Granted, it’s very early days for this vehicle, with the JLR top-brass and design directors saying it’s only a very early concept design that will evolve before it’s release.

That said, the initial concept isn’t really winning many admirers. We’ve sifted through countless FaceBook, Twitter & forum posts, all in an effort to try and gauge the reaction of Land Rover owners to the DC100. The overwhelming response? We’ve found maybe 5% of the Land Rover world like it. That’s not exactly the best start. So, why exactly has this new design been such a controversial move? The DC100 doesn’t relate to the current Defender design in any way. It’s like the designers just started from scratch. 60 years of history have seemingly been wiped out and a vehicle that will sit within the current Land Rover line-up has been made.

So, we’ve assembled the most iconic shapes and panels of a Defender, to try and help Land Rover incorporate a little more of the past and hopefully win over Landy nuts.

Front Wings

The front wings of a Defender are almost irreplaceable. Unless of-course, you really want to replace them, in which case the whole thing separates into two parts and they simply bolt on with a few nuts.

This design is brilliant. It means removal / repairs are very speedy and also allows for swapping simply the side panel if needed. The flat shape is perfect for attaching accessories and chequer plate for example. Unfortunately, the new Defender seems to lose this practical, chunky design in favour of a more rounded (granted, aerodynamic), shaped and formed wing, which looks like it will be quite a pain to remove with basic tools.

Side Doors

Just like the first ever prototype Land Rover, the body panels of a 2011-Plate Defender are simple. Simple in construction, appearance and function. There’s no complicated trim on the inside either, meaning doors can be swapped out in 10 minutes. The hinges are designed to set the alignment of the panel, but these do tend to corrode.

The DC100 lacks any kind of body furniture (such as the sticky-out, almost useless door handles & locks) or the chunky, blocky hinges that sit proudly just behind the wheel arches.

Windscreen

The design of the Defender is quite complicated, with rain gutters, seals, seams, hinges, rivets, door mirrors and general screws dotted about and yet it still manages to look quite minimal and simplistic. We love the subtly curved windscreen mounts and that rain gutter (complete with a tiny, pizza shaped notch to drain water). There’s nothing on a Defender that doesn’t perform some sort of function, or at least offer practical value.

Bulkhead

The bulkhead corners are one of worst places to get rust, but they are also one of the most intricate and detailed. Lot’s of curves meet here to create the sub-structure. The Defender designers clearly were inspired by Land Rovers of old.

Rear-Tub

Finally, the rear tub. The capping on the end of the bodywork help to add rigidity and also mean the tub can be part disassembled to replace panels. However, with this sort of edging, complete with rivets, the designers created a really industrial look and feel. The raised bar that sits just below the rear panel is the surface that soft-top roof hooks are mounted.

Putting it all together

So, now to put it all together. The DC100 is perhaps just a bit too far ahead of it’s time. The Defender has, and always will be, 20 years behind in terms of design. The jump Land Rover have made is too big, but there are changes and tweaks they could make to the new concept car to reflect more of the vehicle’s past. So, we’ve incorporated everything that makes a Defender into the PR photos.

Here’s the changes outlined. Click the image for a higher resolution sample.

What do you think to our “Defender 2”, based more upon the original Defender? Would you buy it? How would you design the Defender’s replacement?

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