[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/off-road-cars\/land-rover-big-foot\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/off-road-cars\/land-rover-big-foot\/","headline":"LAND ROVER BIG FOOT","name":"LAND ROVER BIG FOOT","description":"When you think of Land Rover you either think of a classic off-road go anywhere vehicle, or a very posh car that never sees any mud at all. Well the awesome looking Defender Big Foot sits firmly – and well above the mud – in the former category. I remember being given an exhilarating ride over and through a Land Rover demonstration course in a Defender many years back, the gravity defying angles that we ended up at left me […]","datePublished":"2015-10-20","dateModified":"2018-12-05","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/matthew-collett\/#Person","name":"Matthew Collett","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/matthew-collett\/","identifier":5,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/64eca1152247aa111ace79ff1c03782b175df9dc21d2092364ff21e1cf5e38fa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/64eca1152247aa111ace79ff1c03782b175df9dc21d2092364ff21e1cf5e38fa?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/feature-2.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/10\/feature-2.jpg","height":520,"width":1200},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/off-road-cars\/land-rover-big-foot\/","about":["Land Rover","OFF ROADING"],"wordCount":580,"articleBody":"When you think of Land Rover you either think of a classic off-road go anywhere vehicle, or a very posh car that never sees any mud at all. Well the awesome looking Defender Big Foot sits firmly – and well above the mud – in the former category.I remember being given an exhilarating ride over and through a Land Rover demonstration course in a Defender many years back, the gravity defying angles that we ended up at left me with huge respect for this vehicle and I\u2019ve loved it ever since. So it was with a smile I read that Land Rover were to do a bit of a u-turn on their decision to stop making the Defender and move production abroad instead. The decision was not entirely sentimental of course; the new markets Asia and Africa are beckoning\u2026And so we come to the Big Foot – a Defender with a larger than life footprint and also with the near perfect publicity of being featured in the latest (24th) James Bond movie, SPECTRE, starring Daniel Craig, which is released in the UK on 26th October.The Big Foot is a Defender that has been modified to accept some giant 37-inch off-road rubber as well as uprated suspension and added protection for the body. Rather than look odd, the Big Foot actually looks like it is exactly what a Defender should have always looked like – it looks fantastic.The Big Foot isn\u2019t an entirely new vehicle and probably would have remained just a wonderful curiosity if it weren\u2019t for the imminent Bond movie. The latest Bond vehicles were unveiled last month in Frankfurt with Bond\u2019s latest villain, Mr Hinx (Dave Bautista) in attendance posing (slightly dwarfed) on the Big Foot bonnet.The assumption when behind the wheel of any Defender is that the elements are a mere trifle for it to cope with – and that feeling of invincibility is likely tripled in this vehicle. Land Rover does try to temper this natural assumption by quietly saying that it\u2019s not a big fan of sheet ice\u2026The trump card for the Big Foot is that it is essentially just a tried and trusted Defender. Just a Defender with a pretty much standard engine – but with the crucial addition of the very necessary ultra-low gear ratios and Land Rover\u2019s anti-stall feature of course.\u00a0It also has extended wheel arches, to house those goliath tyres, ARB differential front and rear lockers, long travel dampers and an Aschroft underdrive. On the downside, the turning circle is much larger than standard.Land Rover Special Vehicles are the people behind the Big Foot. The idea was originally to whip up some excitement at new product launches and events, but I can\u2019t help thinking that if I\u2019d just bought a new Defender, seeing a Big Foot would make me feel like I was 9 again and feeling slightly jealous of my brother\u2019s \u2018better\u2019 Christmas present he\u2019s just unwrapped. No final decision on a\u00a0commercial release has been made as yet on the Big Foot, so I guess that\u2019s off the Christmas list for another year at least. Although to get a Big Foot conversion on a standard 110 Defender, it has been estimated that (if such an option was available) you\u2019d be looking at around \u00a350,000 upwards.I suspect that Land Rover can expect an influx of Big Foot enquiries very shortly.Images: classicdriver.com, telegraph.co.uk, landrover.com"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest News","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Off Road Cars","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/\/off-road-cars\/#breadcrumbitem"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"LAND ROVER BIG FOOT","item":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/off-road-cars\/land-rover-big-foot\/#breadcrumbitem"}]}]