McLaren W1 First Drive: Ferocious Hypercar Transcends the Track

You know things are getting serious when McLaren rolls-out the ‘1’ suffix. The origin story is, of course, the very first road car McLaren ever built, the F1. Designed by visionary Formula 1 aerodynamicist and engineer Gordon Murray, it arrived in 1992 and rendered all other supercars obsolete. The tiny, lightweight F1 embraced carbon-fibre material technology, adopted a radical centre seat driving position with two passengers set back and either side and was powered by a 6.1-litre V12 engine from BMW that might as well have been passed down directly from the Gods. Game-changer? That doesn’t even come close to describing its impact, even if at the time sales didn’t come easy… The P1 was very different. Rather than a unique side project from the Formula 1 team, it was instead a statement piece for McLaren Automotive, a new road car division still in its infancy. It arrived in 2013 and was a wild-eyed showstopper. It traded the long-legged gait and supple suspension of the F1 for a weaponized hybrid system capable of delivering 903bhp and huge blue flames from its drainpipe exhaust. In Race mode, it lowered by 2-inches and its massive concave rear wing extended into the sky. The P1 was all about aerodynamic downforce, crazed acceleration and a snorting, angry soundtrack that mixed venomous twin-turbocharged V8 with the manic whirr of electric motors. Not so much a car as a force of nature. And now there’s this: The W1. It’s a true successor to the P1 with a similar brief and, on the face of it, it evolves rather than radically reinvents McLaren’s vision for the ultimate hypercar. This is not a criticism. How could it be when the result is this dramatic and has such staggering, other-worldly potential? The W1 has 1258bhp delivered to the rear wheels. It’s capable of 0-124 mph in 5.8-seconds, the quarter mile in 9.6-seconds at 167 mph and produces 2205lbs of downforce at 174 mph. The active aerodynamics – particularly a rear wing that extends way out beyond the rear of the car – are pure performance art and deliver massive aerodynamic efficiency. The result, aside from looking extremely cool, is that the W1 is McLaren’s fastest road car around a racetrack. Ever. Their benchmark circuit is the breath-taking Handling Track at the Nardo proving ground in southern Italy, where the W1 beats their previous benchmark, the flyweight McLaren Senna, by three seconds per lap. Or “a lifetime” as they call it in racing. Maybe two lifetimes! Core to the W1’s performance is the new ‘Aerocell’ carbon fibre tub. With integrated seats and a raised footwell to allow for inboard pushrod-operated front suspension – which in turn gives air a clean path to the huge underbody diffuser – it’s light, stiff, space efficient and has been instrumental in McLaren realising a full ground-effect concept. Just like last year’s F1 cars, which were the fastest ever made. There is also an active front wing and the aforementioned complex rear wing dubbed ‘Active Long Tail’. All of which is very admirable. But the ‘anhedral’ or gullwing doors and the fantastically shirnked-wrapped feel to the minimalist, highly-focussed interior are a pretty good side effect. The W1 feels special. Those fixed seats are perhaps a shade more upright than expected, and the driving position is less obviously racecar than, for example, the Aston Martin Valhalla or Ferrari F80. However, once you’ve adjusted the pedals (they move on a slider) and the delicate, slim-rimmed and alcantara-trimmed steering wheel, there’s an overwhelming sense of purpose. The cabin is so tightly tailored and imparts a sense of lightness and agility before you so much as start the all-new 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, which makes 916bhp all on its own and revs to 9200rpm. Reach up to a roof-mounted control panel to find the starter button. Maybe this fighter plane trope is a little corny, but somehow you feel thrilled rather than manipulated. The W1 has a sense of humour as well as all that motorsport-derived sophistication. There’s a short delay, but when the engine does fire it’s instant – as the high-powered hybrid system negates the need for an old-school starter motor. A sharp flare of revs tells you that this engine is hyper-responsive and angry. On some deep level your brain and body have been sent all the signals required to prepare for something new and intense. Ahead of us, an empty Mugello racetrack, so press and hold the blue button next to the red starter to select Race mode. The centre display graphic shows the W1’s transformation in real time as it lowers by 37mm at the front and 17mm at the rear whilst simultaneously undocking all that active aero goodness. Race mode is not road legal and is geo-locked. You can show your friends and neighbours the aero dance, but it won’t allow you to select a gear to actually drive unless you’re at a circuit. Incidentally, the rocker switches either side of the display binnacle allow further options now: Toggle