Steve Beres and Ike Goss discuss the presale launch of Chery’s new Freelander 8 and why Chinese vehicles face bans in places like the United States while gaining ground in the UK, including ownership-related legislation that impacted Polestar. They react to the Freelander’s “L-A-D-Y” passenger-seat acronym, joke about future models, and note rising JLR China profits as old Evoque stock clears and a former plant becomes a “Freelander Super Factory.” The conversation shifts to the new Range Rover GT—low roofline, minimal ground clearance, and built on JLR’s new electromodal architecture—plus Range Rover removing pricing limits for bespoke builds after a reported $550,000 example. They also cover a 50 million PR budget, a BYD/“Ti7” Defender-like SUV copy headed to Europe, workshop prep for NORRA Baja support vehicles, race-car parts arriving, and motorcycle trip plans.

00:00 Show Intro and Hosts

01:23 Freelander 8 Presale Buzz

02:12 Chinese Car Bans and Ownership

04:01 The LADY Seat Controversy

05:13 Wheelander and Jimny Jokes

06:44 China Stock Clearance and Super Factory

08:28 Range Rover Model Explosion

09:21 Range Rover GT Road Rover

11:51 No Price Limit Special Editions

14:39 Sauna Load Space Wishlist

15:46 Ridiculous Options and Steel Wheels

16:11 Farm Gear Mods

16:26 Forbidden Luxury Interiors

17:28 Wild Range Rover Features

18:21 Just Make It Reliable

19:37 JLR Bad Publicity Budget

21:47 BYD Defender Clone

26:07 Workshop Support Truck Plans

27:39 Race Car Build Update

28:45 New GS Motorcycle Talk

30:24 Chicken Alaska And Denny's

31:31 Closing Trail Signoff

Steve Beres and Ike Goss are joined by Linus and special guest Alex Massy to cover Land Rover news and recap the Land Rover National Rally in Ouray, Colorado. They discuss JLR cutting 300 jobs and a UK leadership shuffle after a cyberattack, the end of the Discovery Sport, and a Monterey Car Week auction of a one-of-one matched pair: a restored 1993 Range Rover Classic and a 2027 Range Rover SV Ultra, estimated at $750,000–$950,000. The group recounts driving from Oregon, tire and emissions issues with modern tow vehicles, high-altitude trail runs up to 13,000 feet, the beauty of Ouray and nearby mining towns, and monsoon rains that caused mudslides, closed trails, and led many attendees to leave early. They highlight event amenities, presentations, and a Camel Trophy film night.

00:00 Show Intro And Hosts

01:18 Guests And Rally Tease

02:00 JLR Job Cuts Talk

03:44 Discovery Sport Cancelled

05:57 Monterey Range Rover Pair

08:16 Auction Price Guessing

12:36 Rally Trip Begins

15:53 Road Trip Mishaps

17:52 Trails And Elevation

18:19 Carb Trouble at Altitude

19:02 Ouray Views and Town

19:35 Rally Car Mix Shifts

21:48 Monsoon Mudslides

23:25 Camping and Trail Logistics

24:49 Alex Highlights Mining Ruins

27:09 Shoutouts and Trophy Defender

29:53 Vendors Classes and Camp Movie

33:04 Destination Defender Roast

34:59 Wrap Up and Credits

Steve Beres and Liza Beres open the episode discussing missing the Land Rover National Rally and a rough Freelander listing, then cover JLR news including the new all-EV Range Rover GT (with hybrid capability later) and continued touring of the Range Rover Electric/Sport Electric with large no-money-down “preorders.” They discuss the Chery-collaboration Freelander 8 ahead of its international rollout, noting its range-extender setup, short EV-only range, off-road hardware, six-seat layout, and controversial “L.A.D.Y.” passenger seat branding and fragrances. They review 2027 Defender updates and pricing, including the Octa’s horsepower drop, engine lineup changes, new seating and accessories, and a self-healing wrap, plus JLR’s renewable-material tire initiative and a 2027 Range Rover option for real buttons. They note designer Giorgetto Giugiaro’s rollover in a Defender 110 with no major injury, then enter “Recall Corner” for Discovery rear-camera flooding and a large Ford Bronco recall, and close with a Matchbox movie trailer featuring a Defender 6x6 pickup.

00:00 Show Intro and Hosts

01:17 Missing the Rally

02:01 Freelander for Sale

02:48 Range Rover GT Reveal

06:16 EV Preorders and Tour

07:24 Freelander 8 Roadshow

09:10 Lady Seat Controversy

12:15 2027 Defender Changes

14:33 Detuning and Tuning Talk

15:22 Defender New Options

16:14 Self Healing Wrap Talk

16:32 Rice Husk Tires

17:26 Buttons Return Range Rover

19:03 Giugiaro Rollover Story

21:00 Recall Corner JLR

21:46 Bronco Recall Comparison

23:23 Defender Forums No Fix

24:15 Land Rovers In Movies

24:34 Matchbox Movie Trailer

27:07 John Cena Movie Debate

29:03 Wrap Up And Credits

Steve Beres and Ike Goss recap Goodwood news, including JLR’s fully electric Range Rover with an estimated 300-mile EPA range, a $130,000 starting price, and confirmation of a Range Rover Sport EV, plus a new single JLR app replacing multiple remote apps. They discuss JLR halting China-market vehicle production at its Chengshu plant as it shifts to building the Freelander under a Chery joint venture while continuing exports to China. The pair then tour notable Bring a Trailer listings, including a refurbished, bright orange Turkish Autocar-built Defender 110 with a carbureted 3.5 V8 and a heavily dented front differential, and a rare NAS Defender-style yellow camping trailer with a fold-out tent and period-correct details. They also preview attending the upcoming National Rally.

