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Automotive

New Land Rover Defender for 2015, DC100 Concept to be shown in Frankfurt

By Noel McKeegan
August 31, 2011
New Land Rover Defender for 2015, DC100 Concept to be shown in Frankfurt
The Land Rover DC100 is a taste of things to come for the company's iconic Defender model
The Land Rover DC100 is a taste of things to come for the company's iconic Defender model
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The Land Rover DC100 is a taste of things to come for the company's iconic Defender model
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The Land Rover DC100 is a taste of things to come for the company's iconic Defender model
Land Rover DC100 Concept
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Land Rover DC100 Concept

Adding to the long list of things to look forward to at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA), Land Rover has announced that a "modern interpretation of the iconic Land Rover Defender" will be taking to the stage in the form of the DC100 Concept. The company has also made clear its intentions to bring a new Defender to market in 2015, but although the DC100 is aimed at stimulating debate about the new model, it remains a work in progress.

"Replacing the iconic Defender is one of the biggest challenges in the automotive design world; it is a car that inspires people worldwide," says Gerry McGovern, Director of Design, Land Rover. "This isn't a production-ready concept but the beginning of a four-year journey to design a relevant Defender for the 21st century."

Land Rover DC100 Concept
Land Rover DC100 Concept

Anytime you start fiddling with an iconic vehicle like the Defender you are bound to polarize opinion, and this is undoubtedly going to be to be a case in point. We'd love to hear what Defender devotees out there think of this new direction - let us know in the comments.

The DC100 will be unveiled on September 13 ahead of the public opening of the IAA on September 15. Stay tuned for more details.

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AutomotiveConcept CarsLand RoverFrankfurt Motor Show 2011
23 comments
Noel McKeegan
Noel McKeegan
Noel McKeegan joined New Atlas as a founding member in 2002. He has travelled extensively throughout our long history, covering major science and technology events around the globe and helping build our exceptional editorial team.

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23 comments
robinyatesuk2003
personally speaking, my experience of the Land Rover brand is not a happy one. very expensive to maintain particularily if the vehicle has to work hard in the field. The big Nissans are a much better tool for serious work.The Defender has its followers but not for me thank you
JohnR
As a Huge Defender fan I am super keen to see the next incarnation. It\'s hard to comment on only a couple of pictures but I would like to see the windscreen more vertical and much larger profile tyres. This looks like 100\" wheel base which would be interesting as long as it\'s still 5 seats. I also fear that indipendant suspension might be coming:( Not really the defender way. Please don\'t make it a slightly different Disco, we like the agricultal look and feel. But that\'s my two cents!
Cheers,
johnR
Nickov8
Defender is all about function, but has its own iconic form. Upgrade the capability but don\'t mess with the look of the thing.
Jamie Estep
I could see soccer moms getting in on this land rover. Such a nice size compared to the larger models.
Seriously though, it will be a travesty if that\'s the new defender. Defenders are supposed to be ugly and durable. There is nothing right about styling a defender like a mini Honda Element. Failure!
Muraculous
Sorry, looks like a Toyota. If sales are low, its only because the price is too high. Don\'t follow the herd in terms of styling and underpinnings..just make it easier to own one.
Joseph Breton
AS A FAN OF LAND ROVER I HAVE OWNED 5 OF THESE VEHICLES, AND I AM DISSAPOINTED IN THIS NEW DESIGN FOR THE DEFENDER*, IT IS EVIDENT THE GOAL OF THIS COMPANY IS NO LONGER BEING PRACTICAL WITH FUNCTION AND PERFORMANCE, BUT INSTEAD, THEIR NEW PERSUIT IS DESIGN.
IT WOULD NOT LOOK TOUGH IN AFRICA, ...... ONLY IN SAN FRANCISCO.
THEY ARE DRIFTING AWAY FROM THE BEST DESIGNED SUV\'S ON THE PLANET, TAKE A LOOK AT THE \"EVOQUE\" DESIGN, GREAT TECHNOLOGY BUT WEAK SLOPING ROOF-LINE, IN FACT, IF THE ROOFLINE WAS NOT SO ANGLED, I WOULD BUY ONE TODAY. OTHERWISE THE EVOQUE IS GOOD LOOKING.
NOW THE DEFENDER IS FOLLOWING THE SAME COURSE, PERSUE DESIGN AND FOREGO PRACTICALITY.
LAND ROVER LOOKS LIKE THEY ARE TRYING TOO HARD TO WIN DESIGN AWARDS, INSTEAD OF FOCUSING ON WINNING CUSTOMERS. (*LOOKS JAPANESE)
dabear64
Does everyone really think this is such a huge departure in design. I know it is a little smoothed out but everything there has been suggested by Defenders in the past. The real question is going to be suspension, engines and transmission options. If the differential is too much set up for highway and not enough for off road then the Soccer moms have won and we all have lost.
Guy Newport
Gads. This is either a transformer that ought to get busy changing and stay that way or it\'s what Mrs. Superman will use to get Krypto to the vet. It\'s not that it\'s gonna luck funny in Africa, it looks funny here and now. Like about as tough as a five year old\'s Matchbox car. Does anyone think those wheels do will anything but cling to mud? What? You don\'t think this vehicle will ever see any mud? No, I don\'t think so either but then I guess I\'m just not hip enough to \"get it.\"
electricpaddle
The old Defender is robust and almost a kit-car in how a user can reconfigure it- roof tops lots of mounting points for racks etc, exchangeable bumpers etc. the interior can be washed out with a hose and it looks as good or better with mud and dents as it does in the showroom. If you duplicate that AND make it as survivable as a Toyota, well you can charge anything for the little beasts and help reassert the brand in general.
Stephan
Obviously there two ways Land Rover can go.
A) They build a solid off-roader that can easily be serviced, repaired and adapted (e.g. seat/load configuration etc.) at a low cost so that it would be suitable for real work as well as taking the family with bicycles and the dog out on the weekend. That would put it more alongside the Jeep Wrangler, just better (sorry but American cars do not have quite the quality... yet/ever?). You could argue that this type of car is already here in the shape of the Toyota Land Cruiser or Nissan Patrol but really, who takes these (extremely expensive) cars off-road these days and risks some scratches?
B) Then there is the option of making it into lifestyle car like the Mini Cooper just with a bit more off-road heritage. If the price is right that could then be as successful as the Scoda Yeti.
Back to what\'s actually shown here. The here presented car seems to be something which tries to be both and would probably fail as it would be cannibalising the from the Range Rover range or from the Discovery. However there is also a third way instead of one car that does it all why not build two cars (A and B)? This way they would have two new segments in their car range instead of trying to squeeze a model between their existing range. I might even buy both... ;o)
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