There are times when you have to ask yourself whether a car is really appropriate for the world we live in today. A 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8, around 635PS, fuel economy that isn't going to win any awards and a price tag of around £150,000. All at a time when we're worrying about the price of filling up at the petrol station.
And yet, if you can afford to spend £150,000 on a car, I'm going to take a guess that the cost of a tank of fuel probably isn't keeping you awake at night.
So perhaps we shouldn't be too sensible about this one.
Thanks to Jonathan at Vertu Land Rover in Exeter, I recently had the opportunity to spend a day with the Land Rover Defender Octa. I took the family along for the ride and headed out onto some of our lovely Devon roads, with a visit to a friend's farm thrown in for good measure. It seemed like the right sort of place to take a Defender, after all, and it gave me the opportunity to get some photographs of the beast in its element while we were there.
But there was another reason I was particularly keen to try this special Landy out. With the automotive world moving towards electric power, and the fully electric Range Rover now becoming a reality, I can't help wondering whether we're approaching the end of a rather special era for cars like this. Will we look back at the big petrol V8 as something of a dinosaur, or will it become one of those engines that enthusiasts remember with particular affection? I suspect a bit of both. The V8 remains my favourite engine of all time, whether in a muscle car or a Land Rover, it’s always an event!
I'm certainly not suggesting that the Octa is the last great V8, or that petrol engines are about to disappear overnight. But there is something rather special about having the opportunity to experience a vehicle like this now, at a time when the future of motoring is changing so quickly.
On paper, the Octa is quite something. This is the most powerful Defender ever produced, with a 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 producing around 635PS. That's an awful lot of power for something that looks like it ought to be carrying a load of fencing posts across a muddy field. But I was interested in what it would actually be like to drive, particularly on the sort of roads I spend most of my time on here in rural Devon.
One of the things I love about living here is the variety of roads we have, from the faster A roads to the twisting B roads and the increasingly narrow lanes where you sometimes find yourself wondering whether the hedge is going to win the battle with your wing mirror. These aren't necessarily the roads you would choose if you were looking for somewhere to enjoy a car of this size driven hard, and I wondered whether the Octa might feel a bit too big and cumbersome for them in general.
I needn't have worried quite so much.
Yes, it's a big vehicle. There's no disguising that, and you certainly need to be aware of its width when you meet something coming the other way on a narrow lane. But what surprised me was just how easy it was to drive. The high and unmistakable Land Rover driving position gives you a great view of what's going on around you. The Octa felt comfortable and composed as we made our way through the Devon countryside. It didn't feel like hard work, and I never found myself wishing I was in something smaller just to make the journey easier. The suspension soaks up the bumps effortlessly as you would expect!
And then there's the engine. The power is effortless, but it's the soundtrack that really makes it. Not quite as loud as the old 5.0 litre JLR V8 that came before it, but still meaty and wholesome, just like a V8 should be! I'm a car enthusiast, so I make no apology for admitting that a good engine note can put a smile on my face, and this one certainly did. There's something wonderfully characterful about the sound of a big V8, even when it's wrapped up in a thoroughly modern vehicle with all the technology and refinement you'd expect at this price.
You find yourself looking for excuses to accelerate, just to hear it again. It makes even an ordinary journey feel like an occasion, and I think that's something we'll appreciate more as cars become quieter and electric power becomes increasingly common. An electric car can deliver astonishing performance, often with an immediacy that leaves even a powerful petrol car behind. But it doesn't recreate the sound and personality of this engine (no fake soundtrack here!). They're different experiences, and I think there will always be people who value what a V8 brings to the table.
The interior helps with that sense of occasion, too. I particularly enjoyed the sound system and the “Body and Soul” system, which uses technology in the seats to let you feel the music as well as hear it. A bit like a bass line back massage! It sounds like a bit of a gimmick when you first hear about it, but it's a fun addition and something that makes the cabin feel different from the usual luxury SUV. Between the seats, the audio system and that V8 soundtrack, there is certainly no shortage of entertainment on board.
My 9 year old son was also rather taken with the whole experience. His particular highlight was OCTA mode, which adds another layer to the car's performance-focused character. He was also delighted to be travelling in a car associated with The Traitors. With its imposing looks and slightly menacing character, the Defender has the sort of presence that wouldn't look out of place pulling up outside a grand country house, with a dramatic soundtrack playing in the background and somebody about to be banished from the round table.
It rather fitted the theme of this review. There is something deliciously mischievous about the Octa. It's enormous, incredibly powerful, expensive to buy and unlikely to be particularly cheap to run. It is more than most people need, and probably more than most people will ever use. Yet it's also comfortable, capable and surprisingly easy to drive. It manages to combine all that performance with the everyday usability that makes the Defender such a popular vehicle in the first place.
Our visit to a friend's farm felt like a fitting end to the day. With the Defender sitting in its natural surroundings, it looked completely at home. I wasn't there to attempt some extreme off-road challenge or to prove what it could do in conditions that most owners will never encounter. I simply wanted to enjoy the car, take some pictures and see how it felt away from the showroom.
Of course, we can't talk about a 4.4-litre V8 in the current climate without talking about fuel. If you're looking for something economical, environmentally conscious or cheap to run, the Octa is probably not the car for you. There are plenty of electric cars and efficient hybrids that will do the family job for a fraction of the running cost. As someone who helps people make informed decisions when buying a car, I would never suggest otherwise.
But not every car purchase is about finding the cheapest way to get from A to B. Sometimes it's about the experience, the sound, the way a car makes you feel when you get behind the wheel. And if you're already spending around £150,000 on a Defender, perhaps fuel economy isn't the deciding factor it would be for the rest of us.
That doesn't mean the move to electric is a bad thing. Quite the opposite. The new electric Range Rover shows how a luxury SUV can take the familiar qualities of refinement, performance and capability and deliver them in a completely different way. The technology is moving on, and there are plenty of reasons to be excited about what comes next.
But I hope there will always be room in the world for cars that make us feel something, whether that's the instant torque of an electric motor or the sound of a V8 working its way through the rev range. Progress doesn't have to mean pretending the old things weren't special.
I came away from my day with the Octa rather impressed and a bit sad as the world moves on. I loved the effortless performance and the V8 soundtrack, enjoyed the sound system and the Body and Soul Seats, and was genuinely surprised by how easy it was to drive on Devon's rural roads. Most importantly, it was good fun, and the whole family enjoyed it.
Would I recommend it to someone who needs a sensible, economical family car? No. Would I recommend it to someone who spends their days worrying about fuel costs? Almost certainly not. But if you've got the money, want something with serious presence and performance, and fancy a luxury SUV that makes you smile every time you start the engine, I can absolutely understand the appeal.
Perhaps that's the answer to the question in the title. Is it good to be bad? In the case of the Defender Octa, I think it just might be.
And perhaps, a few years from now, we'll look back at cars like this as the end of a rather special chapter in motoring. I hope we'll still be able to enjoy the memories, the noise and the ridiculous grin they put on our faces.
My thanks to Jonathan at Vertu Land Rover in Exeter for lending me the car for the day. It was a real pleasure to experience something a little different, and I suspect that V8 soundtrack will stay with me for a while yet.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to go and check the price of diesel. 😈
