Twisted Automotive takes on the Range Rover Classic
Yorkshire-based 4×4 specialists Twisted Automotive have announced their latest re-engineered high-performance model: the Range Rover Classic (TRRC).
It is Twisted’s first time working on a Range Rover Classic after 25 years of working on and perfecting its Defender cousin.
Twisted founder Charles Fawcett said his 1980s childhood nostalgia inspired the project, as his “father always seemed to have a two-door Range Rover”. He elaborated further, saying, “There was one particular one that stood out.
"It was terracotta brown with fibreglass extended wheel arches and white Weller eight-spoke wheels shod with General Grabber road-oriented tyres. On the front, he’d fabricated a valance out of an MGB GT front spoiler. To me, it was just iconic.”
The Range Rover Classic belonging to Charles Fawcett’s father which inspired Twisted’s new project
Exterior
Twisted has mixed the exterior shapes from the ‘best eras’ of the Range Rover Classic, using a 1970s front bumper blended with a ‘90s style grille and headlight surrounds. The aluminium panels used on every external surface have been hammered with bespoke tooling.
The bespoke design choices don’t stop there, with customers able to choose not to have the traditional floating roof look, instead painting the C-pillar in body colour to emphasise the two-door silhouette. Vents formed in the C-pillar panel will also be included in the final production design.
As for the colour of the TRRC in the pictures provided, I can only applaud Twisted for its choice of Layer Cake yellow.
Performance & Driving Experience
What takes the TRRC into high-performance territory is its LT1 V8 engine, putting out 500hp. It is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, with Twisted bringing two decades of engineering knowledge from its work on Defenders across to the Range Rover Classic.
This results in a similar driving and handling experience in the TRRC to Twisted’s T90 and T110 Defender efforts.
Fawcett explained: "We spent an age tweaking the bushings so that you got something that was sharp and super drivable but not too harsh. A Range Rover needs to be supple.”
Interior
Twisted has reengineered everything inside, too, lowering the original seat positions to enable the driver’s eyeline to be directed at the upper half of the windscreen, as well as creating a fully sealed and soundproof interior. Premium carpeting and leather-trimmed interior surfaces surround Twisted’s 9-channel and single-DIN infotainment system, while heated seats add to the level of overall comfort.
How many Twisted TRRC will be made and at what price?
Twisted will hand-build up to 12 TRCCs per year, with all 2026 build slots currently taken up and 2027 also looking full. Prices start at £350,000 and will be shipped globally after undergoing a rigorous 500-mile validation program in preparation.
Read more about Twisted: Suzuki Jimny by Twisted Automotive
words: Mike Booth
pictures: Twisted Automotive