The Underpowered Hour

JLR Halts Range Rover Production, Crashed Freelander Leak, and the End of Land Rovers in the British Army

Steve Beres and Ike Goss cover a bleak week of Land Rover news, including JLR temporarily halting production at the Solihull plant for two weeks due to a supplier dispute affecting Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. They discuss leaked crash-test photos of the new Freelander (developed with Chery), noting its larger SUV proportions, bold Freelander branding, and a stripped, modern JLR-like interior, along with reports of a $58,000 entry price and plans for the UK rather than the US. They revisit the confusing status of design chief Gerry McGovern, with new reports saying he will step down at the end of March. The hosts also note the British Army retiring its iconic Land Rover fleet with replacement expected by 2030, speculate about surplus sales, debut a “Would You Rather” segment, and mention a new Anaconda film opening with a classic Defender scene. 00:00 Show Intro and Hosts 01:31 JLR Halts Solihull Production 02:37 Freelander Crash Leak 04:32 Freelander Design Breakdown 08:17 Pricing and Market Plans 09:19 Jerry McGovern Exit Saga 12:10 British Army Retires Land Rovers 15:17 Defender Import Dreams 15:44 Would You Rather Begins 16:55 Heater Core Nightmare 18:32 Creepy Seat vs Enya Loop 21:59 Viewer Submissions Call 22:24 Defender Spotting in Anaconda 25:13 Project Hail Mary Rovers 25:40 Where Is Jerry McGovern 26:25 See You Next Week https://classiclandrover.com/2026/03/20/british-army-to-retire-iconic-land-rover-fleet/ [https://classiclandrover.com/2026/03/20/british-army-to-retire-iconic-land-rover-fleet/] https://www.autonews.com/jaguar-land-rover/ane-jaguar-design-boss-mcgovern-starts-consultancy-0320/ [https://www.autonews.com/jaguar-land-rover/ane-jaguar-design-boss-mcgovern-starts-consultancy-0320/] https://www.autoblog.com/news/new-land-rover-freelander-leaked-after-crash-test [https://www.autoblog.com/news/new-land-rover-freelander-leaked-after-crash-test] https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3931xz101do [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c3931xz101do]

Defender Awards, Range Rover Branding Confusion & Joe Hesselman’s LR4 ‘El Camino’ Build

Steve Beres and Ike Goss discuss JLR’s new international Defender Awards and how they differ from the existing Defender Service Awards, including the judging-panel process and some winners. They review spy-photo news suggesting the Range Rover Velar is becoming a more wagon-like, road-focused vehicle, and debate why the newer Range Rover logo appears inconsistently on vehicles and the website. They cover controversy around a Chinese company’s Range Rover-like vehicle and ad copy. Steve then interviews Joe Hesselman of Lost Cause Ranch about his new car-wash-based shop with three-phase power and expanded CNC capabilities, plus his Land Rover projects including a six-wheel Discovery 2 and a Discovery 4 chopped into a tray-back “El Camino”-style pickup with custom aluminum flatbed and toolboxes. The episode ends with a brief film recommendation, "Sorcerer" (1978). 00:00 Show Intro and Hosts 01:20 Defender Awards Explained 03:53 Winners and Weird Highlights 04:57 Velar Update Wagon Talk 06:40 Range Rover Logo Mystery 08:27 China Copycat Ad Drama 11:02 Defender Lookalike SUVs 17:51 Interview Joe Lost Cause 19:15 New Ranch CNC Upgrades 24:35 Fleet Updates and 6x6 Disco 27:43 Chopping a Discovery Tease 28:13 El Camino Dreaming 29:38 Why Cut the LR4 30:37 Sourcing the Rear Cap 31:31 Slicing It in Half 33:53 Designing the Flatbed 36:28 All Aluminum Fabrication 39:58 Underbed Box Mastery 42:09 CNC Press Brake Talk 45:57 Future Ranch Projects 49:54 Utes and Car Culture 52:08 Sorcerer Movie Pick 54:23 Wrap and Next Week

