After years of waiting, Land Rover’s new Defender made its triumphant debut— and as we found when driving it, it is very much a new Defender for our times. Not surprisingly, then, is the fact that the aftermarket has begun swamping the off-road world with accessories for it, as well.
But how do you separate the good from the bad in the often-confusing world of off-road accessories? Well, if you're looking for the best, you can start with Front Runner Outfitters. The South African-based adventure travel gear company makes some of the best overland racks available — including a custom-made Defender Rack. It’s a perfect way to add some functionality to the new Defender without plunking down $4,100 for Land Rover’s Explorer Pack.
The Defender Rack is sized for the Defender 110 version of the new Landie. (Front Runner Outfitters also carries a rack for the smaller Defender 90, as well as a rack for the larger Defender 130.) The Slimline II roof rack is built from T6 aluminum and 3CR12 stainless steel and coated in black epoxy powder. It’s lightweight, at just 78 pounds, and it includes all components needed for assembly — none of which are plastic.
The rack has a 370-pound dynamic load rating, meaning it can carry about 80 pounds of additional gear more than the Expedition Roof Rack that Land Rover offers. (The static load rating is 740 pounds.) The rack can accommodate more than 55 available Front Runner accessories, depending on what sort of gear you’re carrying.
The rack comes in two versions — one made to work with the Land Rover-spec roof rails, and a pricier kit that mounts to two Front Runner rails instead. The company has confirmed the racks are available worldwide.
