Interview with Job Hennekes, The Landrovers

The Landrovers rebuilds classic Land Rover Defenders as fully bespoke V8 and electric vehicles. With GOcontroll’s flexible electronics, displays and support, the team can develop, test and continue to expand digital functions quickly.

Custom Defenders ready for a digital future

From classic Defender to a modern connected vehicle

The Landrovers in Amsterdam builds high-end, fully bespoke Land Rover Defenders. Each vehicle is stripped back to the chassis, rebuilt and fitted with an interior, drivetrain and technology tailored to the customer’s requirements. Its electric division, Panthera, focuses on the transition to electric Defenders.

The challenge is considerable: every vehicle is different. At the same time, customers expect a modern driving experience, with digital information, comfort features and intuitive controls. For a small engineering team, that calls for an electronics platform that not only suits the vehicle of today, but also leaves room for new requirements as development progresses.

“A freely programmable ECU was not really available, and GOcontroll was one of the few companies offering one.” Job Hennekes | Head of EV Engineering & R&D, The Landrovers

One flexible platform for control and experience

GOcontroll supports The Landrovers with controllers, a digital instrument cluster and an infotainment display. The electric Defenders use a compact GOcontroll Moduline M1, an instrument-cluster display and an infotainment display. The digital cluster is already in use in the V8 models, while further integration of other components is being explored.

The displays are the driver’s first digital interaction with the vehicle. When unlocking and starting the car, the driver immediately sees relevant vehicle information. The instrument cluster shows warnings and status information, while the infotainment display provides a central point for controls and the in-cabin experience.

GOcontroll also plays an important role behind the scenes. The Moduline M1 is used by The Landrovers as a body control module for functions such as heating, the blower, seat heating and windscreen wipers. This centralises the control of a wide range of vehicle functions, allowing the controls to match the bespoke character of every Defender.

Development without starting over

For The Landrovers, the system’s key strength is its flexibility. New customer requirements often emerge during a project or after a vehicle concept has progressed further. These may include seat cooling, a massage function or other additional electrical features. With interchangeable hardware modules, the team can add outputs that suit the new function.

The software is freely programmable, and Panthera uses Simulink for this. Engineers can therefore tailor the logic, signals and controls to a specific Defender. The display interface is also configurable. When one customer needed larger digits, for example, The Landrovers was able to incorporate that requirement quickly.

“By adding a module, you can easily create extra outputs that do exactly what you need them to do.”

From test setup to production vehicle

The compact size and interchangeability of GOcontroll modules also make them valuable beyond the final vehicle configuration. The Landrovers uses modules in temporary in-vehicle test setups and for stationary tests. When measuring a cooling circuit with many sensors, for example, the team could quickly deploy a controller, connect the sensors and read the data.

This accelerates learning during development. Engineers can investigate or validate a function without immediately committing to a final vehicle architecture. The hardware can then be reused or adapted for the next application.

Close collaboration for a fast-changing market

The automotive world is evolving at speed. That is why The Landrovers values a partner that is accessible when a new technical question arises. The collaboration with GOcontroll is personal and driven by the application: together, the teams review the current setup, new functions and opportunities to improve the products further.

This suits a builder that transforms classic Defenders into vehicles with a modern digital core. The Landrovers combines craftsmanship with the development of bespoke and electric Defenders in Amsterdam.

“Easy to configure, also for the long term.”

The project behind the interview

GOcontroll developed a full digital cockpit and I/O solution for The Landrovers’ rebuilt and electric Defenders, including HMI, control hardware and CAN-based system integration.