F1 Driver Lando Norris Can't Keep a Low Profile in His Topless Retro-Styled Defender

This will surely put Lando Norris in the spotlight when he cruises down the French Riviera this summer. His one-of-a-kind, out-of-this-world, bespoke, topless, retro-styled (and we could go on and on…) Land Rover Defender has just been delivered to him at home in the state of Monaco.

Several months ago, the driver competing for McLaren and having won his first F1 race this past May, reached out to Retro Automotive on Instagram after he saw one of their creations in a viral video.

Now, his Defender 90 checks all the boxes of a rugged off-roader. But Lando Norris put everything his heard desired outside and inside the vehicle, which is, in fact, also outside. And he started with a special request. He wanted to remove the top of the model. Just because the weather in Southern France allows it. It was a first for the special classic Retro Automotive restoration team.

The F1 driver told the team right from the start. He did not want any form of roof, no sticks, no nothing. Ben Davies, director of Retro Automotive, said they never received such a request. Customers would normally want some sort of protection. But not Lando.

He also requested a special McLaren-inspired color combination, a mix that integrates Nardo Gray, a special pearlescent shade especially made for him, over a Moorhead Egyptian Blue interior covered in leather for the special Mediterranean effect. The steering wheel is also hand-finished in leather.

The F1 driver would not have been satisfied with a vehicle that looked good. He also wanted one that would be comfortable and usable as a daily driver. The restoration started with stripping the vehicle down to bare metal and rebuilding it. The procedure took more than 1,000 hours.

The model can sit low, close to the pavement, but can also turn into a high-rider in a matter of seconds, due to its adjustable air suspension, which can easily turn it into a buggy for the beaches on the Riviera, with a simple flick of a switch.

To help Lando Norris haul more passengers on his adventures, Retro Automotive extended the rear bench seats. A Pioneer head unit featuring Apple CarPlay is responsible for the entertainment on board, where the restoration team also installed a removable Marshall Kilburn II cubby speaker system.

Lando Norris can brag about an impressive car collection, and all his rides are customized

Retro Automotive only builds 15 vehicles per year, but the demand outruns the offer by far. The retro-styled Defender 90 will join Lando Norris' stunning car collection. He owns a Lamborghini Miura, which we wrote about when the F1 driver needed to be pushed down the road in Monaco because his car would not start.

Last year, he took delivery of his McLaren MCL60, which is a customized 765LT Spider in Gloss Blue Tint Visual Carbon Fibre with Satin Visual Carbon Fibre detailing, wearing Lando Yellow brake calipers and Satin Black wheels.

He also owns a customized McLaren Artura painted in Aurora Blue that he received in January 2023, which was sooner than anyone else who ordered one. His Artura rides on ten-spoke super-lightweight Dynamo Forged Alloy Wheels with a Gloss Black finish.