Love the new Suzuki Jimny, but want it to look just a little bit more like a classic Land Rover Defender?

Your wishes have been answered by Japanese tuning company Dream Automotive Development & Design (better known as DAMD), thanks to their latest product offering.

As reported by Wired.co.uk, DAMD now offer a special ‘Little D’ conversion kit for the latest Jimny, transforming it into a pint-sized replica of the famed Defender.

Defending the faith

With rugged styling, genuine off-road ability, and an overall air of utilitarianism the new Jimny is arguably already the spiritual successor to the original Defender. 

Driving the Jimny when launched in October 2018, we said that it could “kick sand in the eyes of any crossover”, and was in the same league as the “Land Rover Defender, Jeep Wrangler and Mercedes-Benz G-Class” in the dirt.

Adding the DAMD Little D kit to the Jimny now means it can fully resemble the British icon that has helped inspire it, with a comprehensive body kit and a range of optional parts to complete the look. 

The core Little D kit includes new bumpers front and rear, a replacement front grille, reshaped bonnet, and widened wheel arches. New lights are added to further the transformation, along with raised lettering to the leading edge of the bonnet. 

DAMD also fits oversized mud flaps as part of the kit, and completes the shrunken Defender image with a green oval badge on the front grille. 

Once fitted, the Little D kit lets the Jimny do a more than passable impersonation of the Defender. Further options include painted steel wheels, and seat covers finished in tweed-effect trim. 

Gangsta’s Paradise in miniature

The Little D is not the only body kit offered by DAMD for the new Jimny. The company has also created the ‘Little G’ version, which apes the looks of the Mercedes-Benz G-Class. 

As with the Defender version, turning your Jimny into a pimped-out Mercedes replica needs a new bumper, front grille, wheel arch extensions, and upgraded lights. 

DAMD is also set to launch new Jimny body kits this year. The light blue ‘Dronco’ version is designed to replica the classic Ford Bronco, cleverly done just as collectors go into overdrive for the retro version. The yellow ‘Roots’ offering pays homage to the original Suzuki Jimny from the 1970s. 

Prices for the Little D conversion kit begin at the equivalent of £1,750 plus taxes in Japan, rising to £3,200 should the special steel wheels be added. 

DAMD’s UK importer, Sumo Power, states that buying the Little D kit here should cost £2,500 plus VAT and take up to four months to arrive. Add the inevitable cost of painting and fitting the kit, and it could easily push the cost of a £16,249 of a base Jimny to £20,000.

That still makes it cheaper than the G-Class inspired kit created by Kahn Design, and the Defender vibe seems perfectly suited to the nature of the Suzuki Jimny.

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Described as “the most exciting moment of the day” for this weekend’s Barrett-Jackson Scottsdale auction was the sale of the very first C8 Corvette to roll off the production line. 

And it didn’t disappoint.

Buyer and NASCAR team owner Rick Hendrick paid a pretty penny for the privilege of ownership of VIN 001. A cool $3 million (£2.3 million) bid won him the car.

It didn’t take long, either, with the Vette reaching a $1 million bid in under 15 seconds. It reached $2 million in under 25 seconds, and reached the $3 million figure, where it stayed, after 45 seconds.

General Motors Chairman and CEO Mary Barra was on stage to congratulate Rick, and later took a photo opportunity with the new owner.

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You might wonder if that’s a bit excessive for a car that, with any other VIN, might set you back $80,000. It is however a very special thing being the first, especially given the 60-odd years that Chevrolet has been toying with the idea of a mid-engined Corvette.

Most importantly, however, the money is going to a good cause, benefitting the Detroit Children’s Fund. Over the years, collaborations between General Motors and Barrett-Jackson have raised over $20 million for charitable causes. They can now add the heady $3 million hammer figure for C8 VIN 001 to that.

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The new C8 Corvette mounts its 495hp 6.2-litre LT2 V8 behind the driver, putting power to the rear wheels exclusively through an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Its part-carbon construction, near-supercar performance and quantum leap in quality have lead many to wonder how Chevrolet can sell it from $60,000 (starting). Indeed, it’s rumoured that the C8 actually loses the General money when sold under $78,000.

The MkII Escort RS2000 is established as a firm favourite with British Ford fans, but this Australian version could prove to be a surprise at auction. 

As one of the lots listed for the forthcoming Race Retro sale, organised by Silverstone Auctions, this will be a rare opportunity to buy a four-door RS2000. 

For the RS fan who already has everything, or something different to take to the next Ford meet, this special 1979 Escort could have appeal. 

Wonder from Down Under

The story of the Australian MkII Escort RS2000 began in 1976, when Ford imported 25 European-specification cars for homologation purposes. At that time the Australian Touring Car Championship operated different classes based upon engine size, with the MkII RS2000 fitting neatly into the 2.0-litre division. 

Being so few in number, the 25 German-built cars used by race teams developed a cult status overnight. Despite this, Ford Australia took a further three years to reach the point of producing a local version of the slant-nosed RS2000. 

Whilst Ford procrastinated, the racing RS2000 performed well on track. Rod Stevens took third-place in the overall standings for the 1978 Australian Touring Car Championship, driving an RS. 

Finally, in 1979, Ford Australia began building their very own MkII Escort RS2000. However, it was not a straight copy of the European model, with the car from Down Under featuring a number of distinct differences. 

That the Oz-spec car came in both two- and four-door saloon bodies was the biggest alteration. From a total production of around 2,400 examples, an estimated 880 of the cars that left the Homebush factory in Sydney were four-door RS2000s. 

The droop snoot front grille stayed the same, as did the rear spoiler, four-spoke alloy wheels, and RS exterior graphics for the four-door version.

More doors, less power

Where things became different was under the bonnet. Instead of the ‘Pinto’ engine used in European RS2000s, the Australian cars used the same 2.0-litre ‘Cortina’ unit as found in regular Escorts.

Compared to the 110 hp (82 kW) European cars, it meant the Oz-spec RS2000 had only 94 hp (70 kW). The low weight of the Escort meant this had a negligible effect in reality, shaving only 4 mph from the top speed.

Australian cars also came without the upgraded suspension of the Old World RS2000, but did offer the option to have an automatic transmission fitted.

The 1979 car for sale at the Race Retro auction is one of around twelve Australian-built RS2000s believed to be in the United Kingdom. Having spent life Down Under means no major bodywork repairs have been needed to fight rust, with the Signal Yellow paint still looking vibrant. 

A refurb of the interior has taken place, with ‘Fishnet’ Recaro seats added in place of the standard Scheel items fitted when new. The RS alloy wheels have also been refurbished, and wear new Pirelli rubber. 

A conversion to run on unleaded petrol has also been undertaken, and the RS was noted to have passed its most recent MOT inspection without any advisories. 

Being built for only two years means Australian RS2000s are naturally rare, and even more so on the other side of the world. Finding another will not be easy, and the final sale price will likely reflect that. 

In 2017, Silverstone Auctions saw a very low-mileage MkII RS2000 achieve nearly £100,000 ($189,000) when sold. 

Whether this car can achieve such a huge sale figure remains to be seen, when the car crosses the auction block at the event to be held from the 21st to 23rd February.