Land Rover Is Playing For Keeps At The 2026 Dakar Rally With This Defender

• Land Rover is entering the Defender Dakar D7X-R into the upcoming 2026 Dakar Rally.
• The British automaker is set to compete in the newly created “Stock” category of the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), meaning the car began its life as a production-spec Defender OCTA.
• Powered by a regular 4.4-litre V8, upgrades include a 550-litre fuel tank and 35-inch tyres.

The Dakar Rally consistently attracts the world’s finest racing machines – from improbably large trucks to the ready-to-be-punished motorbikes – and this year we can expect a few more.

For the first time ever, the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) has introduced a “Stock” category, and with clear intentions to claim the maiden title, Land Rover has unveiled its Defender Dakar D7X-R.

The Land Rover Defender Dakar D7X-R began its life as a production Defender OCTA and has retained much of the original road-legal car’s soul by housing a 4.4-litre V8 engine. Mechanically, the D7X-R is unchanged, but the demands of racing in the desert have necessitated a few tweaks – like improved cooling via 12V fans and a vast single radiator in place of the road car’s three.

Additionally, it’s been fitted with new particle filter guards that protect the air intakes from the untold volumes of desert dust the team is anticipating; while an intake restrictor reins in the engine’s output to meet FIA regulations (translation: a decline from the standard OCTA’s output of 467kW).

Other changes to the race-ready Defender include bespoke brakes, Bilstein dampers, 35-inch tyres, and a 550-litre fuel tank, as well as a lower final drive ratio on the eight-speed automatic gearbox to allow for solid torque while moving at a walking pace through sand.

Inside, however, very little remains from the road-faring OCTO, trading luxury detailing for a purely functional fitout that boasts a competition-spec roll cage, FIA-approved navigation systems, and – naturally – racing seats to keep both the driver and navigator comfortable during the longer stages.

As far as the team set to pilot this remarkable vehicle, Land Rover has enlisted the expertise of 14-time Dakar winner Stéphane Peterhansel, Rokas Baciuška, and Sara Price. With the 2026 Dakar Rally set to run from January 3rd to 17th, we’ll be keeping an eye on the Land Rover Defender Dakar D7X-R as it navigates the nearly 8,000-kilometre course.