52 LRO February 2012

icons in the making

No.2 iCON Uteicon Ute, £35,994 as testedYear: 2010

Model: XS 110

Utility

Colour: two- tone

Fuji White and Satin

Black

TriM: ex-factory

engine: TDCi

2.4-litre

Wheels: 18-inch

stealth colour-coded

alloy wheels

TYres: 18-inch

Cooper LTZ

KeY highlighTs:

Hannibal roof rack,

iExtreme front

protection bar,

panoramic rear

window glass

Panoramic rear window glass blends in with colour scheme

Smaller Momo steering wheel allows a touch more elbow room, but there's much more potential in this interior

Dash centre panel picked out in white

D esigned to appeal to the

business user who can reclaim

the VAT, the iCON Ute is based

on a standard 110 Utility but with

whatever upgrades the customer wants.

This one has a two-colour paint job – Fuji

White and Satin Black – with colour-

coded Hannibal roof rack and panoramic

back windows. Like everything in the

iCON range, it’s entirely down to you.

The iCON Ute has a purposeful stance

and rides on standard suspension, but

the iSPORT engine tune provides a

welcome boost to performance; not as

much as the iSport Wagon, though. If

the quickly disappearing back door of

this stunning Ute doesn’t attract your

attention, the eye-popping paint job

definitely will.

The smaller-than-standard Momo

steering wheel does allow more elbow

room in the cab and the white-painted

dash centre panel makes the interior

feel a little bit special.

‘This iCON Ute is a work in progress,’

explains Andrew Harrison-Smith. A

smart leather cabin and engine remap

– à la Sport Wagon – would instantly

transform it into the star its glamorous

paint job suggests it already is.

Oh, and if you thought a Ute meant

something with an open cargo bay,

such as a pick-up or modified coupé,

you're not alone – so did I.

there are 18-inch alloy wheels and taller

Cooper LTZ rubber. The interior has been

left standard, with the exception of a

Momo steering wheel.

Unsurprisingly, with standard

suspension and brakes, the iCON Ute

feels and drives very similarly to a

standard 110 Defender Utility, although

Instead of glamorous LED lights, the iExtreme front protection bar has practical jacking points

Satin Black bonnet and top half of body looks suitably cool. But, like all iCONs, the colour choice is almost infinite

February 2012 LRO 53

No.3 iCON Heritage Le

In homage to Land Rover’s own

1998 Heritage edition, which

was released to coincide with

the company’s 50th anniversary, the

iCON Heritage LE in Keswick Green has

a similar style to it.

Picking out the mesh grille, door

hinges, standard bumpers and tubular

side runners in a contrasting off-white,

just like the original Heritage models, is

a style cue that will resonate with many

Land Rover aficionados.

And it seems to be hitting the mark.

Nene has sold five Heritage LEs already,

two based on new vehicles and three

on used ones. All five are 90s, while this

one is the first 110 iCON Heritage LE

to be created. Potential buyers should

be aware that the styling of the grille

hasn’t been finalised yet, but what

you see here is pretty close to how the

finished article will be.

icon heritage Le, £31,194 as testedYear: 2011

Model: XS 110 Utility

(now a station wagon)

Colour: Keswick

Green/Alpine White

TriM: standard

engine: TDCi 2.4-litre

Wheels: Land Rover

Freestyle alloys

TYres: 16-inch

Continental Cross

Contact

KeY highlighTs:

Heritage colour

detailing (hinges,

bumpers, grille),

colour-coded alloy

wheel centres/tubular

side step bars

Would-be Heritage buyers are less

likely to be interested in big alloys,

lowered suspension or engine upgrades.

The image is more traditional and shire

counties than roadburning, modern

street warrior. Certainly, there are plenty

of people who want nothing more than

a standard Defender with perhaps just

a few discreet changes to make it stand

out from the crowd. If it were my cheque

book being brandished, I’d have the roof

panel painted in the same colour as the

other highlighted details.

This iCON Heritage LE drives like a

standard ex-factory, low-mileage 110

TDCi should – suitably restrained and

composed. The interior of this example is

standard, although dark green leather is

one of many options and would certainly

add to the ‘country pile’ feel.

Green leather seats – one of many interior options

Hinges, grille and screen brackets are picked out in contrasting colour but LE is no blinged-out urban warrior

Freestyle alloy wheels are painted in matching Keswick Green which adds to that 'shires' feel

Swingaway spare wheel carrier and NAS (North American-spec) rear lights

While the driving experience is not as intoxicating as in the Sport Wagon it is still nevertheless a nice place to be

54 LRO February 2012

icons in the making

No.4

The Falcon combines pale-sand-

coloured canvas with Nara

Bronze paintwork; a great-

looking combination. Nene does a lot

of soft-top conversions and the hood

on our test vehicle is an Exmoor Trim

Deluxe. However, Nene has its own trim

shop if customers want to specify

something bespoke.

