Helderburg, an auto shop based in Arkansas, has unveiled a particularly deluxe Land Rover Defender rebuild that reportedly took more than 3,000 hours and $393,000 to finish. The result is nothing short of glamorous – that is, as long as you don’t peek inside the engine bay.
As restomods go, this one is particularly striking with its pearlized light blue metallic paintwork and a custom front bumper complete with new headlights and a winch. It features a light brown soft top, flared fenders and black wheels shod in mud tires. Modern brakes with red calipers and braided lines also support the notion that it’s far from stock.
And then there’s the interior, which is awash in fine cream-colored and light brown leather with some white stitching for contrast. Everything here follows a tasteful retro theme, with only the head unit sticking out from the rest. The multimedia system on board supports Apple CarPlay, and the trunk area houses two bench seats for extra passenger capacity.
Unusually enough for your average high-end Defender restomod, the Arvon continues to make do with a 2.8-liter six-cylinder turbo diesel engine. Helderburg claims it takes advantage of new cylinder heads and a stacked radiator for superior cooling, but neglects to mention whether the output is any better than the original’s 162 PS (160 hp / 120 kW).
