Land Rover Defender Dakar D7X-R is ready to tame Saudi dunes
Based on the ultimate road-going Land Rover Defender OCTA, this rally-raid contender will roar into action in the 2026 Dakar
Defender OCTA-derived, with wider track, increased ride height and new suspension. New competition Geopalette livery is inspired by the desert
Car of the month – Defender Dakar D7X-R
I haven’t spotted this on the school run!
And chances are you won’t – unless your kids happen to be educated in the wilds of Saudi Arabia’s desert. This is the Defender Rally team’s new Dakar challenger, and it’s quite a thing to behold. Called the D7X-R, it’s a pumped-up, specced-out development of the Defender OCTA…
…The Defender what?
OCTA – the ultimate road-going Defender. That arrived somewhat under the radar earlier this year as a more hardcore Chelsea tractor; taller, wider, faster, etc… Mind you, it did become the first Defender ever to conquer every one of Jaguar Land Rover’s demanding test trails at its Eastnor Castle test centre in Herefordshire, so it has something extra about it.
FIA-regulated navigation system.
What’s new, then?
The factory-backed Defender Rally team has taken the base of the OCTA, specifically the D7x body, 4×4 driveline and 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 and beefed everything up ready for the toughest rally in the world. As it’s running in the Stock class the body architecture and engine cannot be modified much – save for switching to sustainable fuel for the 600bhp+ powerplant. So the work has gone in elsewhere. There’s been a 60mm track increase and fitment of 35in tyres plus the wider arches to accommodate them, bespoke coil-over suspension from Bilstein, endurance rally brakes, revised cooling and air ducting plus a monstrous 550-litre fuel tank built into the back.
Who’s driving?
Defender Rally hasn’t skimped on this, with its lead car boasting 14-time Dakar Rally winner Stéphane Peterhansel being navigated by Michaël ‘Mika’ Metge, second cousin of three-time Dakar winner René. Motocross champion and four-time Dakar stage winner Sara Price drives a second alongside Sean Berriman, while Lithuanian rally star Rokas Baciuska handles the third with Oriol Vidal navigating.
D7X-R even has a ‘Flight Mode’ to cope with jumps
Where can I see it in action?
Defender Rally will be tackling the full FIA World Rally-Raid Championship. It begins with the Dakar (January 3-17) before rounds in Portugal, Argentina, Morocco and UAE.
Can I buy one?
Funnily enough, no, given that it’s a bespoke competition machine built by the factory. You can, however, have a road-going OCTA, which will set you back around £150,000.