Smurf-Blue Range Rover SVR, Chelsea Tractor Body Kits & Defender Trophy Updates

Steve Beres and Ike Goss open the Underpowered Hour noting a planned interview with Land Rover drivetrain expert Matt Jackson was lost due to a failed new “internet interview machine.” They cover Land Rover news, including the UK-only Range Rover Sport SVR Ultimate Edition with a 3.7-second 0–60 time, VIP handover, 500 units, and a £145,995 price. They discuss Chelsea Tractor Company expanding its signature body kits to vehicles like the Grenadier and Jeep, plus a line of pedal-equipped electric bikes and a heavily vented Defender build with an awkward fuel-filler tunnel. They preview the new Defender Trophy selection process in British Columbia, with 190 North American competitors and Jennifer Fibble competing for a finals spot in the UK. Ike also shares acquiring a recognizable 1950 Series I and a 1955 pickup from a Michigan estate sale and updates on a 109 wagon build with disc brakes and upgrades. 00:00 Show Intro and Hosts 01:19 Guest Interview Fails 02:02 Range Rover SVR Ultimate 03:28 VIP Perks and Tech 05:36 Wheels Seats and Pricing 06:49 Chelsea Tractor Body Kits 08:13 Chelsea Electric Bikes 12:28 Defender Guana Widebody 14:46 Design Details and Fuel Door 16:23 Chelsea Tractor Swell Kit 17:21 Defender Trophy Returns 18:37 Instagram Stage Training 20:42 Estate Sale Rover Haul 22:23 The Blue Series One 25:21 Shop Build 109 Wagon 25:54 Michelin XZL Tire Talk 27:04 Tractor Tangents and Tips 28:18 Busy Shop and UK Plans 29:56 Next Episode Tease

Dakar Classic with “The Gazelles”: Building a Defender from Scratch and Racing the Desert

Steve Beres and Ike Goss skip the news to interview Helen and Marcella (“The Gazelles”) about their debut run in the Dakar Classic in a self-built classic Land Rover. Helen explains how her first desert rally idea began with Rallye Aïcha des Gazelles in 2019, how she and Marcella—friends for over 21 years—became teammates, and why in-car chemistry matters under stress. They describe building their Dakar vehicle “Purdy” from the ground up after an outside build effort failed, using a pre-inspection for peace of mind before shipping the car, and arriving surprised to see big teams still wrenching in the bivouac. They share standout moments, including meeting top competitors, encouragement from Saudi spectators, and a last-day crisis where hitting a rock caused two flats and required help from another team. They discuss on-course assistance rules, helping others in dunes, lessons learned, and hint at future adventures. Intro and Hosts 01:18 Why This Dakar Interview 02:49 Meet the Gazelles 03:30 How the Idea Started 05:30 Finding the Right Teammate 06:30 Team Chemistry in the Car 08:26 From Gazelles to Dakar Timeline 09:15 Building Purdy from Scratch 10:45 Skills and the YouTube Build Series 12:54 Logistics and Pre Inspection 16:49 Arriving in Saudi Race Bubble 18:49 Meeting Legends and Local Moments 21:05 Was Dakar a Success 22:22 Racing Under Cameras 23:58 Finish Line Tire Crisis 25:48 On Course Support Rules 27:29 Helping in the Dunes 28:50 Whats Next Adventure 30:10 Lessons From Dakar 33:57 Lightning Round 36:21 Shoutouts and Motivation 38:48 Hosts Wrap Up

Olympic Silver Medalist Ben Ogden

Steve and Ike welcome Olympian and cross-country skier Ben Ogden, calling in from Sweden as his race season continues after the Olympics. Ben explains how he got into the sport in Vermont, describes winning silver in the men’s individual sprint and again in the team sprint with Gus Schumacher, and breaks down sprint race format, tactics, and the major role of ski selection and waxing support. The conversation shifts to Ben’s 1973 Series III Land Rover restoration bought from Vermont restorer Lanny Clark: an 18,000-mile but heavily rusted, long-nonrunning “derelict” that became his off-season outlet. Ben details progress—bodywork, welding aluminum, marine blue paint challenges after a PPG discontinuation, rebuilt drivetrain, brakes, and remaining wiring and interior bits—plus other vehicles, motorcycles, knitting, and a quick lightning round. 00:00 Show Intro and Hosts 01:22 Meet Olympian Ben Ogden 02:13 Why Cross Country Skiing 04:16 Olympic Silver Medal Story 06:54 Ski Wax and Prep Secrets 11:50 Land Rover and Olympic Skiing 14:14 Ben’s Series III Project Begins 19:04 Restoration Progress and Paint Drama 21:54 What’s Left to Finish 22:31 Dash Trim Hunt 23:17 Care Package Offer 23:45 Oregon Off Road Plans 24:10 Other Rigs Garage Tour 26:14 Volvo Trucks And Military Oddities 27:53 Motorcycles And Learning Wrenching 29:00 Knitting As A Project Fix 30:20 Sweater Reveal And Restoration Mindset 33:21 Lightning Round Q And A 34:38 Thanks And Sign Off