GAYDON (ENGLAND) (ITALPRESS) – The Defender OCTA, the performance pinnacle of the unstoppable family, will form the basis of the competition Defenders that will compete in the Dakar and FIA World Rally Raid Championship starting in 2026, showcasing its extreme performance credentials in the world’s toughest off-road events.Unstoppable all-terrain capability and strength are at the core of the Defender concept itself, and these characteristics are essential for any rally-raid competition vehicle. Choosing the Defender OCTA, the fastest and most capable Defender ever made, as the basis for the British adventure brand’s rally-raid program was therefore a natural choice. Defender will compete with two competition vehicles in all five rounds of the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) in the “Stock” category for production vehicles and with three vehicles in the championship’s flagship event, the Dakar Rally, starting in 2026.By 2026, new regulations aimed at making the “Stock” category significantly more competitive will come into effect, as FIA and Dakar organizers respond to the growing popularity of high-performance 4×4s and SUVs. It is the increased performance allowed by these new regulations that make the Stock category perfect for authentically demonstrating the Defender’s extreme durability and capability.The heart of the Defender OCTA, and of the competition units, is the rugged D7x (x for Extreme, ed.) platform. Based on the lightweight aluminum monocoque structure of every Defender, it is three times stronger than traditional body-frame designs and offers impressive torsional rigidity. This inherent strength, combined with the tailored geometry and design of the Defender OCTA kinematics, made it an obvious choice for the Dakar program. The specially prepared competition vehicles will share the Defender OCTA’s platform, drivetrain and driveline layout-according to Dakar and W2RC regulations-to showcase their unstoppable capability and durability. Power will be provided by the Defender OCTA’s 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8.A comprehensive testing and development program of the Defender competition cars is already underway. This will culminate in test events and the launch of the team by the end of the year, ahead of the Dakar and FIA World Rally Raid Championship in 2026.
photo: press office JLR Italy(ITALPRESS).
