Skip advert
Advertisement

New Bowler Defender Challenge review

The new Defender Challenge is the first Bowler under JLR ownership, and it’s a cracker

Overall Auto Express rating

4.5

How we review cars
Avg. savings
£2,653 off RRP*
Find your Land Rover Defender
Compare deals from trusted partners on this car and previous models.
Or are you looking to sell your car?
Value my car
Fast, no-nonsense car selling
Value my car

Verdict

Bowler has applied the knowledge its engineering team has gained through years of experience to create something quite brilliant and surprisingly approachable given how serious the Defender Challenge car looks, even if the character from a V8 would crown the package. However, the beauty of Bowler’s experience and its new relationship with Land Rover shouldn’t be underestimated. We can’t wait to see what comes from this partnership in the future as both brands go from strength to strength.

Advertisement - Article continues below

Not all that long ago, Bowler – long-time builder of rally special Land Rovers – was bought by Jaguar Land Rover, and this is the first fruits of the collaboration between the two brands under the new relationship. It’s called the Bowler Defender Challenge and it’s excellent.

It’s designed to give both novice and experienced competition drivers a thrill, as for the £99,500 this all-new Defender off-road competition vehicle costs, you also get entry into Bowler’s one-make Defender Challenge series, with a calendar consisting of seven UK-based rounds. Driver tuition and vehicle support is also available.

The car is the star though. It’s based on a new Land Rover Defender 90 fitted with the brand’s 296bhp P300 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine. It doesn’t sound like all that much power, especially given that the Defender with modifications weighs around two tonnes, but it’s still enough to exploit what Bowler has done to the package.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

Used - available now

Defender

2021 Land Rover

Defender

45,342 milesAutomaticDiesel3.0L

Cash £51,169
View Defender
Defender

2025 Land Rover

Defender

20,125 milesAutomaticDiesel3.0L

Cash £77,000
View Defender
Defender

2024 Land Rover

Defender

11,458 milesAutomaticDiesel3.0L

Cash £67,750
View Defender
Defender

2024 Land Rover

Defender

18,334 milesAutomaticDiesel3.0L

Cash £55,950
View Defender

Much of the car uses standard components, including the engine and eight-speed transmission, which are completely unchanged, while the suspension arms are also standard. This helps keep cost down.

However, the brand has spent money where it counts, with a new cooling set-up, some new cosmetic components at the front and rear (which could be sold as aftermarket accessories to road-going Defender owners in the fullness of time), reinforced subframes and bespoke Fox suspension dampers valved to Bowler’s specifications, which give superb damping capability off-road.

Advertisement - Article continues below

It rides rough terrain so well, soaking up huge inputs with minimal fuss, keeping the tyres in contact with the surface so the engine and transmission can relay maximum drive more of the time.

It’s the suspension that really makes the package, hung from a super stiff monocoque platform compared with the previous Defender Challenge car based on the old iconic model, which utilised a separate chassis and body. It’s also reinforced by an FIA-approved roll cage to help strengthen the body. Over lumps, bumps and jumps the Bowler stays resolutely composed, with a silky, cushioned landing as the big machine falls back to earth following its take off.

The steering is relatively quick and feels surprisingly direct, even on off-road tyres and a loose surface. The chassis inspires massive confidence regardless of grip levels and driver experience, pushing you to make the most of the P300 engine.

Skip advert
Advertisement
Skip advert
Advertisement - Article continues below

In a standard Defender 90 P300 0-60mph takes 6.7 seconds. It’ll likely be longer off-road, but thanks to 400Nm of torque available from low down in the rev range it offers plenty of flexibility in tight turns and good grunt to pull the raised-up machine’s bulk out of ruts.

Thanks to Bowler’s own sports exhaust system it even sounds fruitier, with a deeper rumble that morphs into a rasp higher up in the rev range. Yes, a straight-six or V8 petrol would be nice, but they’d no doubt be heavier, harder to master and more expensive to buy and run – the latter is a serious consideration for a competition car and has been a big consideration with this project.

Advertisement - Article continues below

A 25mm higher ride height to accommodate light 18-inch alloys and big off-road tyres, and 6mm thick aluminium underbody protection means it offers plenty of rugged durability. It feels rugged from inside too. The interior is stripped out, with two big bucket seats featuring six-point harnesses put back in. Bowler has ditched the Defender’s cross car beam and repositioned the climate control panel and gear selector to help ergonomics and improve the ease of use in manual mode when competing.

There’s also a 3D-printed paddle shifter on the right-hand side of the steering column to more easily flick up and down the box, allowing drivers to always keep at least one hand on the wheel.

The standard brakes are easily up to the task as well, offering good power and decent feel. In fact, after a handful of laps of Land Rover’s Fen End off-road test track it’s clear that Bowler has developed areas of the Defender that were necessary to upgrade it to the level of performance required for rallying but retained standard parts where there was no need to improve them – even the air-conditioning has been retained to keep drivers and navigator cool in the heat of battle.

Model:Bowler Defender Challenge
Price: £99,500 (incl. championship entry)
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo petrol
Power/torque: 296bhp/400Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, four-wheel drive
0-60mph: 6.7 seconds (on-road)
Top speed: 119mph
Economy/CO2: N/A
On sale: Now
Skip advert
Advertisement

Sean’s been writing about cars since 2010, having worked for outlets as diverse as PistonHeads, MSN Cars, Which? Cars, Race Tech – a specialist motorsport publication – and most recently Auto Express and sister titles Carbuyer and DrivingElectric. 

New & used car deals

Land Rover Defender

Land Rover Defender

RRP £51,105Avg. savings £2,653 off RRP*Used from £40,000
Nissan Qashqai

Nissan Qashqai

RRP £27,415Avg. savings £5,924 off RRP*Used from £12,295
Volkswagen Tiguan

Volkswagen Tiguan

RRP £35,385Avg. savings £2,911 off RRP*Used from £15,200
Kia Sportage

Kia Sportage

RRP £28,065Avg. savings £2,321 off RRP*Used from £16,000
* Average savings are calculated daily based on the best dealer prices on Auto Express vs manufacturer RRP
Skip advert
Advertisement

Most Popular

Not bothered by MoT advisories? That may be about to change
Protyre area manager Simon Hall inspecting a Vauxhall Corsa's tyre

Not bothered by MoT advisories? That may be about to change

The number of MoT failures caused by worn tyres is on the rise, and experts are calling for mandatory follow-ups on advisories
News
12 May 2025
Confirmed: New VW Golf GTI will be electric – and it’s a “monster”
VW Golf GTI badge

Confirmed: New VW Golf GTI will be electric – and it’s a “monster”

VW is taking the iconic hot hatchback brand into the electric era with the new Golf GTI EV already in development…
News
13 May 2025
Audi e-tron GT gets huge £20k price cut as new entry-level quattro joins range
Audi e-tron GT quattro - front 3/4 dynamic

Audi e-tron GT gets huge £20k price cut as new entry-level quattro joins range

Most basic e-tron GT also comes with the longest range and nigh-on 500bhp
News
13 May 2025