Hailing from the Isle of Man, Mark Higgins is an incredibly talented Manx racing driver, with an extensive competition history that includes a slew of rally wins and a trio of British Rally Champion titles. And after spending several decades honing his skills behind the wheel of various race cars, Higgins was handpicked by the production of the latest Bond flick to serve as the movie’s official stunt driver.
With 2022 marking the 60th anniversary of the James Bond film franchise, the production has opted to join forces with Land Rover and Bowler to create a commemorative one-off Defender for Higgins to campaign in a stage of the ongoing Bowler Defender Challenge. Also paying homage to four decades of Land Rovers being used in Bond flicks, this custom Defender 90 racer was built by Bowler and has been treated to a lift kit, beefier suspension, Lexan race windows, a modified subframe, strengthened 18” Bowler wheels, a roof spoiler, and a full FIA-spec roll-cage.
Powering the luxury SUV is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder P300 Ingenium powertrain that’s received an upgraded cooling system and a sports exhaust system. The build’s finishing touch is a bespoke black 007-themed livery with gold accents and branding.
Held by Bowler and regulated by the MSA, the 2022 Bowler Defender Challenge — which will see a dozen teams compete — will be a seven stage event, beginning on the 4th of March. Higgins is slated to take on the Rally North Wales stage in Dolgellau on March 26th.