up the Handling control on the left for Race+ (for F1-spec super smooth tracks) or stick to Race for gnarlier ones. On the right toggle select ‘GP’ for sustained performance over a stint or ‘Sprint’ to unleash all 1258bhp for a time attack. There’s also a DRS and Boost function on the steering wheel. But I guarantee you won’t have the mental capacity to use them… Exit the pitlane, pin the throttle and W1 takes maybe a millisecond or two to gather its might (the gearing stretches to around 60mph in first, nearly 100mph in second, primarily to aid traction), but then lunges at the first turn with incredible ferocity. It instantly feels light, almost like inertia is no longer a thing. McLaren really does prize lightweight engineering, and at 3084lbs (dry) the W1 has a 278lbs advantage over the Ferrari F80. Plus, Ferrari uses figures for cars fitted with every single carbon fibre option. In reality, the gap is probably wider still. The impression of agility and stunning control continues as the track is unravelled at startling pace. The electric motor mounted to the side of the new 8-speed dual-clutch transmission is good for 342bhp and 324lb ft and it boosts any low rev lethargy the new flat-plane crank V8 might have (spoiler alert: It doesn’t appear to have any), so the W1 just feels massively, almost impossibly powerful at any revs. Even so, there’s real reward for wringing it out to 9200rpm and the power curve feels superheated but organic, too. In Race mode the steering – still hydraulically powered – has less assistance and it is noticeably heavier than other McLarens. However, that resistance is welcome as it gives you something to push against and imparts so much information about the front grip level. New Pirelli Trofeo RS tyres with a bigger front footprint than P1 or Senna really help. The front-end feels incredibly secure and the rear-axle follows with perfectly-aligned precision. The whole car feels super-stiff, completely locked into the surface and inspires confidence, but there’s an inherent agility and adjustability that means you’re quickly confident to push at its limits and really impose yourself on the chassis. It’s such a complex car but the driving experience is intuitive, and the driver feels a key contributor rather than just amazed (or terrified) observer, holding on for dear life. Every dynamic ingredient really is shockingly effective and yet has a subtlety and lightness of touch. From that delicious steering to the incredible brakes, the W1 just feels so mission-focussed, so hooked-up. Only the new 8-speed gearbox is a slightly disappointment. It’s fast and punchy, but after the scintillating energy of the Ferrari F80 ’box it feels competent rather than inspired. Other quibbles – it’s okay to quibble when the starting price is $2.1-million before tax and destination charge. Well, that new twin-turbocharged V8 sounds tightly wound and aggressive but if you have a P1 tucked in the garage you’ll miss the snorting, Darth Vader-style soundscape and all the drama that goes with it. Ferrari does this better, too. The F80 sounds deathly dull from the outside but is a riot of turbochargers, electric motors and all sorts of mechanical fury within the cockpit. Even so, the W1 is wildly entertaining on track, and the rear-drive configuration makes it more of a challenge and more satisfying than the F80 when chasing lap times or just sliding around for fun. In the Ferrari, you must second-guess what the front e-axle might do, whereas in the W1 it’s all on you. There are plenty of tools to help, including the ingenious Variable Drift Control, but somehow the W1 is more heroic. Or at least fools you into feeling more heroic – which is surely the point! On the road? Nimble, loaded with feel and sublime response. The ride is noticeably tougher than, say, a 750S but the control is ramped-up too, and with a bit more speed the whole car finds a delicious rhythm. Sport mode for the drivetrain brings some nice turbo whooshes and chirps, but the noise remains high-quality rather than extreme excitement. It is perhaps the one area the W1 feels just a little too tame. Of course, there’s nothing tame about the raw performance… which is genuinely shocking and literally hurts your neck muscles after a few hours. How McLaren has given the W1 such immense traction through just two driven wheels is beyond me. So, is it worthy of that ‘1’? I think so. Perhaps we won’t be talking about $25-million auction results for the W1 in 30 years from now, as we are for the F1. Perhaps it doesn’t quite have the amazing presence and jaw-dropping star quality of the simply gorgeous P1. But it is such an intense experience and the way it marries stunning track performance with delicate poise and entertainment on normal roads is something akin to magic. Maybe not ‘the one’ but definitely a searing, outrageous addition to McLaren’s fiercest family line. Just 399 W1’s will be built and they’re all sold. I’m not surprised at all. View All McLarens For Sale Images: McLaren Automotive

