Helderburg, a builder of classic Land Rover Defenders, announced the completion of Lazare, a bespoke five-door 110 that reportedly incorporates heritage craftsmanship, proprietary engineering and long-distance usability.
Built on a classic Defender chassis, Lazare features a Helderburg 2.8-liter turbo diesel, derived from the Land Rover 300Tdi but reimagined with proprietary CNC-machined internals — including a Helderburg cylinder head, crankshaft, connecting rods, VNT turbo system and a custom stainless exhaust. Helderburg developed these components to increase power, cooling efficiency and long-term durability.
Helderburg
"We built this truck to be a true globe-trotter,” Helderburg CEO and Founder Paul Potratz said. "The 2.8-liter turbo diesel isn’t just powerful, it’s designed for longevity measured in hundreds of thousands of miles. Our clients will see 500,000 to 800,000 miles on these engines. And being able to achieve 28 to 32 mpg without diesel exhaust fluid or complex emissions systems adds real-world usability that many modern platforms simply don’t offer.”
Lazare’s chassis features Helderburg’s signature suspension lift, widened track for added stability, custom radius arms and proprietary progressive coil springs developed in Germany exclusively for Helderburg. As a result, users can reportedly drive the Defender all day, whether in the city, on long highway routes or over rugged terrain.
"The Defender’s steering was once its weakest point,” Potratz said. "Our steering geometry and components make it light, calm and precise. You can guide it with two fingers. When paired with our CNC-machined braking system with six pistons in the front and four in the rear, it gives you a level of control that surprises anyone familiar with vintage trucks.”
Helderburg
Lazare's cabin features a single-tone burgundy leather tanned to order exclusively for this commission. Sourced from Italy, the leather is nearly four times thicker than standard automotive upholstery, approaching the density of fine boot leather, while retaining a supple, glove-like feel due to its high-wax tanning process.
Other features include a bespoke stitching pattern created specifically for Lazare, soft metallic gold, billet aluminum, nickel details and custom-built seat frames, wheel diameters and console heights.
Helderburg
Combined with sound deadening and a soldered Focal Utopia audio system with beryllium tweeters, the interior also benefits from Helderburg’s thicker automotive glass, which reduces cabin noise, improves insulation and enhances climate stability.
Modern conveniences include an Alpine head unit with Apple CarPlay, a backup camera and an optional multi-camera security system that records continuously with cloud-based motion alerts.
The exterior is finished in a classic Ferrari–inspired metallic gold and bronze tone, a custom mix developed in-house for this commission. The paintwork alone represents a $43,700 process involving Helderburg’s three-stage finish.
Helderburg
Signature Helderburg elements complete the exterior, including CNC-machined billet aluminum hardware, designed to replace the original plastic components that commonly fade or degrade and a fully integrated six-point external roll cage tied directly into the chassis for structural integrity and visual presence.
"We preserved the iconic Defender silhouette,” Potratz said, "But every detail beneath it has been reworked for the modern era. Lazare may look familiar at first glance, but everything from the engine internals to the door mechanisms has been reconsidered. It is a classic in appearance, but mechanically, it is an entirely new vehicle.”
