But people are absolutely losing their minds over this…
For the past several years, I’ve seen all kinds of vehicles with treads instead of tires: Ford Raptors, XJ Cherokees, Subaru WRXs, and just about everything else that puts power to all four wheels. Tracks conversion kits are everywhere and while they’re not super cheap, they’re also not so expensive they can only be enjoyed by the wealthy.
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But when I ran across a post from newdefendermods on Instagram featuring a new Land Rover Defender wearing a set of tracks, I was amused some people were losing their minds. Looking around online, even some of my fellow auto journalists are acting like this is some shocking new product.
Yes, this was the first time I’ve seen a new Defender wearing them and apparently they’re recently arrived at New Defender Mods, but I just figured such a product was coming sooner or later. But I guess some people are super in love with the new Defender since it’s a British off-roader and supposedly is one of “the most capable in the world” or whatever, so that’s why all the excitement?
I’m sure a Land Rover Defender with tracks instead of tires is great for playing in the snow, just like other vehicles. It’s a cool bit of engineering to swap regular wheels and tires and “tank treads” or whatever you want to call them. But I also know this concept dates all the way back to 1917 when the first Ford Model Ts were converted into the first snowmobiles.
Sure, the new treads are a lot different than that aftermarket kit from the early 20th century, but this isn’t exactly some novel concept. Plus, the shock of seeing treads in lieu of tires wore off about 10 years ago after everyone started getting these. Still, it’s cool the Defender crowd gets to enjoy the fun, what with the historic winter we’ve all been through.
Image credit: Instagram
