Inkas wants the most powerful Land Rover Defender to also be the safest
Inkas just unveiled its armoured take on the range-topping Defender Octa. Military-grade armour and a slew of over-the-top security options combine to turn the high-performance SUV into the most luxurious tank out there.
If you’re familiar with Inkas’s work, you know that the Toronto-based shop likes to take popular high-end vehicles—think the Bentley Bentayga or Cadillac Escalade—and turn them into armored cars. It actually already unveiled a souped-up Defender two years ago, but the new version is even better at putting trouble in the rear-view mirror.
Inkas’s Defender Octa may look just like the stock model, but the entire vehicle, including the cabin, side panels, roof, and underbody, has been equipped with stainless steel armor and multi-layer ballistic glass. These changes provide 360-degree, BR6-grade protection, meaning the vehicle can withstand sustained fire from a 7.62-mm assault rifle as well as up to two DM51 hand grenade blasts. It also comes standard with a reinforced fuel tank casing and funflat wheels with polycarbonate inserts.
The standard cabin is identical to that of the standard Defender Octa down to the carbon-fibre trim and badging. You can fix up the spacious interior with a number of safety add-ons, though. These include an oxygen filtration system, night vision goggles, and an LED strobe light and intercom system that the driver and their passenger can control. There’s also an available roof escape hatch.
Inkas has wisely seen fit to leave the Defender Octa’s potent powertrain alone. The SUV is powered by a 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V-8 that makes 626 hp and 745 Nm of torque, which is routed to each wheel via an eight-speed automatic transmission. Inkas hasn’t provided performance numbers for the modified vehicle, but we’d be willing to bet that all that added armour and accessories mean it will no longer be able to accelerate from zero to 60 mph (96.6 km/hr) in under four seconds.
Looking for an SUV that can keep you and your family safe in the most dangerous of situations? Inkas is taking orders for its armored Defender Octa now. Prepare to spend big. You’ll have to reach out to the company for pricing info, but we imagine it will cost well north of the Defender Octa’s usual US$158,300 starting price.
This story was first published on Robb Report USA. Featured photo by Inkas
