The Underpowered Hour

Steve Beres and Ike Goss catch up on a busy week of Land Rover projects and travel plans, including Steve’s upcoming trip to Canada to retrieve a green early-’90s Defender 300 TDI high-capacity pickup that’s been stored with family in Vancouver/Canmore, with plans to convert it into a Camel Trophy–style support truck for the NORRA rally and address pickup duty by adding seats. They riff on Canadian stereotypes and discuss the Calgary Stampede, including rodeo events and chuckwagon racing. Ike shares Pangolin4x4 shop updates: a newly purchased Series II 109 pickup after a five-year delayed acceptance, progress fabricating one-off window hardware for a coachbuilt “Woody” wagon, reverting an off-road-built short-wheelbase pickup back to stock-ish spec, building a marine blue 109 wagon, and planning an 86-inch restomod with a fuel-injected 2.8L four-cylinder. They also preview the national rally in Ouray, a 1927 Harley-Davidson pickup in Fort Collins, and a potential Series 1 Whipsaw Trail trip, plus tease upcoming guests Jeff Aronson and possibly Sarah Price.

On this episode of The Underpowered Hour, Steve Beres and Ike Goss cover Land Rover and 4x4 news, including Ford’s Filson Edition “fancy” Bronco aimed at the Defender market and rumors of a JLR–Stellantis co-development deal to build vehicles in the U.S. to avoid tariffs, noting prior Jeep–Land Rover prototype history. They discuss rare Land Rover amphibians like the APGP and the Mark II Amphibian mock-up, then react to a California Highway Patrol pursuit that ended with a 2018 Land Rover submerged in Lake Isabella and the driver killed. They touch on uncertainty around Gerry McGovern’s status and spy shots of a lightly camouflaged 2027 Defender facelift. They also talk about Jason Momoa’s On the Roam featuring Electrogenic electric conversions of classic Land Rovers and mention the film We Bury the Dead, where Daisy Ridley drives a Perentie in Tasmania.

Steve Beres and Liza Beres cover news while Ike Goss and Jenna Fribley are away interviewing Tread Lightly. They discuss Land Rover’s Sedona Edition red Defender 90 and the practicality challenges of owning a 90 with a kid and dog, plus updates on the Defender Rally team competing in Argentina’s FIA-certified Desafío Ruta 40 where all three Defenders finished and Sarah Price races as part of an all-women’s team. They also highlight new Mini GT Camel Trophy Land Rover miniatures, including a Sikorsky helicopter display and a Tierra del Fuego 110 with a raft accessory. In the featured interview, Jenna speaks with Tread Lightly executive director James Boyd about the nonprofit’s origins, the TREAD principles, education and trail-maintenance work to prevent closures, funding via grants, membership and partnerships, and the new “Protect What Moves You” campaign and BRP-supported training incentives.

Steve Beres and Ike Goss open the Underpowered Hour with Land Rover news, including a UK pastor caught using a cellphone while driving who avoids disqualification by arguing his congregation would suffer without him, and JLR’s CEO signaling renewed investment in the struggling Discovery—alongside discussion of Discovery’s dog-focused “Pet Pack” accessories. They’re then joined by Rebelle Rally team sponsors Aaron and Jasper of ModPro AI, who share their automotive backgrounds and the origin of their app after spending heavily to modestly increase power on a Subaru WRX. They explain ModPro AI’s enthusiast community, digital garage, social features, and AI advisor that aggregates data and provides recommendations with a confidence meter, plus upcoming agentic AI improvements and plans for business profiles and groups. The guests recount touring Jay Leno’s collection, seeing a Pantera, and witnessing delivery of a Leopard tank.

Steve Beres and Ike Goss kick off the Underpowered Hour by reacting to a Range Rover SV Ultra (and “Ultra Mega”) promo highlighting a 21-speaker electrostatic sound system, haptic “sensory floor,” and wellness modes that spark jokes about cost, recalls, and a 4D in-car experience. They then discuss conflicting Jaguar Land Rover financial headlines, including profits reportedly down 99% due to warranty costs tied to a 170,000-vehicle recall, cyber attacks, Middle East war impacts, and tariffs, though the loss “beat expectations.” Next, they cover the UK Ministry of Defense seeking a classic Defender replacement, with potential bids from Land Rover, the Ineos Grenadier, and other manufacturers, plus rumors of a smaller Ineos EV partnership tied to Chery and the name “Fusilier.” Ike recaps attending Oregon’s Rover Rendezvous in a 1957 Series I 107 station wagon, including minor repairs and a failed voltage regulator, and they close with upcoming guests and Steve’s excitement about a Dutch Bros opening in Valencia.

00:00 Show Intro and Hosts
01:20 SV Ultra Mega Tease
02:59 Electrostatic Audio Demo
05:22 Wellness Modes Mockups
07:50 4D Haptics and Price Jokes
09:12 JLR Profits and Recalls
11:04 MOD Defender Replacement Race
13:28 Military Needs vs New Defender
14:32 Who Will Build It
15:07 Tiny Grenadier Rumors
16:18 Chery Partnership Speculation
17:08 Fusilier Name Reveal
18:12 Tranquility Mode Banter
18:47 Oregon Rover Rendezvous
19:55 107 Wagon Road Trip Fixes
20:59 Event Trucks and Activities
21:53 Anarch 80th Planning
22:47 JB Weld Head Gasket Saga
24:14 Bad Repairs Philosophy
25:29 Next Week and Dutch Bros
27:03 Signing Off