When I read the article in topgear I have to admit that they thought a lot of things about the development of the car.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-49725825

Looks like a better Defender is going to be built soon at Bridgend !

God bless him for doing something useful in a stinky climate if it does go ahead. Great way to turn a large fortune into a small fortune. If the government give some edge to him to reduce the impact of all the job losses it would be a good thing.

Can't see any reason why Jim Ratcliffe should be given taxpayers' money, since he's moved himself offshore to avoid paying his fair share.

Ahh those mad boy South Africans, gotta love the attitude. The steering wheel is even in the right place!

https://www.pistonheads.com/news/ph-japanesecars/toyota-announces-v8-land-cruiser-namib/40969

Let me try. They are an essentially selfish choice for the typical purchaser without a farm / estate / or similar need.. For most B road and smaller, they are too big making life difficult for other roads users. On other roads and particularly with the common "privacy" glass they block out forward vision for road users in normal cars, they take up more parking room, they cause more pollution because of bigger engines / greater fuel consumption. And it seems to me that what once was the BMW lane on the motorway is now populated by Range Rovers driven agressively and fast.

And a significant proportion seem to be driven by women who have no real feel for the size of the thing they are driving nor the speed its going at.

But they feel so safe! Pity about the occupants of the small city car that they just crushed.

I have come to believe that drivers of the big SUVs, say over 2,000 kg, should have to have a special licence and undergo a course of training and a driving test.

+1 Peter having been literally driven into a hedge by one.

Do we need additional training to drive a high powered sports car? Maybe anyone over the age of 60 with outdated thinking on male /female capabilities needs some sort of training?My wife drives our 110 every day along unmade up tracks and so far seems to have avoided running anyone intro a ditch? the 110 is actually narrower than most cars! so on country lanes in Devon squeezes past places other vehicles cant? As to greater fuel consumption - my 1971 Series 2a probably has a lighter carbon footprint than a recent Prius. Look at the cost of manufacture and longevity of much of the JLR output over 50 years vs actual fuel consumption of equally expensively made - but short lasting vehicles that use 10mpg less??

Just a few alternative views.

A breath of fresh air on the topic, I see exactly those sort of good road skills exhibited in my rural area including Dartmoor by the lady drivers of Defenders some of whom will be farmers wives or equestrians I imagine and they are very courteous drivers. Not so the Japanese and German 4x4 drivers on the local school run though they really don't seem to have a care for other drivers at all.