This looks like a lot of fun.
Land Rover has opened applications for the third Defender Rally Series, which, for the first time, will also give participants the option to join certain international events throughout the coming year. These events have not been announced, but Land Rover does say that the Bowler Defender is built to rally-raid specification.
The British off-road brand purchased Bowler in 2019, and in 2021, it delivered a potent rally machine powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-pot.
To secure a seat in the UK-based championship, all you need is £118,000 (roughly $150k, VAT not included), and in return, you'll get a Bowler Defender engineered to comply with FIA and Motorsport UK regulations. The package also includes entry into seven rounds of the UK rally, a dedicated race technician, a senior race engineer, and electrical specialists. You also get a pit crew, mobile workshop, and catering.
All you need to do is rock up and drive.
"The Defender Rally Series was designed to take drivers on a journey, providing foundational rally experience while building the strength and depth of knowledge required to compete at the highest level," said Dave Marsh, head of motorsport at Bowler Motors. "Having undertaken a number of UK and European rounds, our drivers are demonstrating competitiveness under tough conditions. Now, we are raising the bar by moving into a third phase of development, introducing drivers to Rally Raid events and up to week-long endurance Rallies – the pinnacle of the sport."
Since Marsh mentions week-long rallies, it won't be the infamous Dakar Rally. More likely candidates are events in Morocco, Poland, Portugal, Spain, and South Africa.
Land Rover says the racing is guaranteed to be close as all competitors use the same machinery. There are only 16 spots open, and six have already been sold.
It's nice to see Bowler back in action, building rally-prepped Defenders. "The Defender provides an unbelievably capable base to work from," said Callum McKechnie, general manager at Bowler. "At Bowler, we strip out the interiors and carry out a series of modifications to ensure they excel on rally stages, including everything from larger fuel tanks and uprated lighting to additional cooling and bracing, but 95% of the body and the drivetrain and brakes [is] largely untouched, which is a testament to the brilliance of the production Defender 90."
We can only hope that this development eventually leads to a rabid Defender SVR. The Defender is currently available with JLR's 5.0-liter supercharged V8, and it's the only JLR product that still uses this engine. Land Rover's other go-faster products have migrated to a BMW-sourced V8 engine.
With Bowler's rallying know-how and BMW's power, the Defender SVR would be the angriest off-road machine this world has ever seen. Fingers crossed.