Land Rover News

Land Rover news from duPont REGISTRY News, updated as each story breaks, covering the Range Rover, the Range Rover Sport, the Defender and the special editions built in limited numbers. Our reporting takes in reveals, first drives, off-road engineering and the values these vehicles hold over time. Land Rover sits at the centre of luxury SUV news, and the segment keeps expanding each year. Our marketplace supplies the element most publications leave out entirely. Many of these vehicles are listed for sale on duPont REGISTRY, which places the reporting and a genuine asking price side by side. For Land Rover news today, begin with the stories below.

Off-Roading & More At The 2025 Defender Service Awards Winners’ Weekend

By Tyler Rampersaud – March 23, 2026

The 2025 Defender Service Awards Weekend In Manchester, VT

Late last year, we got the chance to join Defender at the Destination Defender West festival in Temecula, California. There, a weekend full of Land Rover heritage and outdoor enthusiasm, albeit rainy, was capped off with the Defender Service Awards Gala, an event where the winning finalists of the 2025 Defender Service Awards, presented by Chase, were announced, each receiving a donation of $30,000, along with a customized Defender 130 to help each organization with its mission. Six incredible organizations earned this distinction at the 2025 Defender Service Awards Gala: Vancouver Aquarium Marine Mammal Rescue Society from Vancouver, Canada, which rescues marine mammals like entangled seals, sea otters, and more, Jason’s Box from Paris, Kentucky, which offers severely injured veterans the opportunity to take part in free outdoor activities, Feeding Northeast Florida from Jacksonville, Florida, which combats food insecurity and hunger throughout twelve Florida counties, Chilliwack Search & Rescue from Chilliwack, Canada, a 100-percent volunteer-run search and rescue operation in British Columbia, Starlight Children’s Foundation Canada from Dorval, Canada, which delivers exciting activities to seriously ill children and their families, and West Place Animal Sanctuary from Tiverton, Rhode Island, which is dedicated to providing refuge to a diverse range of animal species across eight acres of historic farmland. In addition to the winners, all 30 of the category finalists were awarded $5,000 each by Chase, the presenting partner of the Defender Service Awards, and Artemis Cars, a Premier Partner of the Defender Service Awards, donated $10,000 each to the second-place finalists. Category sponsors at last year’s awards included S&P Global Mobility, Disney, ei3, Hearts & Science, PELICAN, and Outside. A total of $390,000 was given in prize funding at last year’s Defender Service Awards, part of a current total of over $1.5 million given by the Defender Service Awards, along with 30 vehicles. This past weekend, duPont REGISTRY got a front row seat as the winners gathered at JLR’s North American headquarters in Mahwah, New Jersey, where employees of the manufacturer were given presentations about each of the winning organizations, and representatives from the winning organizations were presented with their customized Defender 130 SUVs. Then, the winners, along with sponsors, drove roughly three hours to Manchester, Vermont for a celebratory and informative weekend with their new cars. <- Gallery -> One of two Land Rover Experience Centers in the United States calls Manchester, Vermont home, and it’s nestled in the Taconic Mountains right next to the majestic Mount Equinox. There, we got to experience the incredible off-road capability of the Defender 130 with the help of expert off-road driving instructors. While the Defender 130 features incredible technology like adjustable ride height, terrain response modes, surround cameras for tricky maneuvers, hill descent control, electronically locking differentials, and many more, the course and the instruction empower drivers, showing that the Defender’s assisting features are incredible tools that can be harnessed effectively, given skill and educated decisions. During the off-roading sessions, which included traversing some trails on Mount Equinox as well as in the Experience Center, one major highlight was when the instructor had drivers stop the car at the top of a tall and relatively steep hill, and with Hill Descent Control on, simply let go of the brake pedal. Your instinct tells you not to; you’re leaning forward with nothing but the sky in front of you if you look towards the horizon, and a steep descent in front of the hood, but once you let go of the brake pedal, the car carefully crawls down, and you continue your journey. After off-roading, lunch at Hill Farm offered a lovely farm-to-table culinary experience, along with alpacas on the property, after which team building exercises and a friendly competition of careful driving and pulling a classic Land Rover Defender with a rope added to the excitement. The evening consisted of a celebration of the winning organizations and their meaningful work, and on Sunday morning, we returned to Mahwah, saying goodbye to the new friends that were made in the camaraderie-filled adventure. With the new customized Defender 130 vehicles handed over to their deserving organizations, the Defender Service Awards, presented by Chase, looks forward to supporting even more charitable organizations in the future, combining the brand’s adventurous spirit and off-road dependability with poignant purpose in making the world a better place for everyone. View All Defender 130 For Sale Image Source: JLR/Chris Eckert Photography

