ATTACK IS THE BEST DEFENSE

We love an oxymoron, but is this Land Rover taking one too far?

- By Ruman Devmane Photographs Kaizad Adil Darukhanawala

The political thug I have for a neighbour rushed to offer me his parking spot. My groceries-seller hollered at me most enthusiastically, for once forgetting my outstanding dues. Little kids scrambled for cover and so did the resident cats. Suddenly, the world around me was a better place. I, having 'bought' a Defender, was now a hero to be celebrated and revered. It’s no surprise everyone wants a Defender these days. Those who already own one, want two.

This is no ordinary Defender, though, if there can ever be such a thing. It's called the Octa Edition One and it’s the most powerful, most expensive Defender ever made. It’s a limited-edition car, with the Edition One only slated to stay in production this year; the Octas that follow will also be limited-run versions, apparently. You see this sort of thing all the time, no? 'We've made a brilliant car. And now we won't make enough for all of you.'

Porsche does it all the time, with track-specials based on its 911. So does Ferrari, with whatever it makes these days. This is a Land Rover, though. A blue-collared, go-anywhere car for rich farmers and politicians. And wait - why is it wearing a Rs 2.59 crore (ex-showroom, Mumbai) price tag? That translates to over Rs 3.2 crore on-road! Here’s some context. When you buy an Octa, you pay as much to simply register it as you do to buy a registered Skoda Kodiaq.

It’s so expensive, in fact, that for how much it costs on-road, you could buy two Defender 110s, on which the Octa is based, and still have money left to buy a registered Skoda Kodiaq. What is it about the Defender Octa that makes it as expensive to buy as a convoy?

You see, in the past, if you found yourself in a tearing hurry to go from 0-100 kph, you had to do it in a Porsche 911 (997) Turbo or a Ferrari 575M Maranello.