Given all the events that have happened over the last 18 months, December 2019 feels like a very long time ago, but that was the moment when Jaguar Land Rover bought Bowler, a company renowned for its love of crazy, off-road models such as the Wildcat and the 440 BHP Defender.
And now, as a result of this acquisition, Bowler has designed and manufactured the Bowler Defender Challenge rally car. Bowler will be using it in its soon-to-be-reformed Defender Challenge rally series.
However, the relationship between these two companies goes back to 2012, which was when Bowler and Land Rover formed a ‘brand partnership’, resulting in the Defender Challenge by the Bowler series.
The Challenge first started between 2014 and 2016, when competitors drove ancient Defenders with diesel engines and manual gearboxes. Fast forward to 2022, and there will be 12 of these competing across seven UK-based rounds.
But as a model, can it do any better than the new Ineos Grenadier? Prototypes of this model are now being put through their paces, ready for the start of production in 2022. The car company is confident that deliveries can start as early as next summer, yet many of its features have already been revealed. Production will be handled at the former Smart plant in Hambach, France.
Ineos plans to offer the Grenadier in the US. Based on what we know about each model so far, which one is better? Let’s find out.
What We Love About The 2021 Bowler Land Rover Defender’s Interior And Exterior
Auto Express notes that Bowler has spent money where it counts regarding its design. With a new cooling set-up, some fresh cosmetic components at the front and rear reinforced subframes and bespoke Fox suspension dampers valved to the company’s specifications, this model has excellent damping capability off-road.
The 18-inch alloys are accommodated by a 25 MM higher ride height, and 6 MM thick aluminum underbody protection means it provides lots of rugged durability. There are two massive bucket seats, and Bowler has abandoned the Defender’s cross-car beam and repositioned the climate control panel and gear selector to assist the car’s ergonomics and improve the ease of use in manual mode when competing.
Inside, drivers will find a 3D-printed paddle shifter on the right-hand side of the steering column, which makes it easier to flick up and down the box, allowing drivers to keep at least one hand on the wheel.
What We Love About The 2021 Bowler Land Rover Defender’s Performance And Handling
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Bowler has based this model on the Defender 90 P300, which for those of you who are familiar with these models, means coil-sprung suspension and a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 296 BHP.
Thanks to its standard engine, gearbox, and steering calibrations, the Defender is a rather smooth car to drive. It is remarkably fast over any terrain and grips rather well in high-speed tarmac turns while somehow limiting body roll. When it comes to braking, this vehicle grinds to a halt with some force too, and it turns in sharply with the lighter gasoline engine upfront.
The Defender lands softly, and it manages to reduce rebound and settle itself for the next corner. That is because of its adjustable damping, but the car company told Top Gear that it requires a bit of tuning to be completely perfect.
Anyone who has the chance to drive this amazing model will notice that there is a new exhaust setup that also helps with ground clearance while making the driving experience even more exciting.
Can The Ineos Grenadier Do Any Better?
The new Ineos Grenadier was modeled after the previous Land Rover Defender, which means that it has a cabin featuring an upright dash and hard-wearing surface materials throughout. There are multiple controls, some of which can be customized.
There are modern features such as a 12.3-inch touchscreen and a system that integrates Apple Car Play and Android Auto, none of which have been included in the new Defender, making the Grenadier’s interior superior to the former’s.
Ineos’ engineers have made a great deal of effort to reduce the Grenadier’s weight by building a body that is a mix of aluminum, high-strength steel. This should help improve its handling, and the Defender may struggle against its Ineos rival here.
Powertrains will be sourced from BMW and include both turbocharged gasoline and diesel engines, with the sole transmission to be an 8-speed automatic. Though no engine output figures have been provided yet, the Grenadier will give the Defender a run for its money.
Currently, the Grenadier seems like the stronger of the two models so far thanks to its 8-speed automatic transmission and luxurious interior, but only time will tell.
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