Land Rover made a big splash recently, launching the Defender V8. Not only is the Jaguar-powered Defender V8 much faster than the standard car, it’s actually brilliant to drive. It’s getting rave reviews for its more exciting on-road performance that doesn’t sacrifice any of its off-road capability. However, there’s said to be another Defender V8 variant on the way, one that will likely prioritize on-road performance for the first time in Defender history, while also using a different V8 — a BMW V8.

According to this new report from Motor Trend, there’s going to be a Land Rover Defender SVR that could swap the aging 5.0 liter supercharged Jaguar V8 currently used in Land Rover products with BMW’s far more modern 4.4 liter twin-turbo V8. Why would Land Rover make the switch? Two reasons: performance and emissions.

By the time the Land Rover Defender SVR releases, it will be nigh impossible for Land Rover to create the sort of power it needs, while also meeting emissions regulations. The cost of developing a new V8 engine for only one car that likely won’t be on sale for very long, as the industry switches to electric, is just far too high. Also, with Jaguar becoming an entirely electric brand by the end of the decade, it’s not like the development cost for a new V8 could be spread across other models. If Land Rover wants to make a Defender SVR, it’s going to need some outside help.

BMW and Jaguar Land Rover recently partnered up to share EV tech, so it’s absolutely possible that JLR would use a BMW V8 for the new model. Considering BMW’s 4.4 liter twin-turbo V8 can push out over 600 horsepower without breaking a sweat, and still meet emissions laws, it would be the perfect engine for Land Rover. Also, remember the history between both brands, as BMW once owned Land Rover, with Range Rovers from the ’90s and ’00s using BMW V8s.

So far, there’s no official word from Land Rover on this but we can expect to hear about it either late this year or early 2022. If the Defender SVR does end up using a BMW V8, it will likely become an instant fan-favorite among BMW enthusiasts.

[Source: Motor Trend]