Spectre Defender SVX

History

For the Austrian Alps chase of the 24th Bond film, Spectre (2015), Jaguar Land Rover's Special Operations division commissioned off-road racing specialist Bowler to convert standard Santorini Black Defender 110 crew cabs into an extreme 'SVX' specification, nicknamed 'Bigfoot' on set for their 37-inch tyres. The film's original requirement was for nine vehicles, but the stunt co-ordinators ultimately asked for ten. The Bowler conversion brought the diesel engine up to roughly 180 bhp and added a full internal and external roll cage, four-point harnesses, Recaro seats, toughened suspension with rose joints and Bilstein rally dampers, and a hydraulic handbrake with a repositioned lever.

The SVX Defenders were driven by Mr Hinx's henchmen in the film's snow chase, and Jaguar Land Rover unveiled the Bond fleet publicly at the Thurn und Taxis palace in Frankfurt in September 2015. The cars have since dispersed: RM Sotheby's sold the rollover stunt car - fitted with special hydraulics so it flipped at precisely the right moment when it collided with Bond's aircraft, its chassis still bent from the stunt and only about 16 miles recorded - for EUR 115,000 at its inaugural Essen sale in 2019, noting that eight of the ten remained in private hands. Another SVX, a 2011-registered car described by Bonhams as the only Land Rover used in both Skyfall and Spectre, has also been offered at auction, and examples have been displayed at the Bond in Motion exhibition in London and at 007 Elements in Soelden, Austria - the setting of the film's chase.

Imagery

Registry record

Manufacturer

Land Rover (Jaguar Land Rover)

Manufactured

2011-2015 donor Defenders; converted by Bowler 2014-15 for the 2015 film

Modifier / coachbuilder

Bowler, for Jaguar Land Rover Special Operations ↗

Engine type

2.2 L turbodiesel inline-four, tuned to ~180 bhp

Production run

10 vehicles

Country of origin

United Kingdom

Status

dispersed; survivors in museums (Bond in Motion, 007 Elements) and private collections

Catalogue data

Record kind

Named model

Model line

Defender

Wheels

4

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

• 2015 Land Rover Defender SVX "Spectre" (Essen 2019, lot R0167) ↗ — RM Sotheby's (accessed 2026-09-10)
• 2011 Land Rover Defender SVX 'Spectre' 4x4 Utility - the only Land Rover used in Skyfall and Spectre ↗ — Bonhams (accessed 2026-09-10)
• This James Bond SUV Starred in Hollywood's Most Expensive Stunt Scene ↗ — Robb Report (accessed 2026-09-10)