The Land Rover Defender may have been replaced by a more modern, more polished and eco-friendly SUV, but alternatives still exist. ECD Automotive Design have been at it for a few years now and one of their latest custom designs, “Project Blackcomb” takes the Defender in a very interesting direction.
No refined inline-4 turbodiesel here. Instead, they’ve strapped in a 6.2 litre LS3 V8 petrol engine and tuned it to produce 565 horsepower. The motor is paired to a 6-speed automatic transmission.
Other modifications to equipment have moved it into a more functional and luxurious direction. It gets large 18″ alloy wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich T/A All-Terrain K02 tyres, a winch, a roll cage, and 2 forward-facing jump seats. Other equipment is as listed below:
PROJECT BLACKCOMB
Model — Custom Defender 90
Engine — 6.2L LS3 V8 engine with 565-horsepower
Transmission — 6-speed automatic
Paint Color — Zermatt Silver with Gloss Black accents
Wheels — 18” Special Edition Sawtooth Alloy wheels
Tires — BF Goodrich T/A All-Terrain K02
Front Bumper — Aircon winch bumper with daytime running lights
Winch — Warn Industries VR12-S with Spydura black synthetic wire
Roll Cage — Safety Devices partial front cage
Windows — Masai Panoramic rear glass
Front Seats — Corbeau RRS (heated, ventilated)
Load-Area Seats — 2 Forward-facing jump seats
Leather Color — Super-soft Black
Headliner — Black suede
Steering Wheel — Momo Quark
Gauges — All-American Tradition Series
Audio — JL Audio amplified system with a subwoofer
Additional Features — Viper remote start with keyless entry; WiFi; Rear AC; Automatic headlights; Steering guard; Sony infotainment; Power windows/locks
Here’s a little on ECD Automotive Design for context.
About ECD
Our facility is over 30,000 square feet and growing with over 50 full-time employees building the best award-winning custom vehicles in the USA. Our founders grew up in England, the Midlands, some 40 miles from the famous Lode Lane factory where Land Rover Defenders were produced. They were surrounded by these original vehicles from an early age, mostly driving around on friends’ farms, sometimes riding along with bales of hay, the family dog, or the occasional farm animal.
In 2013, ECD Automotive Design opened its workshop/showroom for its first few staff and a couple of trucks. Tom, his brother Elliot and the first employee, Brandon, would work 18 hour days, stripping these trucks down and rebuilding them to the clients’ taste. ECD outsourced some of the major works locally, and quickly learned this wasn’t ideal. An extreme decision about the work had to be made at that point.
Our founders, Tom, Elliot, Scott, quickly developed an interest in vehicles, specifically classic English vehicles. Elliot’s first vehicle was a 1987 Austin Mini. Tom’s was a 1967 MGB Roadster. When Tom and Emily, his wife, moved to the USA in 2012, they decided to open a dealership and import some of the vehicles about which they had been so passionate over the years.
