The Underpowered Hour

Day one of the 2026 Rebelle Rally kicks off with a recap of the transit from Las Vegas Motor Speedway into a Nevada/Utah border region and an overview of the new live scoring dashboard that enables real-time checkpoint tracking, despite adding to score anxiety. Team 155 has a standout start, finishing 10th out of 41 teams with 194 points—about 90% of available points and just 14 points behind the leader—highlighting a tight top-10 spread where meters matter. The hosts discuss today’s 377 km loop, fuel-hungry terrain, the team’s lighter Defender 90 setup, and concerns about incoming storm weather ahead of tomorrow’s marathon stage. They also promote a fundraising giveaway for future events via underpoweredhour.com, featuring prizes like Roamerdrives, Zarges cases, and other gear, plus directions to follow updates on Instagram.

00:00 Welcome Back Rebelle

01:00 Qualifying And Transit

02:34 New Live Scoring

04:05 Top 10 Day One

04:50 Course And Fuel Strategy

07:19 Points Breakdown Drama

10:23 Weather And Marathon Day

11:55 Gear Spotlight Zarges

12:32 Fundraiser Giveaway Prizes

14:19 How To Enter And Follow

15:42 Signing Off And Socials

On this episode of The Underpowered Hour, hosts Stephen Beres and Ike Goss are joined by Team 155’s Liza and Jenna to preview the Rebelle Rally starting next week, including their launch from Lake Las Vegas/Las Vegas Motor Speedway, new Utah trails, and a finish in the Glamis dunes, plus how to follow live scoring and daily recap shows. They discuss UK news including Range Rover Sport recalls (one vehicle for a bad PCM and about 900 for subframe cracks) and the Jaecoo 7 “Temu Range Rover” lookalike topping UK September sales. Liza and Jenna detail their Serac Auto Works-built 2022 Defender 90 rally setup—coil conversion with Öhlins shocks, winch bumper, external rack/roll cage, underbody protection, cargo organization, roof boxes, water storage, and their dialed-in gear—then share ways to support Team 155 via a prize drawing benefiting future events.

00:00 Show Kickoff

00:36 Hosts Introductions

01:38 Range Rover Recall Talk

03:47 Temu Range Rover Clone

07:39 Rebelle Rally Preview

09:33 Start Line and Teams

11:30 Rally Jinx and Repairs

13:24 Serac Defender Build

16:38 Mods and Interior Setup

18:14 Odor Fixes And Tacos

18:43 Rear Rack Gear Loadout

20:04 Roof Boxes And TerraTrip

22:19 Camping Kit Dialed In

24:34 Route Plans And Weather

28:07 Live Tracking And Coverage

33:18 Support Team 155 Raffle

36:51 Wrap Up And Credits

Stephen Beres and Ike Goss recap Destination Defender in Temecula, including extreme heat, ride-alongs, e-bikes, gourmet food trucks, a Defender museum display, and the on-site PRS Guitars collaboration featuring Defender-themed Silver Sky guitars inspired by John Mayer’s 1997 Defender 90, with limited classic-color runs and standard modern-color versions. They then re-air Jenna and Liza’s live panel as Team Overlander, explaining the women-only Rebelle Rally’s map-and-compass format, checkpoint strategy, and camp life, and walking through five consecutive years running different Defenders: a classic NAS 90, two JLR-provided Defender 130s, and a modified Saric 90, plus preparation practices like carrying two spares and key parts. They preview the upcoming October Rebelle coverage and share plans to build a 1972 two-door Range Rover for NORRA Baja 1000 and a 2028 Dakar Classic goal.

