The aluminum coolant lines come from the factory on all 2022+ Defender V8s and 2021+ F-Pace SVRs. You won't have to worry about replacing them.

Funnily enough, when this engine first came out in 2009, they originally had aluminum coolant lines. Then they went to plastic within a year. SO the earliest versions of this engine and the latest don't have cooling issues. It's just everything between 2010-2021.

 

Thank you for this update. I plan to order another Defender to replace our 2025 as soon as the 2027 orders open in July. Hopefully this year they can deliver it before 12/31 for tax purposes. Thinking of spending the extra money and getting the X-Dynamic V8 engine option. It's $20K more, but maybe going from 395 HP to 493 HP is worth it. Not seeing the value in spending $30K more for the 525 HP in the V8 model. Anybody here go from a P400 to a V8 and regret spending the extra money?

 

I went from a P400 to a P525 and finally to a P300. I have no regrets with any of these engines at all as they all are great powertrains. I personally feel the P300 is the most suitable for my needs as it shines on off road trails. The acceleration times to 60 mph for the Defender 110 are 7 seconds for the P300, 5.8 seconds for the P400 and 5.1 seconds for the P525. I personally feel the P300 has the most linear acceleration and feels lighter. It really boils down to personal preferences and you cannot wrong with any configuration.

 

Having owned many V8s throughout the years, from American muscle to German, Japanese and now British made engine, I can say the best engine was the V8 inside my M6 Grand Coupe (sold). My 2025 RR P530 L surprises me every time I drive it because of its BMW engine, it's excellent. Now, the AJ133 engine in the P525 isn't as powerful but I can tell it's a robust engine that will last if serviced properly. The recommended +15K miles oil change interval is insane. 5K intervals for sure. I feel my '26 110 V8 still needs to break in, the engine isn't responsive as it can be yet even in Dynamic mode. I am happy with it, with the exception of some plastic exterior trims I think this one was built to last.

 

Definitely do the 5k intervals. The people who followed the 15k intervals are the ones who needed timing chain replacements between 70k-100k miles. The timing chain issues aren't really much of an issue anymore. But as long as you do frequent oil changes, you won't have to worry. It's a great engine - loads of power and torque, but not as powerful or refined as the BMW N63. However, the AJ133 has so much more charm and character compared to the N63. From the sound to the way it delivers power, I feel the AJ133 is more of a rewarding experience than the N63.

 

The sound of AJ133 in the Defender is so good, I think they did a great job with the stock exhaust. The drone inside is minimal while preserving the muscle car sound. I had the front windows tinted, the next step will be the classic mud flaps. Once the octa replica wheels are here I'll post pictures. I've chosen the gloss black with machined face on those.