New Land Rover Defenders are Dakar Ready

There’s no denying that the overall reaction to the reintroduction of the Land Rover Defender in 2020 was lukewarm at best. Now it seems Land Rover is playing a bit of catch-up with varying new Defender models specifically engineered for the kind of off-roading this legendary 4×4 is associated with, and even one that’s built to take on the legendary Dakar rally.

The Defender Octa debuted earlier this year and features a host of upgrades geared toward performance on and off the pavement. For starters, it’s powered by a twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 that cranks out 626 horsepower. That’s 108 more horsepower than the second most powerful option, and over double the stock 2.0 four-cylinder. The twin-turbo V8 pushes 590 pound-feet of torque, and it boasts a 0-60 time of 3.8 seconds. The track is widened by 2.7 inches, and the Octa boasts 11.5 inches of ground clearance. And because stream crossings happen, the Octa can handle just shy of three feet of water. 35.4 inches to be exact.

If the Octa isn’t off-road ready and performance-focused enough for you, don’t fret, because while it isn’t available at the local dealership, the Defender D7X-R is ready to take on one of the world’s toughest tracks. This Rover will be piloted by four-time Dakar Rally stage winner Sara Price in the 2026 edition of the race. Sara will be competing in the “Stock” category across a nearly 5,000-mile course that features tough desert terrain and conditions that push both driver and machine. With any luck the modifications and engineering found on the D7X-R will trickle down to future iterations of the Defender available to the public.

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