The twin-turbocharged off-roader is headed for Dakar and the FIA World Rally Raid Championship starting in 2026.

The Defender is the best-selling member of the JLR family, and the one that has been steadily gaining in popularity for the past five years—a rare occurrence in the auto industry, where models normally lose ground as they age.

With 626 hp, the Octa is the most powerful Defender ever, but it is also the most capable. To understand the auto industry, always follow the money. When the current Land Rover Defender launched for 2020 it was targeting those in search of rugged,

Land Rover is proudly stating that the Defender Octa is “the fastest and most capable Defender ever made,” so it makes sense it will serve as the base for the racer. Not only

JLR is working on a rally raid vehicle based on the Defender Octa, and it's set to enter the 2026 World Rally Raid Championship.

What’s this? The Land Rover Defender Octa’s mission statement is simple: to be the world’s fastest off-roader. But how do you define that? A Nürburgring lap time is only going to tell part of the story,

Although an electric Defender is definitely in the offing, it will happen by the end of the decade on a different platform from the D7x of the current Defender

Land Rover had shown the Discovery SVX in Frankfurt exactly two years earlier: a 525hp V8-powered, hydraulically-restrained vision of what the family-friendly SUV could be if you jettisoned some of the friendliness and fitted proper all-terrain tyres.

This remains largely familiar from the core Defender, and that’s a very good thing. This is still a fantastic SUV interior; chunky and industrial in its design but rendered luxurious by the hushed refinement, strong fit and finish and high-quality materials.

It’s the most extreme Defender yet and also the best, with a character that marks it out as both unique and unexpected thrill to drive.

The Land Rover Defender OCTA is transforming the world of off-road performance, setting a new standard for durability, power, and capability in the most