Defender Rally Completes Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal With Three Cars

By Tyler Rampersaud – March 22, 2026

Defender Rally Wins At Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal

Defender Rally made an exciting debut earlier this year at the Dakar Rally, one of the motorsport world’s most daunting and legendary challenges, emerging victorious in the Stock Category of the race that it participated in. With three Defender D7X-R cars racing in the event, the plan was initially to have only two cars continue to race in the W2RC for the rest of the current season. However, that changed when it was announced that Sara Price and Sean Berriman would be racing at the Ultimate Rally Raid Portugal, which featured over 4,000 miles of racing in five stages. Racing through Portugal and Spain, that race has recently concluded, and all three Defender D7X-R rally cars crossed the finish line, helping maintain the team’s top standing within the Stock class of the championship. Stéphane Peterhansel and Mika Metge took the overall win in the Stock class of the race, finishing in 11:57:33. Meanwhile, Rokas Baciuška and Oriol Vidal came in second place with a 12:00:02 finish, and Sara Price and Sean Berriman finished in 13:09:58, finishing third after an arduous race including mud, water, trees, tight tracks, and more challenges. <- Gallery -> Official partners Castrol, YETI, Bilstein, and Bell & Ross, along with suppliers Shackleton and Alpinestars supported Defender Rally throughout the race, and the vehicle, the Defender D7X-R, is closely related to the roadgoing Defender OCTA. The flagship of the current Defender lineup, the OCTA is the pinnacle of Defender performance and luxury, with a 626-horsepower 4.4-liter V8 engine, impressive torque, luxurious features, and advanced technology for engaging and spirited driving on and off the tarmac. With another successful race completed in Portugal, Defender Rally is continuing the W2RC season with wind in its sails. View All Defender For Sale Image Source: JLR

Defender Rally Brings Three-Car Entry To bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal

By Tyler Rampersaud – March 05, 2026

Three Defenders To Race In bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal

At the beginning of this year, Defender Rally took part in its first race as a team and began this year’s World Rally Raid Championship season by taking on one of the most legendary and daunting races in the rally sport: the Dakar Rally. Competing in the Stock category of the race, the team experienced incredible success in the effort, with drivers Rokas Baciuška and Oriol Vidal winning, Sara Price and Sean Berriman placing second, and Stéphane Peterhansel and Mika Metge placing fourth. Going into the Dakar Rally, the three-car effort was only going to compete in the Dakar Rally, while Peterhansel and Baciuška would drive in a two-car effort for the rest of the W2RC. However, it was recently announced that Defender Rally would bring the full Dakar team to the second round of the W2RC, which is taking place in Portugal. The bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal, which will run from March 17 to March 22, with all three pairs of drivers taking the race on in the Defender D7X-R. Defender Rally is currently at the top of the W2RC’s Stock category standings after enjoying 1-2-3 finishes in ten of the 13 stages of the Dakar season opener, and the rally car is closely related to the production Defender OCTA, Defender’s performance-oriented flagship model. With the same 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, the D7X-R and the OCTA have the same immense power and much of the same off-road capability, while the rally car is modified for some of the more extreme racing conditions. <- Gallery -> The bp Ultimate Rally-Raid Portugal will consist of five stages, starting in Grandola, and finishing in Loulé in the Algarve, covering over 1,300 miles, with a new route this year that promises more varied terrain and more challenging sections for drivers. As the team gets ready to take on the race in Portugal, Defender Rally will complete a pre-rally test program with the support of its partners, including Castrol, Bilstein, YETI and Bell & Ross, and suppliers Shackleton and Alpinestars. View All Defender For Sale Image Source: Defender Rally

