Ares Design puts some polish on its Land Rover Defender V8

Ever since the pandemic struck, Ares Design has been mostly giving us concepts and virtual sketches, but this time around, it reveals a real Land Rover Defender with a revised body kit and eight cylinders under the hood.

The styling package originally came out in 2018 when bolt-on fenders and other exposed hardware were all the rage. The new version of the kit hides all these elements from view, resulting in a cleaner and much more modern look.

Novelty reaches as far as the fenders, unique 18-inch wheels, LED headlights, round DRLs protected by protective grilles, a neat front spoiler, a carbon radiator grille, and a muscular-looking carbon hood. The rear bumper is also new, and a full-fledged spare wheel is attached to the tailgate.

The main addition inside comes in the form of an infotainment system that supports CarPlay and Android Auto. Climate control, power windows and a new dashboard are also on the list.

Rounding of the project is a naturally aspirated V8 under the hood rated at 282 PS (278 hp / 207 kW) and 440 Nm (325 lb-ft) of torque.