The hood sides and back zip into

place or can be rolled up – perfect for

typically changeable British spring

or summer days. However, the thing

that really impresses me is that Nene

Overland commissioned Exmoor Trim

to make canvas-covered versions of its

high-back front seats and lock-and-fold

forward-facing rear seats to match the

hood. The cubby box will follow soon.

Of all the iCONs present today,

this one has undergone the biggest

transformation. Starting life as a

icon FaLcon soFt Back, £26,994 as testedYear: 2005

Model: 90 pick-up

Colour: Discovery 4

Nara Bronze Metallic

TriM: canvas

engine: Td5

Wheels: iSPORT

five-spoke alloys

TYres: 285/65x18 BF

Goodrich all-terrains

KeY highlighTs:

tuned Td5 engine,

canvas interior trim

and exhaust resonator

centre pipe, give a

very Californian

beach scene feel and

sound to this open-air

fun machine

humble, low-mileage, 2005 white pick-

up, it now gleams like a ripped, bronzed

beach athlete. Chunky BF Goodrich all-

terrains wrapped around five-spoke 18in

iSPORT alloys give it a ready-for-fun look

that’s hard to resist.

Get behind the wheel and unleash the

tuned Td5 engine, and you’ll discover

that it’s actually more lively than the

breathed-on iCON Sport Wagon. The

exhaust resonator pipe makes it sound

nearly as fruity as the TDCi.

This particular Falcon Sport has

standard suspension and brakes, both of

which can be upgraded if a buyer really

wants to take full advantage of all that

lusty performance.

I like this car a great deal, but there’s

one more iCON to check out, and I’m

looking forward to this one…

Interior combines UK leather, re-padded Recaro racing seats, Momo steering wheel and colour-coded dash panel

Wire-mesh grille and remodelled surround help enhance the Falcon’s ripped, bronzed, beach athlete looks

Quickly rolled-up sides and rear flaps provide open-air feel without having to take the whole hood off

Colour-coded iExtreme bumper complements the LRX headlight and grille surrounds Tuned Td5 engine makes for terrific fun behind the wheel – and it has a soundtrack to match

iCON FaLCON SOFt BaCk

February 2012 LRO 55

icon retro cLassic, £35,994 as testedYear: 2010

Model: 110 XS

Defender station

wagon

Colour: Tamar Blue

TriM: Retro Series 70

blue leather

engine: 2.4-litre TDCi

Wheels: 18-inch

iSPORT alloys

TYres: 18-inch

Cooper Zeon LTZ

KeY highlighTs:

Retro Series 70 white

Hannibal roof rack,

Retro Series 70 silver

bumper and mirrors,

Retro blue leather

seating with logo

No.5

Tamar Blue with white roof, rack, ladder and side steps add to the retro look

The striking blue leather interior takes some getting used to, but it's superbly executed

Blue is the colour, Retro is the name

N ot to be confused with the iCON

Heritage LE, the Retro Classic

can be based on any of the more

traditional 1970s Series III colours or one

of the flat colours (non-metallic) of more

recent years.

With the white roof and dark blue

body, it reminds me of the fleet of

Defenders used by the Italian police

(Carabinieri) in the mid-1990s. The

interior, though, is totally different to

anything they would have had; it’s blue

On the exterior, some subtle work has

been carried out to look like a Series

III. Combined with an iCON mesh grille

panel that hints at Series III Stage 1 V8

and a silver-painted steel bumper, the

overall look is effective.

The only change I might make would

be to fit Series III doors with separate

door tops and paint the top half of the

vehicle in Limestone.

For MY MoneY… If ever you doubted

just how versatile the Defender can

be, surely this disparate collection has

convinced you. But, which one would

I buy if it were my money? I’d go for

the iCON Falcon Soft Back fitted with

the full iSPORT suspension upgrade.

I’d stick with the tuned Td5 but would

add an automatic gearbox. I’d also

retain the sand canvas hood and seats

but I’d have retro paint.

leather throughout. In this case it means

all seven forward-facing seats and the

dash are covered in neatly stitched hide.

The parts that aren’t covered in leather

are painted to match and, as with the

Heritage, the interior details are picked

out in a contrasting colour. It certainly

has the wow factor.

Series III-style light surround and plain steel bumper are both stylish and functional. Other options available

WanT To

KnoW More?

Nene Overland, Manor Farm, Ailsworth,

Cambridgeshire PE5 7AF; neneoverland.

co.uk; 01733 380687

Colour-coded roof, rack and ladder add to the nostalgic feel, yet there's far more to the Classic than looking back

iCON retrO CLaSSiC