By Khris Bharath – January 19, 2026

Land Rover Defender Wins Dakar Stock Class on Debut With Octa-based D7X-R

For any off-road vehicle, there’s no better way to prove its worth and what it can truly do than in competition. From early Camel Trophy expeditions to the modern Defender Trophy, Land Rover has set the bar for decades, and the British marque has now conquered a new frontier. In its debut appearance at the world’s most demanding off-road race, Defender Rally has won the 2026 Dakar Stock class in Saudi Arabia, led by Rokas Baciuška and co-driver Oriol Vidal in the Defender Dakar D7X-R. Their winning time of 58 hours, 9 minutes, and 45 seconds capped a campaign that saw the team finish first and second in class, with Sara Price and Sean Berriman close behind, and 14-time Dakar Rally winner, Stéphane Peterhansel and Mika Metge completing the rally in fourth. “Dreams come true, you know, and it was my dream to win Dakar,” Baciuška said. “For the first year for Defender, it's amazing.” Price described the emotional payoff at the finish. “We had a goal at the final stage to get to the finish line as a team together,” she said. “To get this team to the finish line in P1 and P2 is just, wow, incredible.” Across 13 stages, the team with three Works vehicles logged ten separate 1-2-3 class finishes and covered nearly 15,000 miles of competition terrain, ranging from soft dunes to rock-riddled high-speed sections across the vast Saudi Arabian desert. The decisive moment came on Stage 13, where Baciuška secured the overall Stock class win with a time of 55 minutes and 51 seconds. The D7X-R’s significance lies in how close it remains to the road-going Defender OCTA. Each race vehicle starts life on the same aluminum body assembly line in Nitra, Slovakia. Built on the 110 chassis, the Dakar variant retains the D7X architecture, transmission layout, and the OCTA’s 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine. For rally duty in W2RC competition, it gains a wider track, increased ride height, revised suspension, and enhanced cooling, changes required to survive sustained heat, low-speed load, and long stages. For Defender, Dakar also served as the opening round of the 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship. Team principal Ian James added, “Honestly, I couldn’t be more proud of the entire team. Not only the fact that we've won Dakar in the way that we have, but the manner in which everybody's pulled together and worked so hard throughout has been simply outstanding.” Also, for Jaguar Land Rover, key models such as the Defender and Range Rover Sport sit at the heart of the company’s volume and profitability strategy globally, and such real-world accomplishments further reinforce the models' reputation and capability, which should inevitably help bolster sales. With more manufacturers expected to join the Stock class, Defender’s debut win sets an early benchmark. The campaign continues next in Portugal this March. View All Land Rover Defenders For Sale Images: Land Rover

Two Defender vehicles race across sandy terrain at sunset, dust trailing behind as they follow their route planning, evoking the thrill of the Dakar Rally.

By Tyler Rampersaud – December 22, 2025

Defender Brings Route Planning Vehicles For The 2026 Daka...

