- Defender Rally unveils the Defender Dakar D7X-R in all-new competition livery
- Defender Dakar D7X-R will make its competitive debut at the Dakar Rally in January as part of a full 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) campaign
- The Defender Dakar D7X-R, derived from a production Defender OCTA, is built to compete in the ‘Stock’ category of the W2RC – the perfect platform to showcase Defender’s capability
- Defender Dakar D7X-R retains Defender OCTA’s tough D7x body architecture, transmission, driveline and 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, which will run on an advanced sustainable fuel*
- Tough new D7X-R is modified for the extremes of W2RC competition with wider track, increased ride height, new suspension and enhanced cooling
- Synonymous with excellence in suspension technology, BILSTEIN joins Defender Rally as Official Shock Absorber Partner
- Drivers Stéphane Peterhansel, Sara Price and Rokas Baciuška will begin the ultimate off-road test of human and mechanical endurance in their Defender Dakar D7X-Rs on 03 January
Defender Rally has unveiled the all-new Defender Dakar D7X-R, the team’s official entry for the 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), ahead of its competitive debut at the Dakar Rally in January – the world’s most extreme rally-raid.
A talented team of drivers and co-drivers will take on the epic adventure in the Defender Dakar D7X-R, where three crews will endure more than 80-hours of competitive driving over two-weeks and around 5,000km of timed stages. Dakar-legend Stéphane Peterhansel and Mika Metge; Rokas Baciuška and Oriol Vidal; and Sara Price with Sean Berriman will be backed by an experienced team of mechanics and engineers, with newly appointed Team Principal, Ian James, at the helm.
Each Defender Dakar D7X-R originates from the assembly line at Defender’s state-of-the-art production manufacturing facility in Nitra, Slovakia, adhering to regulations which mandate that the bodyshell of the competition car must not be modified from its production origins.
The FIA regulations for the new Stock category, launched for 2026, stipulate what must not be changed from the production vehicle, as well as what and how modifications can be made. The Defender Dakar D7X-R adopts the same robust D7x body architecture, transmission and driveline layout as the Defender OCTA, the most capable production Defender ever made. The D7X-R will also be powered by the OCTA’s 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine – another element that cannot be modified – and will run on an advanced sustainable fuel, as defined and compliant with FIA regulations*.
Defender Dakar D7X-R will compete in a raw, elemental and powerful livery inspired by the tones and textures of the desert. The all-new ‘Geopalette’ design takes its cues from the arid landscapes that characterise the Dakar. It combines sand, stone and earth tones with a hint of Aqua, drawn from the rare desert waters that bring contrast and clarity.
Mark Cameron, Managing Director, Defender, said: “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.”
Introducing Defender Dakar D7X-R
While the Stock category regulations restrict changes to key elements of Defender OCTA, the competition model features a range of modifications by Defender Rally designed for the extreme challenge provided by the Dakar and subsequent W2RC rounds.
The Defender Dakar D7X-R shares the same bodyshell as the Defender 110 but has a bespoke 550-litre fuel tank built into the rear of the vehicle, ready for the lengthy off-road stages – the longest exceeded 800km at last year’s event – while a competition-specification roll cage protects the crew.
To cope with the demands of the desert, the Defender Dakar D7X-R features a 35-inch tyre package along with 60mm track width increase and raised ride height to improve ground clearance.
Bodywork has been modified at the front and rear to ensure the D7X-R retains its OCTA design DNA while increasing the approach and departure angles. OCTA’s extended wheel arches are made more prominent on the D7X-R, accommodating that wider track and providing an even bolder stance. The door panels have been trimmed and sills added to accommodate extended under-floor protection to combat the extreme impacts expected during racing.
The suspension retains its kinematic principal from the production Defender OCTA and has been enhanced with a performance damper system, including single coil-over front and parallel twin dampers at the rear, developed in collaboration with new Official Shock Absorber Partner, BILSTEIN. Developed and tested at Defender Rally tests, the damper system improves capability in the most extreme conditions and handles the extra weight of the 550-litre fuel tank at capacity. The partnership builds on an existing relationship with Defender, which sees production cars also fitted with BILSTEIN dampers. The company joins an existing portfolio of world-class Defender Rally partners comprising Castrol, and suppliers Shackleton and Alpinestars.
While OCTA’s production V8 engine is mechanically unchanged (though an air-intake restrictor will limit power in accordance with FIA Stock category regulations**), the cooling package has been upgraded to handle the extreme temperatures experienced in the desert. Cooling has been improved by increasing the frontal area and optimising airflow through the grille, where a single large radiator replaces the trio of radiators found in production vehicles. Airflow through the radiator is supported by four 12V fans which support low-speed cooling. Revisions to the bonnet further aid cooling, while a particle filter has been added to prevent sand from entering the air intakes. Light-pod accessories and cabin air intakes have also been added to the roof.
Defender Dakar D7X-R features the same eight-speed automatic gearbox as the production OCTA, but has a lower final drive ratio to suit the conditions typically experienced in rally-raid events and maximise torque at low speed. A bespoke rally-specification brake system has also been fitted to Defender Dakar D7X-R, with vented discs, six-piston front and four-piston rear calipers.
The electronics in the D7X-R are managed by a single motorsport control unit to maximise robustness in the challenging rally conditions, with bespoke in-house race-ready calibrations deployed. 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.
Inside the vehicle, there’s an FIA-regulated navigation system and driver head-up display for speed and heading, along with a driver-configurable motorsport dashboard. The layout and FIA-regulated six-buckle seats are then tailored to each individual race driver to ensure maximum comfort during long days behind the wheel.
On-board, drivers will carry eight-litres of water, three spare wheels – housed in place of the rear seats and secured to the new roll cage – a tool kit, compressed air and essential spare parts, while a pair of integrated hydraulic jacks are capable of lifting either side of the vehicle.
Ian James, Team Principal of Defender Rally, said: “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 programme, 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.”
Defender Rally has already completed over 6,000km of off-road testing with Defender Dakar D7X-R in prototype form, and the team is now ready to take on its debut challenge, the 2026 Dakar Rally, which begins on 03 January in Saudi Arabia.