Steve Beres and Ike Goss open with Steve’s trip to Eugene/Springfield and an update on his rough-but-charming 1998 Defender high-capacity pickup, which needs multiple repairs but may become a support vehicle rather than a full restoration. In the news, they react to Range Rover’s “British Summertime Collection” of lifestyle goods like blankets, purses, tea sets, and parasols featuring the new stacked-R logo, joking that the brand has become a purse company. They also discuss JLR’s color-shifting “Spectral Green” Works V8 Defenders with white interiors and roll cages, compare the look to the Joker, and mention recent Wall Street Journal coverage of vintage Defender demand. The episode closes with spy-shot talk of a new Velar that looks more sedan-like and plans to attend the Ouray, Colorado national rally (July 26–30), including a possible live show.

00:00 Welcome and Introductions

01:21 Steve Arrives in Oregon

02:26 Croatian Farm Truck Check

04:05 Plans for the High Cap

04:58 Range Rover Summer Merch

08:56 Color Shifting Works V8

12:43 Wall Street Journal Hype

16:22 JLR Trends and EV Pivots

19:15 New Velar Spy Shots

24:45 MaxTrax Wellness and Rally

26:30 Ouray Event Wrap Up

Steve Beres and Ike Goss discuss Steve traveling to Vancouver, Canada to pick up a Land Rover pickup and bring it into the U.S., deciding to pay the chicken tax and debating whether to tow it due to worn tires. They cover reports of JLR profits dropping sharply and sales down 15%, talk about JLR’s U.S.-market strategy including a potential partnership with Stellantis and building Land Rovers in the U.S. to avoid tariffs, and mention the upcoming all-electric Range Rover reveal at Goodwood with a 77,000-person waitlist. They also touch on an airbag recall tied to corrosion and a stop-sale, share that cast member Linus Tremaine was hit by an uninsured drunk driver while driving a late-1920s Lincoln (he’s okay), update on a decal-covered 1958 Series II 109 pickup restoration, and preview the Ouray National Rally with a planned live show and guests.

Steve Beres and guest co-host Liza cover a week of JLR-heavy news while Ike Goss and Jenna attend Overland Expo. They discuss New York Times reporting on the major JLR cyberattack, including claims of Russian involvement, a simultaneous breach by a Jordanian hacker, Microsoft’s role in reporting the incident, and the estimated $2.5B impact on the UK economy. The episode also reviews a new JLR stop-sale recall affecting about 250,000 SUVs for driver airbag issues, alongside other recent recalls and a 23% sales downturn. They react to plans to price upcoming JLR EVs higher than gas models, highlight the new China-market Freelander with Chery, and note CEO changes at JLR North America as Leonard Hoenek replaces Joe Eberhardt, who stays on as a consultant tied to a controversial Stellantis Defender project. The show debuts “Insta-Rovers,” rating extreme Defender builds and questioning which are real versus AI.

Steve Beres and Ike Goss (joined by Jenna) welcome off-road racer and stunt performer Sara Price, a Land Rover Defender Dakar team member and second-place finisher, to discuss her path from starting motocross at age eight to turning pro at 16, entering the stunt industry in LA, and transitioning into side-by-sides, trophy trucks, a 2019 Baja Championship win, and driving the full Baja 1000 solo for 19.5 hours. Price explains how she self-funded her first Dakar via the Road to Dakar, how Dakar teams and vehicles differ from U.S. racing, and how she joined Land Rover after a Facebook message. She shares key Dakar moments including winning the prologue, early suspension damage, a dangerous dune incident, and the Defender’s performance and support, plus post-Dakar races in Portugal and Argentina and her E1 electric hydrofoil boat racing.

Steve Beres and Ike Goss catch up on a busy week of Land Rover projects and travel plans, including Steve’s upcoming trip to Canada to retrieve a green early-’90s Defender 300 TDI high-capacity pickup that’s been stored with family in Vancouver/Canmore, with plans to convert it into a Camel Trophy–style support truck for the NORRA rally and address pickup duty by adding seats. They riff on Canadian stereotypes and discuss the Calgary Stampede, including rodeo events and chuckwagon racing. Ike shares Pangolin4x4 shop updates: a newly purchased Series II 109 pickup after a five-year delayed acceptance, progress fabricating one-off window hardware for a coachbuilt “Woody” wagon, reverting an off-road-built short-wheelbase pickup back to stock-ish spec, building a marine blue 109 wagon, and planning an 86-inch restomod with a fuel-injected 2.8L four-cylinder. They also preview the national rally in Ouray, a 1927 Harley-Davidson pickup in Fort Collins, and a potential Series 1 Whipsaw Trail trip, plus tease upcoming guests Jeff Aronson and possibly Sarah Price.

On this episode of The Underpowered Hour, Steve Beres and Ike Goss cover Land Rover and 4x4 news, including Ford’s Filson Edition “fancy” Bronco aimed at the Defender market and rumors of a JLR–Stellantis co-development deal to build vehicles in the U.S. to avoid tariffs, noting prior Jeep–Land Rover prototype history. They discuss rare Land Rover amphibians like the APGP and the Mark II Amphibian mock-up, then react to a California Highway Patrol pursuit that ended with a 2018 Land Rover submerged in Lake Isabella and the driver killed. They touch on uncertainty around Gerry McGovern’s status and spy shots of a lightly camouflaged 2027 Defender facelift. They also talk about Jason Momoa’s On the Roam featuring Electrogenic electric conversions of classic Land Rovers and mention the film We Bury the Dead, where Daisy Ridley drives a Perentie in Tasmania.