Project Big Sky is roughly what happens when the usual rules governing Defender builds are quietly thrown out the workshop door. There isn’t much left of the restrained British workhorse attitude normally associated with an early Land Rover Defender here.
Three axles stretch beneath a dramatically extended body, huge off-road tires occupy widened arches, and a pickup bed has appeared behind the four-door cabin. Somehow, the mechanical specification manages to be even less subtle than the exterior.
This isn’t a new build, either. Its story stretches back through multiple specialists and several rounds of development, eventually producing the heavily reengineered machine currently showing just 1,625 miles. Signature Autosports has now completed another extensive round of work on the 1993 Defender-based Flying Huntsman 6×6.
The finished truck is for sale in Wilmington, North Carolina, and discovering what’s underneath makes its outrageous appearance considerably easier to understand.
A Supercharged Coyote V8 Makes 700 HP
Forget the modest diesel engines associated with Defenders of this era. Project Big Sky is powered by a VMP-supercharged 5.0-liter Ford Coyote V8 that has previously been documented at 700 horsepower.
A Ford 6R80 six-speed automatic sends that output through a purpose-built six-wheel-drive system. There’s a heavy-duty Land Rover front axle and tandem Ford 9-inch rear axles, along with a heavy-duty transfer case and Detroit TrueTrac traction hardware.
FOX 2.0 Performance Series dampers help manage the extended chassis, while Wilwood disc brakes handle stopping duties. Six General Grabber X3 tires provide the contact patches, with a seventh full-size spare riding in the bed.
This Defender Has Lived Several Lives
The truck started with a 1993 Defender platform before being transformed into the four-door Flying Huntsman 6×6 configuration. It was subsequently sent to Hyper Offroad & Performance for extensive redevelopment covering areas including the wiring, suspension and driveline geometry, engine placement and powertrain installation.
Signature Autosports later took things further, repainting the truck in matte gray and replacing various exterior pieces with black anodized billet-aluminum hardware. Project Kahn composite body components contribute to the widebody appearance.
There’s serious off-road hardware as well, including a WARN winch, raised snorkel, and roof-mounted RIGID LED lighting. The custom 2.5-inch exhaust should ensure nobody mistakes that Coyote for an old Defender diesel.
Nearly $300,000 Buys A Lot Of Defender
The cabin has received similar attention, with Distressed Pinecone leather covering the seats, dashboard, and center console. Heated and cooled Recaro seats, an Alcantara headliner, Dakota Digital instruments, navigation, and upgraded JL Audio and Alpine components make this a rather different environment from a utilitarian 1993 Defender.
Signature Autosports currently lists Project Big Sky for $299,950. That’s serious money for something originating from a 1993 Defender platform, although describing the finished vehicle as simply an old Land Rover would be underselling what happened along the way.
Six driven wheels, 700 horsepower, and nearly $300,000 make this an exercise in excess from practically every angle. At least subtlety isn’t one of the optional extras.