00:00 Show Intro

00:36 Meet The Hosts

01:19 Destination Defender Recap

02:38 Event Highlights And Heat

04:01 Defender Museum And Friends

05:20 PRS Defender Guitars

09:15 Collab Ideas And Jokes

12:59 Should You Buy One

14:20 Jenna And Liza Panel Setup

16:22 Cue The Live Recording

16:44 Rebelle Rally Basics

18:22 Desert Routes And Basecamp Life

20:56 Map Compass Strategy

23:31 Checkpoint Types And Mindset

25:39 Year One Classic D90

28:09 JLR Defender 130 Breakthrough

31:21 Silt Year And Lessons

33:14 Sarek 90 Redemption Run

37:11 Year Five Build And Car Tour

38:11 Packing Spares And Tire Survival

43:18 Friendship And Whats Next

45:39 Podcast Wrap And Credits

Steve Beres and Ike Goss discuss a pickup-truck-heavy news week, including reports that Land Rover may pursue a U.S.-market pickup despite earlier claims the monocoque Defender platform couldn’t support one, potentially via partnering with a manufacturer with U.S. production. They review a UK Ministry of Defense light mobility vehicle competition to replace the aging Defender Wolf fleet, highlighting Land Rover’s new Defender-based military variants (including a tray-back pickup and tube-buggy-style patrol vehicle) alongside entries from INEOS, Toyota/Babcock, Ford/General Dynamics (including a 6x6 Ranger Super Duty), Mercedes/Rheinmetall, GM/Team Lionstrike, and others, plus observations about serviceability, interiors, and surprisingly street-oriented tires. They also cover a Freelander hybrid altitude Guinness record, Kim Basinger’s 1997 NAS Defender auction, a Ted Lasso Series IIA cameo, and tease next week’s Destination Defender Rebelle presentation.00:00 Show Intro and Hosts01:09 Defender Pickup Rumors02:36 US Tariffs and Partnerships04:40 Military RFP Reveals Pickup05:56 Competitors INEOS and Toyota08:08 Ford Ranger Super Duty09:55 Defender Trayback Design Talk11:36 Other Entries Mercedes and GM14:17 Tires and US Military Contrast14:58 AM General and Oshkosh Updates16:07 Final Contender Tease16:17 Hybrid Tube Buggy17:57 NATO Contract Stakes18:44 Military Tech Serviceability21:03 Freelander Altitude Record22:41 Celebrity Defender Auction26:27 Ted Lasso Land Rover28:19 Destination Defender Recap29:58 Wrap Up Credits

The hosts discuss a UK climate expert planning to drive an electrified Series I Land Rover around the world to raise climate-change awareness, noting the practical challenges of charging and the likelihood of mechanical failures despite the EV conversion. They then cover Land Rover’s improved showing in J.D. Power’s U.S. quality survey, moving to the middle of the pack, and debate what the results say about reliability versus owner expectations. Next, they talk about Land Rover using AI in vehicle testing to “listen” for fault-related sounds and analyze large testing datasets to catch problems earlier. The episode also updates the UK military’s upcoming Defender replacement trials, including multiple Land Rover variants (general service, ambulance, tactical transport, and utility modification) and comparisons with other bidders. Finally, they preview Destination Defender in Temecula, including a Defender museum and a panel with Rebelle Rally drivers Jenna and Liza, plus planned video coverage and a walkaround of the new Rebelle Defender 90.

00:00 Wind Noise Banter

01:03 Electric Land Rover World Tour

04:51 Land Rover Reliability Rebound

07:56 AI Quality Control Listening

12:23 Telemechanics and AI Doom

13:06 Wolf 2 Military Defender Variants

20:10 Destination Defender Preview

23:26 Museum Highlights and Rebelle Panel

26:16 Wrap Up and Next Episode

Steve Beres and Ike Goss discuss JLR launching a £154,000 Range Rover and then cutting 4,500 jobs, which JLR attributes to tariffs and falling sales, and note UK officials plan to meet with new CEO PJ Balaji. They cover signs JLR may revive a military-style “Defender Wolf Series 2,” potentially to compete against vehicles like a Toyota Hilux-based platform and the Ineos Grenadier. Ike recaps the All British Field Meet in Portland, where Land Rover was absent as an exhibitor but Ineos Grenadier was a featured sponsor, and highlights the strong turnout of Range Rover Classics and Series trucks, including Steve driving his 1957 109 pickup. They review a Bring a Trailer LS3-swapped, six-speed 1976 Series III build that failed to sell near $100,000, and close with updates on a re-emerged Forest Rover and progress on another Forest Rover restoration.

