But the British automaker, which is now under the control of India's Tata Motors, believes it's time to move on and prepare fans of the vehicle and consumers alike for the next generation of its iconic Defender with the presentation of the DC100 concept that will bow in Frankfurt next month.
And mind you, the new Defender isn’t as far away as you may think as Land Rover also confirmed today that production of the new model is "is intended for 2015".
Commenting on the DC100 concept car, Land Rover's design boss, Gerry McGovern, had this to say:
"Replacing the iconic Defender is one of the biggest challenges in the automotive design world; it is a car that inspires people worldwide. This isn't a production-ready concept but the beginning of a four-year journey to design a relevant Defender for the 21st century."
What this means is that Land Rover plans to gauge the level of interest in the design of the DC100, be that positive or negative reactions, and make the necessary changes or perhaps even change the styling direction if it fails to ignite some passion.
"We plan to engage with existing and potential customers to help us finalise the details of the new vehicle," says Land Rover's global brand director, John Edwards. "One thing's for sure, it's going to be an exciting journey, and we can't wait to get going."
