2027 Defender drops the supercharged V8, the end of the AJ engine era

[Shaggy]

Big one for anyone who loves the blown 5.0. For the 2027 model year the Defender loses both the 2.0 four cylinder and the 5.0 supercharged V8. Every non OCTA Defender in North America now runs the 3.0 Ingenium straight six in two states of tune, and the only V8 left in the lineup is the OCTA with its BMW sourced 4.4 twin turbo.

That makes this the end of the road for the AJ V8 family, which has been powering Jaguars and Land Rovers in one form or another since the 90s. Whatever you think of where the brand is heading, that engine earned its place in the history books.

Source: https://tflcar.com/2026/07/land-rover-defender-vertex-octa-updates-news/

So who here is suddenly glad they already own a supercharged 5.0? And does the straight six do it for you, or does the Defender lose something without that whine?