As incredibly impressive as the all-new Land Rover Defender is, there are still plenty of people loyal to the now defunct classic Defender. The good news is that the iconic model will get a new lease of life in the form of Bowler’s new project that’s codenamed CSP 575!
Bowler, now a subsidiary of Jaguar Land Rover, has been granted a licence to create this car that features L316 Defender 110 bodywork forged from aluminium. The instantly recognisable design sits on top of Bowler’s Cross Sector Platform, stretched to accommodate the larger body. The CSP architecture already underpins the popular Bowler Bulldog.
Callum McKechnie, Bowler General Manager said: “The Bowler name has stood for innovation for 35 years. The licence agreement to produce vehicles with the classic Defender shape gives us a unique opportunity. We’re excited to combine our motorsport experience with the expertise available from Special Vehicle Operations to produce a thrilling competition-inspired Defender 110 Station Wagon for the road.”
Bowler is an independent operation from Land Rover, but it interlinks with SVO (Special Vehicle Operations) for projects such as this. Michael Van Der Sande, Managing Director at SVO commented: “We’re excited to announce the first major project since our acquisition of Bowler. The ‘CSP 575’ will combine Supercharged V8 performance and four-seat practicality with Bowler’s rally raid-proven CSP platform, broadening the appeal of the brand. This high-performance road-going model will sit alongside Bowler’s evolving range of rally raid models, which continue to enjoy success in the world’s toughest motorsport events.”
The Bowler CPS 575 is intended to be a true rally-raid machine, but will also be road legal. Seating four, expect this Bowler to be capable of crossing rough terrain faster than most things with four wheels. Power will come from a supercharged V8 engine capable of producing 567bhp.
Each new Bowler 575 will take 1,000 hours of work by experienced engineers to be ready for the rough stuff.
More details will be announced in due course as development progresses – including the car’s production name – so we’ll keep an ear to the ground.
Keyword: Classic Land Rover Defender lives on with Bowler CSP 575