As the death of color draws on, we need more solutions to fight it. While it used to be common to see everyday cars that weren’t greyscale, it’s a shame that nowadays, more cars aren’t available in more colors. While the colors, materials, and finishes team at JLR isn’t revising entire color palettes just yet, that hasn’t stopped it from having a bit of fun. The Land Rover Defender Beach Break edition adds a splash of color by borrowing some stripe motifs from Toyota.
To build the Beach Break, Land Rover started with a four-cylinder five-door Defender P300, because that’s just the sensible option. Look, the V8 I tested earlier this year was positively lovely, but in a vehicle like this, a 296-horsepower turbocharged two-liter four-banger will absolutely get the job done.
From there, Land Rover’s bathed the Defender Beach Break in the excellent shade of Tasman Blue, sprayed the roof white, and bolted on a set of 20-inch aluminum alloy wheels that look an awful lot like steelies. Not only are they larger than the old steel wheels for better brake clearance on higher-output models, they’re lighter too. However, the piece de resistance of the Beach Break is the striping.
The yellow, orange and red streaks down each flank recall quarters fired at “Ivan ‘Ironman’ Stewart’s Super Off Road” because this tricolor motif rose to off-road prominence on Toyota desert racing trucks. Admittedly, it’s also a fairly common motif in the design world, so it makes sense that Land Rover’s using it, but I wonder how 4Runner owners feel about this? Regardless, I reckon it works brilliantly, adding pops of color and whimsy to the SUV.
Speaking of colors, Land Rover’s made the curious decision to spec its beach bum Defender with a white interior. Officially called Light Cloud and Lunar Resist, these themes and textiles seem a tad impractical for playing in the sand, but they brighten up the cabin a great deal. Speaking of impracticalities, it’s unlikely the chunky cross bars and pillar-mounted gear box are particularly quiet on the freeway, but they look the absolute business.
Unfortunately, this cheery special edition won’t exactly be common in the wild. Only 20 Land Rover Defender Beach Break editions will be made, but at least the price tag of $71,700 actually seems reasonable. So, if you’re in the market for a new luxury SUV and want something with great stripes, ring up your local Land Rover dealer now. With any luck, you should be catching waves shortly.
(Photo credits: Land Rover)
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The Defender accessories are so goofy. Lose the box over the window. Keep Toyota’s stripes.
The “death of color”. I laughed when I saw that term – you should consider trademarking it. I think about the lack of color almost every time I drive, especially when I notice oncoming traffic is just a sea of gray shades, barely distinguishable from the asphalt road.
Suddenly it’s 1978 again
Here’s a picture of a 1978 Ford Bronco …with the same stripes
https://tntufftrucks.com/collection/1978-ford-bronco-custom/
That’s just a far-better looking rig in every single view possible.
The original Toyota stripes were by Molly.
This guy:
https://www.rideapart.com/features/299881/rollin-molly-sanders/
Wow! I never heard of him! A very amazing career. I have the red, orange yellow decals but have not put them on yet. Have the Toyota emblems on. It’s a Chevy Colorado Zr2 and is cosplaying as a Hilux. Mind f’s many a fanboy.
Thank you for that! Kawaski green … Yamaha strobe … 🙂
And the font is terrible
You want whimsy? You’ll PAY for it, bitch!
Or maybe cuckquean, idk how you roll.
$71,700 = Reasonable? The universe is f••ked.
It’s only fair, Toyota crept in on Land Rover’s corner first.
https://www.theautopian.com/toyota-screwed-up-the-tundra-so-bad-its-literally-replacing-100000-engines/
I know I called for stripes or other kind of graphics to make a comeback, but . . .
It even has a white roof! All it’s missing is a white grille to complete the FJ Cruiser cosplay.
Kinda refreshing to see Land Rover copy someone else, instead of everyone copying them.
The pillar mounted gearbox is worrying, I know that the world has moved on without me but I still think that gearboxes should, whenever possible, be on the underneath bit of cars. Putting one on the outside seems a bit gimmicky, of course it going to be noisy, and the number of UJs required might be excessive. Maybe as the automotive world moves toward electricity this trend of having a gearbox on display will catch on.
