The reality is, that not every customer interested in their own customized Defender needs a 430-hp LS3 6.2L V8-powered beast. Many of East Coast Defender’s clientele use their creations as daily drivers, and considering half of the shop’s customers are women, a more manageable powertrain has proven to be a popular choice with female drivers seeking reliability and a pleasant driving experience.
Enter the latest project by EDC — Project Blackout. Powered by a 5.3L Corvette LC9 V8 making a respectable 326-hp and paired to a 6-speed transmission, this is the Florida-based shop’s first build to offer a tire pressure monitoring system. Sitting on beefy 18-inch Sawtooth wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich All-Terrain KO2 tires coupled with EBC Performance brakes, Project Blackout won’t have any issues traversing uncompromising terrain when it needs to.
Other performance upgrades include stainless steel fuel and brake lines, a Borla exhaust, and a Ron Davis aluminum radiator. Up top, there’s a full roof rack with LED spot lamps with LED lighting throughout.
Inside, this Defender finds heated leather Land Rover seats finished in black leather with four inward-facing jump seats in the rear. Driver front and centre are classic Instruments Moal Bomber gauges with a sound system by Kenwood including an infotainment setup with Apple CarPlay and Android auto, coupled with speakers and a subwoofer by Morel.
Project Blackout is one of several builds we’ve featured by EDC, and we’ll definitely keep our eye out for the next one.