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Ford EcoBoost 2.3L Engines Power Classic Land Rover Defender SUVs

The 2.3L I4 Ford EcoBoost engine is a small but mighty powerhouse that’s found its way under the hood of quite a few unique vehicles that don’t wear Blue Oval badges, like the AC Ace and Bristol, the Ariel Nomad 2, and the Adamastor Furia. That turbocharged heart now powers custom-built classic Land Rover Defenders by Wolf Classics, blending modern muscle with vintage charm.

Video still of the Ford EcoBoost engine under the hood of the Land Rover Defender restomod.

Wolf Classics partnered with Ford Performance to make the 2.3L Ford EcoBoost the perfect fit for the modern “classic,” pairing it with a 10-speed automatic transmission, which allows it to drive like a modern vehicle. The EcoBoost takes the place of the vintage powertrains, which are outdated, and just aren’t up to snuff when it comes to traveling the speeds necessary in the U.S. To boot, they’re efficient and powerful, and keep things quiet in the cab.

In this application, the Ford EcoBoost is tuned to deliver 310 horsepower and 350 pound-feet of torque. A custom tune and custom program works directly with the Defenders, and maintenance and service is easy – it can be performed by any Ford service center. That saves owners the hassle of shipping their engines off to be serviced by a third party. Wolf Classics kept some Land Rover components intact, including the transfer case, making the swap easy as can be. Every part is exactly where it wants to be, and all that’s left is to plug the Ford EcoBoost engine in.

“It’s seamless,” Wolf Classic says. “It goes right into the truck and looks like it grew there organically.”

Each Land Rover Defender 110 Puma is built utilizes a brand new, OEM stamped chassis with up-to-date metallurgy and structural welding. Each chassis is bolstered with heavy duty gloss epoxy – and the same treatment has been applied to all suspension components, too.

Interested parties can reach out to Wolf Classics via its website for a full build sheet and pricing information. The tuner also released a video detailing the build.

Alexandra is a Colorado-based journalist with a passion for all things involving horsepower, be it automotive or equestrian.

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  1. I wonder if it’s emissions legal.

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