MY WEEK IN CARS

摘要

MONDAY: My first proper chance to bond with a new Land Rover Defender, and what a superb creation it turns out to be. The example I'm punting is a short-wheelbase 90 SE powered by the D250(247bhp) 3.0-litre Ingenium six-cylinder diesel and equipped with air suspension. It also has the bog-basic 18in white steel wheels (the best, to me) plus off-road tyres, rubber mats and a snorkel, and is thus prepared for rougher treatment than it'll get in my hands. What I'm most impressed by is the first-level stuff - the quality, the design inside and out, the powertrain refinement, the creamy torque, the accurate steering, the suspension's quiet, long-travel bump absorption and, the biggest surprise of all, the cushioned quietness of the tyres on any surface. This weekend, I'll be driving.