If you look at the front end, particularly the absence of any kind of air dam, it explains why the car gets squirrley at high speed. Performance cars, even my wife's humble VW Tiguan, has a nose design to discourage air from going under the car. The Defender's nose is pretty much the opposite of that. It is designed to have an approach angle so it does not leave a bunch of plastic parts littering the dirt road. Two different design goals. While my Defender has loads of power to go over 100, not so wise to do so. The nose will lift from aerodynamic pressure. Reducing the effectiveness of your steering. So if you need a race around car, get one designed for that. If you want an off roader, then you make sacrifices by virtue of the design

 

Absolutely right.

As much as I hate to see an accident like that, it's great to be able to learn what to expect if I find myself in that situation. I just tried to hit a wide solid line going 60 and it really kicks back pretty hard. Easy to overcome if that's the only factor.

But it wasn't. They're being pushed counterclockwise and right by the car and instinctually pulling left to avoid coming off the road. ELKA was possibly the final straw.

LKA and ELKA prevent a lot of accidents but this is one where things perfectly lined up and I think it contributed.

Now I take my 16yo out and show him what happened and what to do (aside from don't drive like that) Light/very light brakes, expect the vehicle to try to correct, and use careful inputs to try to maintain forward momentum until you get control back.

And, for God's sake, don't ride around with a car full of crap that will beat you senseless on a rollover.

 

@WTFChuck - Same EXACT thing happened to me. What is it about a wide open road that has morons just want to cut you off in a "Richard" move when you're not in the left lane?? Apologies to any Richards out there...

@_Allegedly - That was a text book / classic J-Hook maneuver. It's taught to almost all police departments re: how to spin out a pursued vehicle. It's kinda fun on a go kart track, deadly at those speeds. Just pogo the vehicle behind the rear tire. Almost never causes the "attacking" vehicle to lose control. Again, that's a wonderful example of how beefy the Defenders are! Glad they walked away.

 

This is a ridiculous comment. Specifically this statement around the car getting squirrelly and "nose will lift from aerodynamic pressure". How do you know? Did you do wind tunnel tests? Have you spent hours running around a test track? Unless you have you are just sharing an uninformed opinion.

I can ensure you that Land Rover engineers did spend the hours. The V8 has a published top speed of nearly 150mph with no added aero beyond the standard model.

I highly doubt Land Rover would put a car on the road that is notably dangerous at speeds above 100mph.

 

Well, not seeing their wind tunnel data, but having spent 3 years as a Navy Test pilot. I have had my share of aerodynamics courses. Lots of cars are on the road today that are not safe for a host of reasons, aerodynamics being one of them at speeds over 100 mph. There is really no liability to the manufacturer, since in the US, in most states, it is a felony to drive at that speed in the first place. Just because it has the power to do it, does not make it even remotely a good idea. I flew aircraft that had scads of power to exceed the aerodynamics, the OV-10 would literally come apart, much to the surprise of the pilot testing it (he lived). Caused the red line to be moved down a lot.

All manufacturers have a contest to sell you their vehicle, putting a ridicules about of power in unsuitable cars for pointless reasons but to have a number in a brochure is a classic. I doubt anybody is going to take their Defender to the track to see just how fast it can go. First corner would put paid to that. Even my old Series Land Rovers and the 97 Defender had dicey steering over 80/85. My VW Vanagon Syncro, even with an air dam, had it even worse, provided I had a long enough downhill to get it to speed.

 

You're talking about cars from nearly 30 years ago.

Regardless of your experience as a pilot you know nothing about the specific aerodynamics of the Defender, so I'd say your not equipped to comment in the manner you did. Separately speed limits in Europe would easily allow a Defender to exceed 100 mph so to pretend no one cares or is paying attention to the safety of the car above that speed is ridiculous. I almost guarantee that those speeds were hit regularly in testing.

Maybe the @theinsider can comment

 

Well, I can see you really drink the marketing Koolaid. Yes aerodynamics corresponds to a completely different set of laws of physics for cars. I did live in Europe for roughly a third of my life, have thousands of kilometers on Autobahns and Autostradas. Using common sense applies strongly there, if you do not have any the police will let you know how they feel, regardless of the speed limit. They are fairly fair in their application of cars to suitability to the speed they are driven, they will let you know exactly how they feel in nauseating detail.

Anyhow, I elect you to do the high speed testing. Since you are absolutely sure of its capability and faith that car companies have your safety foremost in their designs.

 

IMHO, it feels reckless to take a Defender much past 90. Been driving 30 years in Florida without an accident and at one point I was doing 35k per year as a contractor.

I had no problem driving a Titan and F150 well above 90 and I had an Excursion (the really big one with like 8 rows and a living room in the back) that went back and forth to Miami dozens of times. Above 100, it was more stable than the Defender at 90.

Defender is great but I personally have to respect that limit.

 

Here is my feedback/experience. First, I am all about safety; keep right unless passing, use signals ALL the time. Heck, I use them pulling out of my driveway just due to muscle memory and sheer habit of reaching for the stalk the moment my brain knows my turn or lane change is coming up. However, we all feel the need to stomp the gas pedal when conditions, road design, traffic, etc. is perfectly aligned to allow one to ‘push’ it a bit. Last week on I95 in southern Florida I was on a stretch of empty highway where the average speed IN traffic is 80+. The road was straight, dry, empty, total visibility for miles, and while cruising at the standard speed of 80ish, gave the pedal a firm push, not even a stomp to the floor. And almost instantaneously with a growl and a smooth whoosh, I looked down and I was doing 107 in the blink of an eye. What was so comforting was the speed was not even noticeable. The ride was smooth, steady, and sure. It was amazingly quiet and the sensation of speed was negligible. You would have thought you were doing 90, tops. It felt very confident and able. Something I certainly don’t do regularly, but it was nice to test out the capability, though. This is not an admission of guilt, and I will plead the fifth and deny it ever happened.

 

I have had mine over 100 on I-40 about a week ago, also on a straight part. Then I do pop down to Phoenix and back on I-17. I-17 Climbs 5,000' in under 100 miles and is curved as it can be and still comply with Federal Interstate design rules. It is rated as the most dangerous interstate in the country, only 3 fatalities so far this month. I could comfortably do 90 up it in the Range Rover SC. It handled quite well. The Defender cannot equal its speed in cornering. Power yes, but it's steering is mushy at speed in corners. So due to this lack of steering authority act speed along with higher body roll rates, I don't feel comfortable doing it much above 80. That is with the Scorpion tires. It would only be worse on my Cooper AT-3 4S's, which I also have for field work and snow. Speed is not the objective with this truck. I wanted to replace the Range Rover and the 97 Defender with one vehicle. So you have compromises. So the Defender takes me 7 minutes more on the drive. If I'm in a hurry I fly into Scottsdale, now that's dangerous, but only takes 32 minutes vice two hours.