Land Rover unveils Defender Dakar D7X-R ahead of Jan. 2026 debut

MANILA: Land Rover has unveiled the Defender Dakar D7X-R ahead of its motorsport debut next year.

In a statement, the European automaker shared that the vehicle is set to have its formal introduction at the Dakar Rally come January 2026 (as part of a full 2026 World Rally‑Raid Championship campaign).

A total of three examples will be readied — all expected to overcome more than 80 hours of driving that spans two weeks and cover around 5,000 kilometers of timed stages.

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Here’s what the vehicle is made up of.

Vehicle specifications

Powering the Defender Dakar D7X-R is 4.4‑liter twin‑turbo V8 engine — the same engine found on the Defender Octa.

Based on the Land Rover Philippines website, the aforementioned mill can dish out

Maximum output (in horsepower)	626.3
Peak torque (in Newton meters)	750

On a normal configuration, the Defender Octa can gallop 0-100 kilometers per hour in four seconds.

Aside from mill, the vehicle that will join the competition will also feature the Defender Octa’s eight‑speed automatic gearbox that has been tweaked with a lower final drive ratio to maximize torque at low speed.

However, it gets its fuel from a 550‑liter tank fitted into the vehicle’s rear and its stopping power is guaranteed by a rally‑specification brake system made up of vented discs, six‑piston front and four‑piston rear calipers.

To easily distinguish it from the standard Defender Octa, it will carry a raw, elemental livery inspired by the tones and textures of the desert called “Geopalette.” The said design (which combines sand, stone and earth tones with a hint of Aqua) complements the 35‑inch tire package along with 60-millimeter track width increase and raised ride height — making the vehicle truly Dakar Rally-ready.

In addition, the Defender D7X‑R kept the Octa’s design language but increased the approach and departure angles and now boasts extended wheel arches for a bolder stance (and accommodate that wider track.

Further, the vehicle’s door panels have been reduced and sills were added to accommodate extended under‑floor protection,

Its suspension has been enhanced with a performance damper system — including single coil‑over front and parallel twin dampers at the rear, developed in collaboration with Bilstein.

Inside, the Defender Dakar D7X-R is equipped with:

• Competition‑specification roll cage
• FIA‑regulated navigation system and driver head‑up display for speed and heading, along with a driver‑configurable motorsport dashboard.
• Six‑buckle seats 
• Eight‑liters of water, three spare wheels – housed in place of the rear seats and secured to the new roll cage
• Tool kit
• Compressed air and essential spare parts
•  Integrated hydraulic jacks

Lastly, the Defender D7X-R’s electronics are managed by a single motorsport control unit with bespoke in‑house race‑ready calibrations deployed. It also has a new “Flight Mode” has also been developed by the Defender Rally team to help cope with the many jumps experienced in the desert dunes.

Flight Mode automatically adjusts torque delivery from the engine to the wheels whenever the D7X‑R is airborne to ensure a smooth landing and protect the driveline.

All three race-ready vehicles will be manned by the following:

• Stéphane Peterhansel and Mika Metge
• Rokas Baciuška and Oriol Vidal
• Sara Price with Sean Berriman 

 “Defender is the original British adventure brand, synonymous with unstoppable capability and epic adventure, something which we are proud to showcase on the competitive world stage. Defender Dakar D7X‑R is the toughest Defender ever built. It carries the same core architecture and silhouette as Defender Octa but has been developed to take on the ultimate competitive off‑road adventure. Dakar pushes everything to the limit and competing in a rally‑raid of this scale will authentically showcase Defender’s capability and robustness in the most extreme and harshest conditions on the planet,” Defender Managing Director Mark Cameron shared.

For his part, Defender Rally Team Principal Ian James shared Cameron’s beliefs.

“Defender is driving into the unknown – to overcome the dunes, handle the heat and race flat‑out against the clock. We know Dakar represents one of the toughest challenges in motorsport – but that’s exactly why we are entering. Following an intense testing program, the team is ready for the adventure ahead and the Defender Dakar D7X‑R has been built to take it on. With world‑class partners and some of the best rally‑raid drivers on the planet, we’ll give it our all. I’m incredibly proud and excited to make our competitive debut in the W2RC and I look forward to what the season will bring,” he said.

Also read:

Land Rover Defender Octa: down and dirty

Land Rover Defender Octa unleashed for PH market

Land Rover Defender Octa Black debuts at 2025 Goodwood FOS

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