Defender’s new performance off-roader takes on rally ambitions.
Recently, Defender announced that it would be setting its sights on the legendary Dakar Rally by participating in the FIA World Rally‑Raid Championship starting in 2026. As part of its participation in the ‘Stock’ category featuring production-based vehicles, two Defender rally vehicles will participate in all five rounds of the W2RC, while three will be participating in the Dakar Rally.
The regulations for the Stock category of the championship have been revised in order to make the category more competitive for 2026, responding to the increased popularity of many 4x4s and SUVs on the production vehicle market. Seeing rally racers based on production vehicles will undoubtedly excite enthusiasts and show off the potential of off-road-ready models.
The recently-revealed Defender OCTA, the new off-road performance-oriented variant of the legendary Defender, serves as the basis for the new rally vehicles. To highlight the toughness and capability of its engineering, Defender says that its rally vehicles will retain not only the 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 that powers the Defender OCTA, but also the OCTA’s D7x architecture, transmission and driveline layout. Starting in 2026, rally fans will get a taste of how the legendary Defender name translates to the motorsport world, with a fleet of rally cars heavily based on the new pinnacle performance Defender model.