Defender heads to the 2026 Dakar Rally early. While Defender is making its racing debut at the 2026 Dakar Rally, which is approaching incredibly soon, a different kind of participation from the brand began at last year’s Dakar Rally, when Defender became the official car partner to the race. In that role, a fleet of six Defenders have been supplied to the race organizers, with the purpose of route reconnaissance, and they are finalizing the route for the 2026 Dakar Rally. The route of the rally spans thousands of miles, with racing taking place 10-15 days through the remote reaches of the Saudi Arabian desert. Based on the P300 variant of the Defender 110, the current fleet of Defenders has been modified to optimally handle the sandy conditions of the route planning task. Those modifications include extra cargo, an auxiliary fuel tank, a rally‑spec cooling pack kit, a high‑level air intake with cyclonic intake pre‑filter, and more. The Dakar Rally involves desert camping, and for that purpose, the Defenders also have fridges, additional lighting, and a 10.5-gallon water tank for showering. During the race, the vehicles will be used to “open” each stage, as well. An additional fleet of Defenders will be provided to the race to transport officials and VIP media during the competition. With Defender racing as a manufacturer this year, as well, its partnership with the Dakar Rally in 2026 has evolved since it was introduced earlier this year, and it’s set to continue through 2028. View All Defender For Sale Image Source: JLR

Three Land Rover Defender vehicles—including a Classic Defender and a Defender OCTA—in black, green, and beige are parked side by side in a studio setting with a neutral gray background.

By Tyler Rampersaud – December 10, 2025

Land Rover Classic Offers Defender OCTA Colors For Classi...

The classic Land Rover Defender takes on its flagship successor’s colors. The classic Land Rover Defender is one of the automotive industry’s most cherished icons, and certainly one of the biggest legends in the world of off-roading. Creating a reputation for dependability, adventure, and go-anywhere engineering that has since created a new brand within the Land Rover umbrella, the classic Defender is nothing short of mythical, and Land Rover Classic is the official home of restoration and customization, dedicated to keeping legends like the classic Defender strong. Along with the classic Defender, however, is the new reimagination of the legendary model, which is blazing its own trail as another off-roading icon with a design that combines futurism, luxurious elegance, and plenty of nods to the original. With a new performance-focused flagship, the OCTA, which is serving as the basis for the Defender D7X-R rally car, whose attempt at winning the Dakar Rally is quickly impending, the new Defender is building more legacy than ever since its introduction. The OCTA’s 626-horsepower twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 engine, luxurious features, and engineering meant for comfort, thrills, and all-terrain confidence certainly help, as well. Blending the best of the old and new Defenders, Land Rover Classic has announced that colors from the Defender OCTA can be specified for the Classic Defender V8, including Petra Copper, Faroe Green, Sargasso Blue, Patagonia White, and Narvik Black. Available for the 90 and 110 station wagon body styles, as well as the 90 soft top body style, the color selection is available for customers to match color and trim specs on the new Defender OCTA luxury performance flagship. Each Classic Defender V8 is painstakingly finished for 300 hours in the paint shop, with a glossy finish or a matte finish that matches the OCTA’s optional protective film available. Other options, like a gloss black grille and carbon fiber lettering on the hood, also help match OCTA specs, but OCTA ownership isn’t required to enjoy the level of customization available for the Classic Defender V8. Individual vehicles are created to order by the UK-based Land Rover Classic, with each based on a donor vehicle from 2012 to 2016 and restored with a 400-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 engine. Combining the highlights of both the modern and classic eras of the Defender, the new Defender OCTAs give the Classic Defender the style of its successor’s peak performance flagship. View All Defender For Sale Image Source: JLR

Three Land Rover Defenders navigate a rugged, bushy trail with text overlay: Destination Defender West, Nov. 14-16, Temecula Valley, California, 2025.

