We all have our own vision when it comes to building cars. What we think makes a car ‘better’ than when it left the factory is pretty subjective. For some better means faster, for others it means more luxurious, for us it usually means lower, wider and smoother. For Graham at Outlander, it means if something can be made from higher quality materials, more functional or more aesthetically appealing, it should be - and he’s the man to do it.
Now he’s not the first to modify Defenders extensively, but he might just be the first to do it at such a high quality. All too often do we see defenders with some wide arches bolted (sometimes carelessly) on or maybe a set of Recaro seats fitted. Outlander stand for something different entirely. Each build is stripped to a bare shell before being reconstructed in meticulous fashion. Each component being replaced with the highest quality parts available - though, most aren’t available and are custom made. This makes no two Outlander produced vehicle the same.
Originality is often the most important aspect when it comes to building a car. It doesn’t get much more original than one of these. Take the Defender 90 and 110 pictured as examples, each of these have been build in different ways but have the same ‘Outlander’ design language and DNA.
What Singer is to Porsche or Eagle is to Jaguar, Outlander is to Defender. These vehicles speak to what is the true nature of a Defender - freedom, fun, and function. Not built to be thrashed around but to be used and kept for a long time, hence the use of such high quality materials including teak, oak, stainless and galvanised metals. Not that these can’t still be thrashed - Graham has recently developed his own V8 engine to be named the ‘Outlander V8’ which we can’t wait to see and hear!
A few of you reading this may have had the opportunity to view one Outlander’s creations at cleanfest 2019 - where his bikini-topped D90 took a Top 10 prize. These two latest Defenders featured, the Cappuccino 110 and Keswick 90 Soft Top, are further iterations of what an Outlander vehicle is. Both unique, with their own individual touches.
The Keswick 90 - still a work in progress - features tweed interior alongside some colour coded trim, flashes of galvanised steel throughout as well as the signature handmade teak boards finishings on the steps and on the floor and seats in the back. Sat on some colour coded steel wheels (a trait on most Outlander vehicles), the shorter wheelbase of the D90 offers itself perfectly to widened arches for a slightly more robust stance.
The Cappuccino 110 takes a slightly different route. Full leather seats are complimented by leather trimmed dash pieces and custom floor mats, as well as a stunning wooden steering wheel and hardwood ‘cubby box’ in the centre. Flashes of stainless steel are found around the interior and exterior, with some galvanised exterior components like the bumper and roll bars. The long wheelbase and single cab makes of the 110 gives this car lots of presence, subtle arches keep it well proportioned.
If you fancy some Outlander bits for your own Defender, Graham offers hand made build kits on his site - where he also has plenty galleries and a catalogue of available and previously sold vehicles.
Photos: Michael Scott
Words: Michael Scott
Location: North Berwick, Scotland
