes of location, and from 2020 the race moved to Saudi Arabia & Middle East.

This will be the first time that the British brand has taken part in the Dakar Rally, and Jaguar Land Rover has chosen the Defender model. “Our first factory participation in the Dakar means that we are at the beginning of our journey. We are aware of how much we have to learn and achieve before we arrive at the start in 2026, but we are already well on our way and we are looking forward to the adventure,” said JLR’s head of motorsport James Barclay.

“Adventure is in the Defender brand’s DNA, so by partnering with Dakar we are embarking on the ultimate motoring adventure where competitors truly embrace the impossible. Our partnership begins in 2025, when Defender will showcase its capabilities and endurance as the official car of the event, but we also look forward to the entry of the Defender Dakar Team into the competition in 2026,” said Defender brand boss Mark Cameron.

Jaguar Land Rover will debut in 2026 and will be an official sponsor of the competition until 2028. This means that it will use its Defender models as support vehicles, which will be specially designed for the race.

Source: JLR