The countdown to Dakar 2026 has begun, and Land Rover is rolling into Saudi Arabia with something rather serious. It is called the Defender Dakar D7X, R, and it is essentially the wilder rally-ready sibling of the road-going Defender Octa. Think less luxury SUV and more giant sand-crushing battering ram with number plates.
Three of these machines will take on the Dakar starting on 3 January, and they will compete in the Stock class. Now, Stock sounds tame, but Dakar rules only allow limited changes, so the race car is bizarrely less extreme than some of the accessorised Defenders you see outside coffee shops on weekends.
Under the bonnet sits the same factory 4.4-litre twin turbo V8 that the Octa gets. The production version makes 626bhp, but because the FIA does not like too much fun, an air restrictor cuts some of that power. Torque figures remain impressive and certainly not something you will complain about when climbing dunes at full throttle in 45-degree heat.
The big visual changes come from the stance. The D7X R rides higher and wider and wears massive 35-inch tyres tucked under extended arches. There are beefed-up Bilstein dampers, extra underbody protection and a cabin full of mandatory safety gear. No leather sofas or massage seats here, only a cockpit built for surviving rocks, jumps and the occasional awkward landing.
Speaking of landing, there is a new feature called Flight mode. Land Rover will not explain the wizardry in deta, but the system adjusts torque to help the Defender stay smooth when it leaves the ground and returns to it. Not something you will use in a mall parking lot, but great pub conversation material.
The most surprising modification is the fuel tank. Dakar stages run long, and engines stay stressed, so the D7X R carries more than six times the production capacity in fuel. Fully topped up, the fuel alone weighs close to half a tonne. On the bright side, stopping for petrol will not be a regular concern.
Land Rover has a history in Dakar. The very first edition in 1979 was won by a lightly modified two-door Range Rover. So the pressure is on. If these three Defenders make it to the finish without being overtaken by someone in an old Toyota Land Cruiser, it will only strengthen the Defender’s off-road reputation.
Will this racing pedigree trickle into the road cars? Possibly. And even if Flight mode never becomes a normal feature, you cannot deny that a dashboard button marked Takeoff would look brilliant.
