Stark Future puts full EV Land Rover Defender called “The Beast” up for auction
Stark Future has revealed a surprise new project, though it’s unclear why the electric bike brand is suddenly involved with a giant EV off-roader.
Electric dirt bike firm Stark Future has announced one of its strangest projects to date, and it’s not another version of the VARG. Instead, it’s auctioning off a heavily modified 2011 Land Rover Defender 130 that’s been converted to electric power — even though Stark itself doesn’t appear to have actually developed any of the tech inside it.
Called ‘The Beast’, the Defender has been built by Swedish conversion specialist Vintage Volts alongside Electric Classic Cars, with Stark mainly acting as the company putting its name to the project and handling the auction side of things. Bidding opens at €1 on May 22, which is either a bold marketing stunt or a very expensive way of getting attention.
The Defender itself is undeniably impressive on paper. The original diesel engine has been ripped out and replaced with a Tesla-derived electric drivetrain producing around 450bhp, with power sent to all four wheels through the original propshaft setup. There’s also a colossal 160kWh battery pack tucked underneath it, which is substantially bigger than what you’ll find in most modern EVs.
According to Stark, the converted Defender has already completed a 6,000km road trip from Wales to Sweden and then down to Barcelona using public CCS chargers, proving it’s more than just a static showpiece.
The vehicle is currently located in Sweden and registered on Swedish plates. Buyers outside Sweden are responsible for all transport, export, and registration in their country.
The Beast features a blacked-out paint scheme from nose to tail and sits on chunky off-road rubber. The interior is retrimmed in brown leather, while Stark also points out that you can apparently fit two Stark VARG bikes in the back while charging them at the same time, which feels suspiciously like the real reason this thing exists in the first place - although no bikes are included in the auction!
That’s really where the confusion starts, though. Stark Future has built its reputation on lightweight, high-performance electric motorcycles, not oversized electric luxury projects based on old Land Rovers. And while the company talks about sustainability and performance no longer being opposites, there’s no mention anywhere of Stark-developed motors, batteries, software or charging tech being used in the Defender itself.
So while ‘The Beast’ is certainly eye-catching, it feels a bit like a very expensive side quest.
You can check out the auction for yourself on the official website.
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Simon (AKA Toad) has been working within the motorcycle industry for more than twelve years, and a member of the motorcyclist family since birth. Growing up around British-built single and twins, it was inevitable that a life on two wheels was on the cards, from a very early age!
