The new Land Rover Defender is one of the hottest vehicles right now, with an effortless mix of rugged looks, top-level tech, practicality and capability.

But with that popularity comes familiarity, and people like to stand out, so why not give your Defender a little visual boost and tickle the engine simultaneously – step forward, Manhart.

Their DP500 is their take on the ultimate Defender – yes, LR offer the V8 model now, but with the DP500, you can almost guarantee that you won’t see another on the road, which means a lot to some people.

To start with, the base P400 3.0 litre turbocharged inline-six-cylinder engine is tuned to now produce 512hp and 710Nm of torque – a little less power than the V8 but a lot more torque. That means a second is cut from the 0-62mph time, and there’s a slight uplift in top speed too. It sounds much better, too, thanks to the stainless steel exhaust system with 4 x 100mm ceramic-coated tailpipes (not shown in images).

Visually, the DP500 looks fantastic – the whole Defender gets gloss black trim, gloss black wheel-arch extensions, and a neat sticker pack. There’s a set of enormous 24-inch forged alloy wheels, while the body sits down over them thanks to Manhart’s 30mm lowering tune for the air suspension (it still retains all the travel, though, just lower in its standard setting).

This is undoubtedly a unique and exciting Defender – and you can win one this week with BOTB!