00:00 Show Intro and Hosts

01:18 JLR Job Cuts and Tariffs

03:36 Defender Wolf Rumors

07:02 Wolf vs Modern Rivals

07:45 All British Field Meet Recap

11:24 Ike’s Yellow 109 Road Trip

12:13 Ant Colony in the Rover

13:29 Goat Man Land Rovers

14:26 LS3 Series III Build

17:38 Ugly Details Breakdown

21:14 Forest Rover Update

23:02 Forest Rover Engineering

25:41 Wrap Up Credits

Steve Beres and Ike Goss return to The Underpowered Hour after travel and discuss preparing for Destination Defender in Temecula, including expected heavy rain. They cover news that the all-new electric Defender has been delayed again, now to 2030, as JLR focuses on electric Range Rover models. They also discuss a major Range Rover steering knuckle recall that is being “recalled” because prior repairs may have used incorrect parts and the new fix is still pending. The hosts review the sale of Daniel Craig and Rachel Weisz’s Series II pickup, noting its restoration details and features, and that it sold for $56,000. They mention Gerry McGovern’s departure from JLR, a Discovery 2’s plot role in the film "Bodies Bodies Bodies," and Jenna assembling two two-door Range Rovers into one for racing.

00:00 Show Cold Open

00:36 Hosts Intro and Updates

01:19 Destination Defender Weather Talk

02:09 Electric Defender Delayed

03:42 Recall of a Recall

05:41 Old School Rover Reliability

06:36 Daniel Craig S2 Pickup Sale

10:25 McGovern Exit and Design Future

13:35 Weekend Dad Jokes

13:51 Jerry OnlyFans Bit

14:27 Discovery in Bodies

16:45 Two Range Rovers One

19:22 Flight Delay Stories

21:50 Gore Verbinski Picks

23:02 Joe Rodan Experience

23:42 Destination Defender Plans

24:45 Show Credits Outro

Steve and Ike discuss King Charles’ Defender selling at auction for about £67,000 (well above the ~£40,000 estimate) and then dig into uncertainty around proposed 25% tariffs on foreign-made vehicles and parts slated for April 2nd, including questions about how they’d affect imports already on the water, used/antique parts, and compounding with existing taxes like the chicken tax; they note market reactions such as GM and Tata Motors share drops. Ike also recounts receiving a packed 20-foot container from Australia containing multiple Land Rovers and parts, including a Series I factory welder project and two Series I 80-inch restorations. They briefly mention a Land Rover credit-fraud scheme ending in a three-year sentence and preview a short episode with more guests and event recaps next week.

Steve Beres and Ike Goss discuss Jaguar Land Rover’s Q1 results, including a £109M profit before tax (2.8% EBITDA) that’s down 68.9% year-over-year and a free cash flow balance of -£998M, speculating it reflects heavy spending on new models and facilities and inviting an accountant to explain it. They cover the Freelander 8 presale delay due to Typhoon Dolphin, pricing around $50,000 with a $68,000 limited launch edition, and its unusual featured details. The hosts recap Monterey Car Week news: Sotheby’s sold a 2007 SV Ultra and a 1993 Range Rover Classic for about $967K, plus notes about export and California sales restrictions, and they mention the $248K Range Rover SV Pearl Lustre benefiting the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. They also touch on the Dakar Defender Octa edition, an Octa used as a land-speed-record push vehicle, attend Mogfest in Oregon, and share workshop updates including transporting vehicles, clutch work, and Ike acquiring a 1965 Series IIA 109 pickup with a rear PTO.

00:00 Show Introductions

01:18 JLR Q1 Profits and Cash

02:23 Negative Cash Flow Explained

04:08 Freelander 8 Typhoon Delay

05:24 Launch Edition Oddities

08:02 Monterey Car Week Buzz

08:12 Auction Range Rovers Drama

10:24 SV Pearl Lustre Edition

12:22 Dakar Defender Octa Reveal

14:06 Color Scheme Hot Takes

16:06 Octa Tuning and Push Car

17:40 Land Rovers and Speed Records

18:47 Bluebird Support 109s

19:42 Mogfest Off Road Meetup

22:02 Unimog Reunion Story

23:29 Tiny Unimog Driving Impressions

25:05 Haflinger Love and Nesting

26:16 Shop Logistics and Repairs

27:55 New Series IIA Pickup Arrival

30:38 PTO Ice Cream and Blender Ideas

32:05 Wrap Up and Announcements

33:17 Credits and Support

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