Calamigos Ranch in the Santa Monica Mountains above Malibu set a suitably rugged but inviting stage for the latest Destination Defender: an outdoor gathering of over 3,000 loyal ‘Landy’ owners and enthusiasts who spent the weekend before Thanksgiving immersed in the Defender lifestyle. Expert-led talks, demos, and outdoor activities, including experience drives in the new high-performance HALO model OCTA, all featured. The weekend also marked the fourth annual Defender Service Awards, honoring the brand’s legacy of heroism and six non-profit and charitable organizations from across the U.S. and Canada for their services.
The first Destination Defender event took place in New York's Hudson Valley in 2022, but Malibu marked its West Coast debut with Vice President of Communications Jaguar Land Rover, Stuart Schorr, confirming an unprecedented turnout at Calamigos cemented Destination Defender as a biannual event on the calendar, with an east coast version planned to take place next spring, and a return to California slated for late October.
The Defender Lifestyle
Billed as a "weekend adventure and lifestyle festival celebrating the Defender Community" with the option to traditional tent camp or glamp under the stars (or nab one of the rooms and suites inside Calamigos Ranch), the celebration included skateboarding and BMX demos, yoga classes, live music and DJ sets, plus a Spartan obstacle course.
Five-time Olympian and a three-time Olympic gold medalist in half-pipe snowboarding Shawn White and big wave surfer Greg Long were in attendance and held talks in the Defender Forum where moderated panels also covered topics like Defender heritage and off-roading with competitors from teams Defender supported during this year's Rebelle Rally, the first women's off-road navigation rally raid in the United States: first-year rookies the Rebelling Rovers, and three-year veterans the Full Sail Dream Team, chatting about their adventures, trials and takeaways from the competition. Mixology workshops, pizza-making classes, and High West Whiskey tastings rounded out the cultural offerings.
And for those window shopping their next vehicle, the Defender Family of models was on display alongside the new Defender 110 Sedona Edition whose striking Red Color Pack takes inspiration from the rugged landscapes and terrain of the famed desert town with a new optional hood decal depicting the topography of the mountains there. Upgraded elements on the limited edition release (available for one year only) include 22-inch Gloss Black alloy wheels paired with a body-colored spare wheel cover and optional exterior side-mounted gear carrier.
The Vehicles of HM Queen Elizabeth II
A highlight display at Destination Defender was a selection of five vehicles from the personal fleet of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Curated by Land Rover Chief Historian Mike Bishop (aka 'Mr. Land Rover') in partnership with the British Motor Museum and the Jaguar Land Rover team, they were selected from a set of 10 historic Land Rover Defender and Range Rover models that graced the show field at Pebble Beach Concours d'Elegance and New York's Rockefeller Center before making their way to California.
Bishop shared the initial idea for a traveling collection, the first of its kind ever shown in the US, to celebrate the Queen's legacy and honor the 70th anniversary of her coronation. 'Being royal vehicles, they're exceptionally special but also tell this incredible story that illustrates the longstanding relationship the royal family enjoyed with Land Rover and highlights their breadth use from milestone celebrations to driving around Balmoral,' he said during a sit down with a small group of media on Saturday afternoon.
Among those chosen for the event at Calamigos Ranch was a 1954 Land Rover Series I State Review vehicle that accompanied Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip on a six-month tour of the Commonwealth and a 1990 State Review Range Rover vehicle chosen by the Queen for her 1994 Christmas card, where she and the Duke of Edinburgh were pictured attending the 50th Anniversary of D-Day Landings.
Defender OCTA Drive Experience
Speaking of a superb vehicle that can go anywhere and do anything, a timed ride-along in the OCTA was a Destination Defender weekend highlight. Our driver, who had previously spent over a decade as a test engineer with Land Rover, was keen to tell the story of the car from a driver-engineer perspective as he picked his way around a series of trails above the ranch turning it into our personal off-road playground for an hour.
He explained how the MHEV 4.4l twin-turbo 'turns very well,' and its clever suspension setup (a New 6D Dynamics system) had removed the necessity for roll bars. They've also done a nice job calibrating the throttle. It doesn't react to get traction, so there's no momentum needed to get up the hill, he said, accelerating from zero to goodness knows what up a narrow path to the summit a fellow journalist told us was where they used to film the TV series M*A*S*H. 'It's so detuned on the low end you can really finesse it in high range,' he added at another point during the drive. While Dynamic mode is for your on-road driving days to provide enhanced handling and calibration for most conditions, OCTA Mode delivers lots of power on loose surfaces, looking for wheel spin and changing calibration to stop them sooner (ABS is a detriment at high-speed off-road). In Comfort Mode, he demonstrated how it used horsepower to climb hills without any run-up.
All impressive stuff, but what might the lucky few new OCTA owners look like with less than 0.1% of Range Rover owners going off-road? According to our test driver, the car is so capable that most people who buy it might not be able to use it properly. I assume making it a prime candidate for an Owner's Day at one of Land Rover's Experience Centers.
The 2024 Defender Service Awards
Defender vehicles have been used for humanitarian causes around the world for decades – this year, the brand celebrated its 70th anniversary partnering with the British Red Cross but also sent vehicles to help relief efforts in Asheveille, North Carolina, after Hurricane Helene – and a highlight of the weekend was the announcement ceremony for the 2024 Defender Service Awards during a celebration dinner on Saturday night.
The Yamnuska Wolfdog Sanctuary in Alberta received the Animal, Wildlife and Marine Welfare Award (Disney), while the Appalachian Wildlife Refuge received the Defender Service Awards Honoree Award. The Station Foundation in Bozeman received the Veteran and Civil Servant Outreach Award (Hearts & Science), and Pine River Institute in Toronto the Outdoor Accessibility and Education Award (OUTSIDE Inc.) The Community Service Award (ei3) went to Nathaniel’s Hope in Orlando, while the Search, Rescue and Emergency Support Services Award (PELICAN) went to Linville-Central Rescue Squad, Inc. in Newland, North Carolina. In addition to $25,000 from CHASE, Defender gave each group finalist a customized Defender 130 to further support their missions and communities while CHASE also donated $5,000 to each of the six second-place finalists. landroverusa.com.
