Car of the Week: Land Rover Defender 90 V8 P525 Carpathian Edition
There is no sensible reason for a 525 hp supercharged V8 Defender. That is exactly the point.
This week's Car of the Week is a 2023 Land Rover Defender 90 5.0 V8 P525 Carpathian Edition, finished in black and available at Land Rover Waimes with just 37,900 km. It crams a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 making 525 hp into the shortest, most playful Defender body, and it is registered as a two-seat light commercial, which is why it is VAT deductible. This is the Defender at its most gloriously unnecessary.
525 hp in a box on stilts
The heart of this Defender is a supercharged 5.0-litre V8 producing 525 hp, sent through an eight-speed automatic to all four wheels. In the short Defender 90 body it is genuinely fast, with the sprint to 100 km/h done in around 5.2 seconds and a top speed near 240 km/h. It also sits on height-adjustable air suspension, so the same car that will embarrass a hot hatch off the lights will still wade through a river and climb a mountain. The contrast between how it looks and how it moves never stops being funny.
The Carpathian Edition is the mean-looking one
The Carpathian Edition is the dark, menacing take on the V8. This one pairs its black paint with 22-inch Style 5098 gloss black wheels and a serious cabin: Ebony Windsor leather, Dinamica suedecloth and hard-wearing Robustec seats, all in black, under a panoramic roof. It is luxurious where it needs to be and rugged where it counts, with heated and ventilated seats, a tow bar and a Secure Tracker Pro fitted. Understated it is not.
Fast, useable and tax-clever
Here is the clever bit. Because it is registered as a two-seat light commercial, this Defender is VAT deductible, which softens the blow of a €102,500 price for a business buyer. With 37,900 km it is barely run in, it will still tow and haul like any other Defender, and it happens to be one of the most entertaining ways to do so. Land Rover has since moved its V8 on to a different engine, which makes this supercharged P525 a moment worth catching.
Key details
Year: 2023
Mileage: 37,900 km
Engine: supercharged 5.0 V8 petrol
Power: 525 hp
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Drive: all-wheel drive
Colour: black with black leather
Body: 2-seat light commercial (utilitaire)
Location: Land Rover Waimes
Price: €102,500 (VAT deductible)
AutoNext Take
We have a real soft spot for cars that make no sense, and a 525 hp supercharged V8 crammed into a short-wheelbase Defender is peak no-sense. It rides on air, wears 22-inch gloss black wheels, sounds like a muscle car and will still climb a mountain. The Carpathian Edition just makes it look as serious as it is fast. We adore it.
Land Rover has moved the V8 on since, which makes this supercharged P525 a moment worth catching. Registered as a light commercial and VAT deductible at €102,500, it is almost sensible on paper. It is anything but in reality, and that is exactly why we want one.
View the Land Rover Defender 90 V8 P525 Carpathian Edition on Gocar.be
