Twisted Performance

• The Brief: This is an unusual project as Twisted is the client. In 2009 we were to enter The World's Fastest Land Rover trials at Bruntingthorpe. We took the decision at an early stage that we wanted to race in a Defender that our customer could reproduce from parts that they could buy from us. Oh, and we wanted to win. So that was our brief to ourselves: modify a 2007 90 TD5 County into a beast of a Defender that could compete with and win against the big super-charged V8 trucks that we knew would be there.
• The Solution: So what did we do to it? Just about everything we could:
• Full Twisted P10 VGT turbo kit:
  • - ECU Remapping
  • 18-inch deep-dish sport alloys
  • - Silicon hose kit
  • Michelin Diamaris 285 50 18 tyres
  • - EGR blanking kit
  • AP racing 6 pot front callipers
  • - Full stainless exhaust system
  • 350mm vented grooved front discs
  • - Performance intercooler
  • Ferodo racing front pads
  • - ECU boost box
  • Performance rear discs
  • - Modified air box with ITG performance air filter
  • Green stuff rear pads
  • Bilstein B6 performance road shocks and steering damper
  • Quaife rear torque bias diff
  • Recaro Sportster CS seats
  • Upgraded open front diff
  • Brake bias valve
  • Internal roll bar with diagonal stays
  • 1-inch lowered performance spring kit
  • 350mm Momo Sports steering wheel
• The Result: The work we did upped the original hp from 122 to 239.5 hp and 510Nm torque. And then we put it into the very capable hands of one of the most awesome drivers we know. Up against formidable competition like Overfinch and JE Engineering, the Twisted TD5 chewed them up and spat them out. This is what the final scores looked like:

Even with the self-imposed handicaps, the Twisted TD5 outshone all the other vehicles, none of which were subject to such restrictions. It just goes to show that there is no match for experience and knowledge, and a Twisted mentality.

• The Brief: From our initial discussions with David we established what he wanted to use the vehicle for. However, other than that he left the design and specification to the Twisted experts.
• The Engine: Under the bonnet we increased the bhp to over 180 with Twisted P10 tuning. This included ECU remapping, an Airflo Performance Intercooler, Performance Air Filters, and the Tornado Performance Exhaust System.
• The Interior Inside we wanted ultra luxury but with a sports undercurrent that reflected the superior upgraded performance and handling. In the front we put in Ricaro CS1's, and onto the back seats we stitched quilted Nappa leather. The leather was also applied to the dash and throughout the newly soundproofed cabin. Then we added a MOMO Millennium steering wheel, downlights, seat heaters and an Eberspächer pre-heater and remote control, a new Nappa leather-covered cubby box and a custom-made rear storage drawer. As for the tech, we upgraded the standard speakers and added some additional speakers, some sub-speakers and an amplifier; we upgraded the head unit to include Sat Nav, a Bluetooth mobile phone kit and a Kenwood hi-fi system; and then we added a reverse camera.
• The Exterior: The main change to the exterior was changing the vehicle from a hard top to a soft top. In addition to that we installed 20" LRX concept alloys, vents and wing tops, grille and headlight surrounds, roll bars, black bonnet and arches and rear step with tow bar.
• Owner's Statement "I drive a Defender for three reasons. It’s iconic, it can do anything, and it puts a smile on my face. You see, standard cars bore me. What’s the point of falling into line and looking just like everybody else? So I traded in my 911 for this beauty. It started out as a Defender 90 TDCi hard top. And now it has been Twisted into a luxury soft top that can do anything. In winter I just point it in the direction I want to go, and off it goes. In summer I drive one of the only convertible 4X4s on the road. And of course, at over 180bhp it can shift too. But more than anything, this vehicle reflects who I am: determined, defiant and different. Twisted are brilliant. If I can offer you one bit of advice when dealing with them it would be this: trust them. I did and I could not be happier with the result. We had a conversation about what I wanted, they offered some advice and then went away and created the ultimate Defender. It couldn’t have been better."
  
  David Hinchliffe, Leeds.

• The Brief: Anthony Wilkinson is no stranger to Twisted. In fact, this was the second Defender that he'd commissioned from us. So although there was no specific brief from him, it's safe to say that we know him well enough to craft a vehicle that fits his requirements perfectly.
• The Engine: Anthony's Defender needed to be able to work hard, and he wanted high torque. We achieved this by installing an Airflo Intercooler, the Typhoon Turbo Pipe Kit, a TDCi front, centre and tail pipes, a TDCi centre bracket, a Hurricane ECU Power Upgrade, a TDCi air filter, a Twisted lower suspension spring road kit, and Bilstein shocks and steering damper.
• The Exterior: When it came to us the Defender was a soft top. We converted it into a stylish, durable hardtop by Adding: 20" LRX Alloys; tinted glass; silver calipers; Zambezi silver powder coated bumper and spare wheel carrier; Colour-coded mirrors, bumper, cross member and sills; and a gloss silver NAS step.
• The Interior: The interior was entirely soundproofed, the standard speakers were upgraded and a MOMO Millennium steering wheel was installed. Then the head unit was upgraded to include Sat Nav and a DVD player. Front Recaro seats, which we covered in quilted Nappa leather, replaced the standards, and leather was applied throughout the cabin.
• Owner's Statement: "Nobody ever looks down on you when you drive a Defender. Literately or figuratively. Thing is, you can go hunting in it one day and get the thing completely covered in mud, get home and hose it down. The next day you can pull up outside a five-star London hotel and you fit right in. And that’s just because it’s a Land Rover. But when it’s been Twisted it raises eyebrows. That’s because these lads can work miracles with a Defender. The attention to detail, whether we’re talking about tuning the engine or upgrading the interior, is second to none. I don’t want to be driving the same as everybody else - I want my Defender to be different. I want it to be better - in the way it looks and handles. And I need it to pull better than the average 4x4 because it's got to work for its keep around here. That’s why Twisted have sorted my last two Defenders. All I can say is that if, like me, you’re serious about driving a vehicle that’s more powerful than most, get them to sort out a vehicle for you too.”
  
  Anthony Wilkinson, Thirsk.