I typically scoff at every email in my inbox touting the next restomodded all-star vehicle. That’s because there are a lot of companies out there charging insane money for vehicles that started life as inexpensive shells, but now wear terrible wheels and usually have a cheap Grant steering wheel bolted to the column. And the “builder” wants $350,000 grand for their efforts. Legend Motor Co. out of Utah is walking a fine line of not falling into that same trap, and their Signature Series 001 is proof.
At least I hope so, since the spec sheet sounds pretty impressive and the finished product looks awesome. It’s still shockingly expensive, but this reimagined Defender 110 has an amazing list of parts. To start, Legend uses a fully boxed chassis from the four-door JK Jeep. A set of Dana 60 HD axles are bolted in place, and you’ll find Fox 2.5 shocks at the corners. There’s a twin-stick transfer case and ARB lockers front and rear. And for a final touch of holy shit, Legend lines the underside of the body with Kevlar.
I’d be concerned with the potential for unnecessary added weight but that’s not an issue since the engine under the hood is a 6.2-liter V8 from GM. It makes 455 hp, 465 lb-ft of torque, and is backed up by GM’s heavy-duty 8-spd automatic. If you want to spend more, you can swap out the LT1 for an LT4, and then power would jump to an even 650 split for horsepower and torque.
As for the rotating bits at the corners, Legend uses 17×8 steel wheels and wraps them in 37″ BFGoodrich KM3 tires. There’s a full-sized spare on the back.
In the cabin is when we move back to that fine line of restomod meh, but Legend does a good job here too of not going needlessly fancy. Yes it looks nice but you don’t have ridiculously over-quilted leather, a sound system fit for a wakeboard boat, and then a set of Dakota Digital gauges staring you in the face. Instead, the Signature Series 001 looks more like the sort of library you wish you had in your house. Nicely done leather on the seats, a sharp steering wheel, and an overall very clean yet classic aesthetic.
Now, you’re still going to pay an insane amount of money for one of these trucks. This one starts at $250,000. But if you’re a car enthusiast with sickening amounts of cash to burn, an actually good version of a Defender 110 is way more interesting than the latest supercar.
If Legend decides to offer a version of the D130 in dark green over tan, I think I may need to sell off a lot of my stuff (and a body part or two) to figure out how to put one in my driveway.
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