Sign up for Design News newsletters
Join Land Rover's 90-Team Trophy Competition in the 2022 Defender Trophy EditionJoin Land Rover's 90-Team Trophy Competition in the 2022 Defender Trophy Edition
Consider it your ticket to the Land Rover version of American Ninja Warrior.
10 Slides
Already have an account?
Jaguar Land Rover
Obstacle course competitions like American Ninja Warrior are popular entertainment, but it is difficult to earn a spot on such shows.
But Land Rover is ready to sell off-roaders a chance to participate in the automotive equivalent, with the announcement of the Land Rover Defender Trophy Edition.
The company will sell 220 of these souped-up Defenders, and buying one permits the owner the chance to enter the U.S. Trophy Competition, where two-person teams will compete in Defenders on an off-road driving adventure.
Land Rover's Trophy Competition has slots for 90 teams and entry is first-come, first-served, so interested mud-loving drivers should move quickly.
The U.S. competition will be a one-day contest held at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, N.C. The 15-team waves of competition start Oct. 11, 2021. The winning U.S. team will advance to a world championship at Eastnor Castle, in England, which is the site where Land Rover traditionally does its vehicle development testing. That will occur in early 2022, though the exact date has not yet been announced and presumably will depend on the pandemic conditions at that time.
The $90,000 Land Rover Defender Trophy Edition is available in August, and you’ll want to hurry to get some practice in before the big competition!
About the Author
Dan’s coverage of the auto industry over three decades has taken him to the racetracks, automotive engineering centers, vehicle simulators, wind tunnels, and crash-test labs of the world.
A member of the North American Car, Truck, and Utility of the Year jury, Dan also contributes car reviews to Popular Science magazine, serves on the International Engine of the Year jury, and has judged the collegiate Formula SAE competition.
Dan is a winner of the International Motor Press Association's Ken Purdy Award for automotive writing, as well as the National Motorsports Press Association's award for magazine writing and the Washington Automotive Press Association's Golden Quill award.
Dan, testing the 2025 Aston Martin Vanquish. ANDY MORGAN/ASTON MARTIN
He has held a Sports Car Club of America racing license since 1991, is an SCCA National race winner, two-time SCCA Runoffs competitor in Formula F, and an Old Dominion Region Driver of the Year award winner. Co-drove a Ford Focus 1.0-liter EcoBoost to 16 Federation Internationale de l’Automobile-accredited world speed records over distances from just under 1km to over 4,104km at the CERAM test circuit in Mortefontaine, France.
He was also a longtime contributor to the Society of Automotive Engineers' Automotive Engineering International magazine.
He specializes in analyzing technical developments, particularly in the areas of motorsports, efficiency, and safety.
He has been published in The New York Times, NBC News, Motor Trend, Popular Mechanics, The Washington Post, Hagerty, AutoTrader.com, Maxim, RaceCar Engineering, AutoWeek, Virginia Living, and others.
Dan has authored books on the Honda S2000 and Dodge Viper sports cars and contributed automotive content to the consumer finance book, Fight For Your Money.
He is a member and past president of the Washington Automotive Press Association and is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers.
You May Also Like
Editors' Choice
Jan 28 - Jan 30, 2025
Jan 28 - Jan 30, 2025
The must-attend event for chip, board, and systems design engineers. DesignCon is the premier high-speed communications and system design conference and exposition, offering industry-critical engineering education in the heart of electronics innovation — Silicon Valley.
Register Now