Cape-to-Cape / Bering Strait Defender
The Cape-to-Cape Defender is Steve Burgess's amphibious 2007 Defender 110 (YK07 DTA), which on 8 August 2008 became the first road vehicle to swim across the Bering Strait, using bolt-on pontoons, a propeller drive and caterpillar tracks. It joined the Dunsfold Collection in 2025.
History
Yorkshire farmer and adventurer Steve Burgess spent around a decade planning a Cape-to-Cape expedition - from Cape Town to Cape Horn the long way, driving north through Asia and crossing from Russia into Alaska - which required an overland vehicle that could also swim the Bering Strait. His 2007 Defender 110 (YK07 DTA, chassis SALLDHFF86A725527) was rebuilt from new for the job on a modified galvanised chassis, with a factory-fit 300Tdi 2.5-litre turbodiesel and five-speed manual in left-hand-drive rest-of-world specification.
The amphibious kit comprised outriggers carrying inflatable chambered pontoons, a PTO-driven hydraulic system spinning a phosphor-bronze propeller, a bow plate and rudder, plus a sunroof escape hatch. Expedition equipment included a Warn winch, external roll cage, 140-litre fuel tank and ARB differential locks, and bogie caterpillar tracks could be fitted for deep snow - also used on land in the Arctic stages.
Having already crossed Europe and the full width of Russia in winter, Burgess and co-driver Dan Evans launched from Uelen, Russia's most easterly settlement, and in the early hours of 8 August 2008 completed the roughly 55-mile swim to Wales, Alaska - weathering a storm layover on Little Diomede island - to become the first team to take an amphibious road vehicle across the Bering Strait.
After the expedition Burgess kept the Defender in use on his farm. It was auctioned in 2025, bought by Liam FitzPatrick, and acquired later that year by the Dunsfold Collection, which preserves it with its pontoons, propeller equipment and track attachments.
Registry record
- Manufacturer
- Land Rover
- Manufactured
- 2007; Bering Strait crossing 8 August 2008
- Modifier / coachbuilder
- Steve Burgess (expedition amphibious conversion)
- Engine type
- 2.5 L 300Tdi turbodiesel inline-four
- Current owner
- The Dunsfold Collection ↗
- Country of origin
- United Kingdom
- Status
- preserved
Catalogue data
- Record kind
- Named model
- Model line
- Defender
- Wheels
- 0
Base catalogue fields are exported from the Difflocked game. In-game physics values are arcade tuning, not certified historical measurements, and are deliberately not shown as specifications here.
Sources & citations
Researched sources
- 2007 Defender 110 Cape-to-Cape Expedition Vehicle ↗ — The Dunsfold Collection (accessed 2026-09-10)
- Land Rover Defender crosses the Bering Straits ↗ — Drive (accessed 2026-09-10)
- Cool feat as Land Rover takes to sea (Steve Burgess, first to cross the Bering Strait in a road vehicle, 8 August 2008) ↗ — Huddersfield Daily Examiner (via The Free Library) (accessed 2026-09-10)
- Farewell to my floating Land Rover (Burgess parts with the amphibious Defender at auction) ↗ — Hagerty UK (accessed 2026-09-10)
Catalogue references
- https://dunsfoldcollection.co.uk/collection/cape-to-cape/ https://dunsfoldcollection.co.uk/collection/cape-to-cape/ ↗
Development reference notes
Cape-to-Cape / Bering Strait Defender · HERITAGE-FLEET-REFERENCES.md
Pontoons; propeller equipment; track attachments and expedition structure. Reference: https://dunsfoldcollection.co.uk/collection/cape-to-cape/
Drive it
This vehicle is playable in the Difflocked racing game.
RACE THE CAPE-TO-CAPE / BERING STRAIT DEFENDER ↗Registry record updated 2026-09-09T20:06:32.067Z · status: researched