Off-road Royalty

Back in the 1940s, the Brits created the Land Rover, a tough little vehicle capable of going pretty much anywhere you pointed it. In the ensuing years, Land Rovers have spread across the globe, climbing snow-encrusted mountains, traversing deserts and crossing piranha-infested rivers. While most owners stick to the pavement, they take comfort knowing they could drive over a volcano, should one ever pop up. Unlike plump Range Rovers, Land Rovers are the real deal, and none are “more real” than the Land Rover Defender Series. Back after a 20-year hiatus, the latest Defender is still made of aluminum but now with some high-tech twists. Three models — the 90, 110 and the stretched 130 — allow you to choose a Defender to suit your personal explorations. Power options include a gas/electric hybrid, 2 diesel engines (adventurers gargle with diesel fuel) and two “petrol”-fueled engines. You may never need to drive thorough 3 feet of water, but you could in a Defender, just as you could climb Pikes Peak — without using the road full of panting Priuses, or is it Prii?; It won’t matter either way; LandRoverUSA.com.