Project Khan's Defender offering
2012-12-18 14:03
A RHINO IN A TWEED JACKET: The iconic Land Rover Defender has been given an extensive cosmetic make-over by Project Khan, which includes a tweed interior.
The Land Rover Defender is the quintessential go-anywhere, on any terrain, vehicle and has been for many years.
So when you hear talk of body kits and large aftermarket wheels it’s not exactly the first car you picture brandishing that sort of embellishment, but there are a brave few who dare to do so, one such company is the UK’s Project Khan.
This is, to give the car its full title, the Kahn Defender Concept 17 Wide Body - Harris Tweed Prototype and what that translates into is a Kahn-tuned Land Rover Defender fitted with a butch body-kit, enormous multispoked wheels and knobbly tyres and - inside - tweed-trimmed bucket seats. Not exactly a purist’s car
Modifying Land Rovers is Project Kahn’s bread and butter and it's their rims that adorn this Defender. Mounted on a wider track, they're matched to a wide-body kit with vents integrated into the boxy arches.
NEED FOR TWEED
Other cosmetic additions include a stainless-steel grille, mesh bonnet and side vents, clear rear-light lenses and LED front lights. Kahn prototype badges adorn various nooks and crannies of the car and an interior of leather, piano wood and, wait for it, tweed cloth.
Kahn boss Afzal Kahn says tweed is "a noble fabric" and deserves its place on his modified version of one of the British motoring industry's most enduring icons. The hand-woven Harris Tweed is applied to the quilted front and rear bucket seats, roof lining and even the sun visors.
Elsewhere, the Defender's once-Spartan cabin is swathed in leather, Alcantara and red-and-silver contrast stitching. There's a splash of red for the rev counter, seat belts and clock, with machined aluminium pedals to boot.
At least, that's an example spec. Kahn will pander to any customer request and be happy to "design for you a vehicle with an interior the same shade as your living room".
A potentially frightening prospect indeed!