FUTURA BLACK

"Futura" is commonly associated with a typeface that was created by Paul Renner in 1927. This iconic Sans-Serif font, till today, represents an overall-aesthetic that is clean, modern and functional. "Black" — well, the colour that really needs little introduction — contains an almost infinite spectrum of paradoxes.

Not many vehicle manufacturers in the twenty-first century boasts the use of aluminium body panels and exposed pop-rivets. Out of the factory, the external design features of a Land Rover Defender bear uncanny resemblance to that of aircrafts. Futura Black, a 2015 Land Rover Defender 110, is no exception.

Customised floorboards with cargo L-tracks cover the rear tub of the truck. 3M grip-tape line the floorboards in a similar manner to that of the Agustawestland AW101 Merlin HC3 Choppers.

Futura Black is all about an unrestrained creativity that borderlines absurdity. Door cards that are lined with aircraft fire-retardant insulation blankets? Yes, that's Future Black at its finest. You see, what came to mind, at some point, was a twin-engine Bell Jet Ranger helicopter with gloss black paintwork — sleek but then again not too sleek.

An airflow regulator is installed in the rear of the cabin to allow quick and accessible regulation of compressed air. Having an airflow regulator can be useful in many situations. Suppose you've released pressure from your tyres for an offroad situation. Technically, with an airflow regulator, you should be able to redistribute pressure into the deflated tyres using your spare tyre.

Cargo L-tracks are also mounted along the rear panel of the vehicle to create a convenient tie-down system for easy storage and quick access to essential items such as, tools, rain jackets, camp chairs, a first aid-kit, a get-home bag, etc.

We've installed Bawer toolbox compartments on both sides of the truck to utilise the otherwise dead space. Inside the left toolbox, we've mounted a Shurflo 12V water pump which is connected to a Frontrunner (LH wheel arch mounted) 36-litre water tank.

The custom laser-cut switch panel consolidates toggle controls for the external and cabin lighting, the winch, the water pump, the in-vehicle communications, etc. The wires run under the headliner and into a Blue Sea Systems fuse block, which is placed behind the passenger seat, closer to the ACDelco deep-cycle marine batteries.

Now to challenge the convenient notion of giving female-names to our beloved vehicles. Let's face it, beneath all that understated charm, Futura Black is indeed a masculine work-horse that has been built to be punished by the toughest of terrains. This isn't the blossoming romance of a love affair but rather the loyal companionship of a best friend.

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"Hutan Custom Works" is an ongoing mini-series featuring awesome vehicles in the Great Southeast.

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