It’s got something to do with the new math, and a newfangled perpetual motion device.
Three rights make a wrong, or something like that.
(Three wrights can make it wrought, if that’s what it takes.)
And Adrian just urped a little in his mouth.
It’s unseemly to do so into another’s mouth.
And entirely impractical, given the usual circumstances.
I would need to double take this on the highway to make sure it was not a new land crusier as those stripes are very vintage toyota at a quick glance.
Ford just tried to pull this with the Bronco Sport. Nobody wants them either. Thankfully, LR is only making 50 examples.
At least those are inspired by the late-1970s Ford “Free Wheelin'” trim package and not another manufacturer’s house style.
Also, aren’t they dealer accessories you can get on any Bronco Sport or Maverick?
Unfortunately, it’s a complete vehicle package. Color matched interior, red pocketed wheels, silver painted “chrome” door handles, all factory installed. If it was just the tape stripe, it’d be easy enough to overlook or remove, but it’s the WHOLE package that ends up coming off a bit too strong.
I think the biggest problem with Bronco Sport Free Wheelin’ package is that it’s too much. The decals cover most of the vehicle. That’s a helluva commitment to a very specific retro style for most buyers.
If Ford had toned it down maybe, and skipped the discordant red accent wheels, it might do better I think. Retro trim like this is best done sparingly – you’ll pick up enthusiasts who “get it” but also regular buyers who just think it’s cool in a reasonable way.
Red wheels?
Where do I sign up?
I think you’re onto something – what we’re all thinking of when we think of this sort of thing from back in the day is a white or otherwise light-colored vehicle, so that the colors of the striping really pop.
They don’t look as good on today’s everything dark/gray-scale b/c serious all the time vehicles, which might connect with Rad Barchetta’s observation below maybe.
You can get the Free Wheelin’ package over white or blue, it looks a lot better than the gray base coat Ford debuted it with.
Seven to ten years from now, someone who owns a ratty Defender is going to find this article and print out the graphics in the picture so they can charge an extra $5,000 on the price.
“It’s one of twenty!”
Eh. I’m always lukewarm when manufacturers appropriate other manufacturers’ signatures like this. Not that it’s not allowed or something, and it does look cool for sure, but why not instead do something more historically Land Rover? Or LR adjacent, like a safari theme maybe?
It’s like when you could recently get Dodge Challengers with the over-the-body twin racing stripes aka Shelby stripes. It was a good look, but somehow just a little off on a ’60s inspired Chrysler product.
It would be right at home on an ’80s inspired Chrysler product though. And they need one, where’s THEIR retro hatchback New Omni? If they built one I’d seriously consider buying it (just not the first model year), especially if they didn’t lose the plot like Hyundai did making theirs the size of a current RAV4.
Yeah, that’s true! I’d be super impressed if it’s that deep a cut, as Chrysler has seemingly never acknowledged the existence of the ’80s Charger since it was new.
I wonder though – few normal people would remember the original Omni at this point, so how cool would it be if Chrysler brought back the name on a small hybrid or EV as a way to make a cheap entry-level offering?
That exterior box on the right rear side is a deeply stupid bit of overlanding cosplay.
The entire car is a deeply stupid bit of overlanding cosplay.
In deepest England where these things are everywhere I’ve never seen one with dirt on it.
Not dirty? I’m shocked!
/s ⇦ that really should be in a HUGE font
Those retro Toyota stripes will make you feel better when your air suspension collapses.
The 70s are calling. They want their stripes back.
The stripes say I love sunsets at the beach, but the eyes say I’m really angry about that.
I agree. And beyond being yet another angry car face, it’s also way too face-y.
The stripes would be so much better if they weren’t so poorly executed.
The graphics designer must not have been allowed to see the SUV these colors were applied to, because nothing about that decal says “I belong here”.
“I’ve already turned the car around, I’m 5 beers deep & sunburned, you little shits can walk back to the cottage.”