It's no secret that finding a suitable replacement for the Land Rover Defender will be no small feat. The iconic SUV is being phased out due to increasingly strict emissions standards, and the successor, which is only known as the Land Rover DC100, was recently shown off as a concept at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show to mixed reactions.

What was to complain about? While it's hard to imagine any negative aspects of a new Land Rover model, diehard Land Rover fans disapproved of the vehicle's exterior styling, claiming it was too clean, smooth, and modern. In other words, it was a far cry away from the rugged and aggressive styling that the Defender is known for. The people at Land Rover haven't let lukewarm reaction stop them from persevering, however, as they're now ready to show off the next iteration of the concept at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show, later this month.

More specifically, Land Rover Global Brand Director, John Edwards responded to the feedback, saying, "Sometimes we talk too much about the NAS [North American specification] 90 Defender and surfer dudes, and not enough about the Red Cross, Zambia or the Australian Outback. We want to get back to our roots, but it would be nice if in doing so, we can also sell it to the Californian surfer dude."¹

Of course that last section of the statement about "Californian surfer dudes" combined with the fact that the new Defender replacement being shown off at the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show has led some to believe that the final DC100 production model could make its way to U.S. shores. While Jaguar/Land Rover Honolulu can't confirm whether or not this is true, we can safely say that we hope it is, especially considering the fact that Land Rover took the feedback from its fans concerning the DC100 concept to heart.

Jaguar/Land Rover Honolulu, located at 744 Ala Moana Boulevard, Honolulu, HI, promises to keep you informed on any updates concerning the Land Rover DC100, so make sure to stay tuned.

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¹http://www.motorauthority.com/news/1067932_first-world-problems-revised-land-rover-dc100-coming-to-la