Sorry should have added it’s a 1997 90 series.
What engine is this?
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Is the 2.0 Mpi engine, only made for the Italian police and yes, is rare but factory originally
That should be fun getting parts for.
if I am not mistaken it is basically a fiat/alfa-romeo engine , I may be wrong.
thanks for the info! Yeah not sure about this one. I think I’ll pass and look for a 300 tdi
It will surely have had other applications, so as long as enough are out there, I wouldn't expect parts availability to be too bad for most of it. My concern would be the bits that are unique to this installation, such as that upper radiator hose.if I am not mistaken it is basically a fiat/alfa-romeo engine , I may be wrong.
as with many other land rover models, there is support in the uk. rimmer bros, island 4x4, paddock spares, jhon craddock, are some whom list engine parts for the mpi, all else is just like any other solid axle land rover.
Appears to be a Rover T16 engine if I understand correctly..
From a Hemmings For Sale Ad:
"The Rover 2.0 MPi is a DOHC, 16-valve 2.0-liter four-cylinder gas engine with electronically controlled port fuel injection. The manufacturer rated it at 136 horsepower and 140 lb-ft of torque new, respectable figures for a 2.0-liter four in the 1990s. Though offered in Land Rover’s Euro-market Discovery models, it was not offered in the Defender except, apparently, by special fleet order. It was chosen for the Carabinieri fleet because it was quicker and faster than the diesel engine and more efficient than the gas V8 offered. (One of the nine included videos shows this vehicle cruising at 100 km/h, or 62 mph.) "
Another Interesting Article that talks about the engine as well:
"Chris’s Land Rover Defender 90 was built by Land Rover at the Defender production line under the order of the military sales division of Land Rover. A grand total of 840 were built for the Italian Carabinieri as police vehicles. They were unique that they used the Rover 2.0 -liter T16 DOHC gasoline engine. The Italian Carabinieri specified this engine due to high fuel taxation and the lack of diesel supplies at the time.
Land Rover would build the Defender 90 on the regular production line in batches as they required very little component changes over the standard engine Defenders had at the time. To modify them for the Carabinieri, the different engine was mated to the existing R380 transmission and LT230 transfer case by way of different bell housings and engine mounts. Outside of that, a small ECU was placed under the passenger seat, a fuel pump and all the associated cooling and fluid pumping ancillaries were also added—very simple modifications.
The T16 engine is a low horsepower engine that produces its power at higher RPM s and is great for zipping around town. It could also happily carry the Defender in excess of 70+ MPH. What it did lack, however, was low-down torque (compared to the standard 300Tdi diesel engine of its time)."
From a Hemmings For Sale Ad:
"The Rover 2.0 MPi is a DOHC, 16-valve 2.0-liter four-cylinder gas engine with electronically controlled port fuel injection. The manufacturer rated it at 136 horsepower and 140 lb-ft of torque new, respectable figures for a 2.0-liter four in the 1990s. Though offered in Land Rover’s Euro-market Discovery models, it was not offered in the Defender except, apparently, by special fleet order. It was chosen for the Carabinieri fleet because it was quicker and faster than the diesel engine and more efficient than the gas V8 offered. (One of the nine included videos shows this vehicle cruising at 100 km/h, or 62 mph.) "
Another Interesting Article that talks about the engine as well:
"Chris’s Land Rover Defender 90 was built by Land Rover at the Defender production line under the order of the military sales division of Land Rover. A grand total of 840 were built for the Italian Carabinieri as police vehicles. They were unique that they used the Rover 2.0 -liter T16 DOHC gasoline engine. The Italian Carabinieri specified this engine due to high fuel taxation and the lack of diesel supplies at the time.
Land Rover would build the Defender 90 on the regular production line in batches as they required very little component changes over the standard engine Defenders had at the time. To modify them for the Carabinieri, the different engine was mated to the existing R380 transmission and LT230 transfer case by way of different bell housings and engine mounts. Outside of that, a small ECU was placed under the passenger seat, a fuel pump and all the associated cooling and fluid pumping ancillaries were also added—very simple modifications.
The T16 engine is a low horsepower engine that produces its power at higher RPM s and is great for zipping around town. It could also happily carry the Defender in excess of 70+ MPH. What it did lack, however, was low-down torque (compared to the standard 300Tdi diesel engine of its time)."
It would be a cool engine/truck to own, but not as an only one.
Even the BMW engine is MUCH easier to get parts on a Saturday afternoon than this will be.
If you can deal with waiting a week for parts when needed it's fine, I'm sure. And as a second (or third) car, also fine. But relying on it for an expedition, I would not want it. Electronic fuel injection is efficient and powerful, but failures of electronics can strand you. And that could come from a lot of sources. I'm (personally) not comfortable with that.
Even the BMW engine is MUCH easier to get parts on a Saturday afternoon than this will be.
If you can deal with waiting a week for parts when needed it's fine, I'm sure. And as a second (or third) car, also fine. But relying on it for an expedition, I would not want it. Electronic fuel injection is efficient and powerful, but failures of electronics can strand you. And that could come from a lot of sources. I'm (personally) not comfortable with that.
If that truck is ex Italian police, it should have the rear fuel tank (so I've been told). Could be a great truck to own and if the engine ever starts to have issues, just swap it to a 300.
some years ago, the opportunity presented where I drove a 90 with same equipment. very nice power band I liked it very much.
This link answers the questions raised in post 1:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover_T-series_engine
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rover_T-series_engine
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