By Tyler Rampersaud – October 24, 2025

Destination Defender West Comes To California Nov. 14-16

Defender’s adventurous spirit comes to Temecula, California. One of the most important names in the world of off-roading, Defender has evolved into its own brand, embodying the spirit of adventure and manufacturing go-anywhere vehicles that combine luxury, sound engineering, and undeniable capability. Destination Defender is a series of festivals that gather enthusiasts and lovers of the outdoors and off-roading to celebrate Defender vehicles and participate in activities surrounding the stunning natural environments that Destination Defender festivals are set in. This year, Destination Defender is returning to California for Destination Defender West, specifically descending on Galway Downs in Temecula, nestled in southern California’s wine country, from November 14-16. Surrounded by mountains, Destination Defender West will feature an off-road driving course, elevated culinary offerings, live music and entertainment with acts including Grammy-nominated band Kaleo, and enriching outdoor activities like a mountain biking demo course, yoga instruction, equestrian demonstrations, and photography/videography classes. The festival is also where the winners of the 2025 Defender Service Awards, presented by Chase, will be announced, which honor charitable organizations that do meaningful work by awarding six customized Defender 130 vehicles to the winning US and Canadian organizations to bolster the support they provide to their communities. In addition to the SUVs, the category-winning organizations will also receive $30,000 thanks to the generosity of the award sponsors, as well as $5,000 from Chase for 30 finalists across the six categories to support their efforts. Rally driver Sara Price will be present at Destination Defender West, sharing her experience as a member of the Defender Rally Team ahead of her participation in the upcoming 2026 Dakar Rally behind the wheel of the Defender Dakar D7X‑R, racing in the ‘Stock’ category of the legendary rally. The race will mark Defender’s anticipated Dakar Rally racing debut. A display of vehicles from ‘The Great Expeditions’ collection that was previously displayed at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance, showcasing the incredible history and heritage that Land Rover vehicles carry, including the 1950 Series I “Pollyanna” that Barbara Toy drove from London to Baghdad, and the ‘Oxford’ Land Rover that took part in the 1955–56 Oxford and Cambridge Far Eastern Expedition. With a cherished legacy of off-roading excellence, this year’s Destination Defender West is bringing unbridled adventuring spirit to southern California’s winemaking paradise. View All Defender For Sale Image Source: JLR

A black off-road vehicle drives on a dirt path between palm trees in a desert landscape.

By Tyler Rampersaud – October 01, 2025

Defender Tests Dakar Rally Car In Sahara Desert

Defender tests its upcoming rally challenger in a legendary rally arena. For the past few years, the rally has been held in Saudi Arabia, but the Dakar Rally earned its name from its original route, challenging teams, cars, and drivers with the task of traveling from Paris, France to Dakar, Senegal, with the most well-known part of the original challenge being crossing the Sahara Desert of North Africa. Starting in 2026, Defender is set to compete in the Dakar Rally, bringing one of the most iconic and celebrated names in off-roading to one of the most challenging rally challenges in the world. Using the performance-oriented Defender OCTA as the basis for the competing rally car, the new Defender Dakar D7X‑R has completed an important milestone in its testing ahead of its entrance to the hallowed competition in 2026 by emerging from a grueling round of testing in the part of the world where the Dakar Rally earned its reputation: the Sahara Desert. Competing in the ‘Stock’ category of the race, the D7X-R is heavily based on the production Defender OCTA, and the test verified the rally car’s ability to handle similar conditions and stage lengths to the actual rally. At the Dakar rally, three Defender cars will be competing, while the rest of the W2RC will feature two Defender vehicles competing. Drivers Stéphane Peterhansel, Sara Price and Rokas Baciuška will be taking on the 2026 Dakar Rally behind the wheel of the new Defender Dakar D7X-R, and when they do, a new chapter will be written for the legendary Defender off-roading brand, and its cherished legacy of adventure and go-anywhere capability. After a successful round of testing in the Sahara, Defender’s bold rally ambitions are coming very close to fruition. View All Defender For Sale Image Source: JLR

A modern Land Rover Defender is parked on a rocky hill, with an inset showing an older model tackling muddy terrain—Global Adventure Reignited: Land Rover’s Defender Trophy and Exclusive Trophy Edition Revealed.

By Khris Bharath – June 19, 2025

Global Adventure Reignited: Land Rover’s Defender Trophy ...

Land Rover fan or not, if you’re into off-roading at all, you’ve most likely heard of the glorious Camel Trophy, the golden era when mud-caked Defenders slogged it out through some of the most inhospitable places on the planet. Think tropical Borneo, icy Siberia, or the unforgiving Amazon. For many, nothing can come close to those images of classic boxy 4x4s buried in jungle muck to their door handles and truly defined off-road adventure in the wild. Now, Land Rover is bringing back that spirit in the modern era, and this time, they’re going global. The British marque’s best-seller, the modern-day Defender that launched in 2019, has announced the launch of Defender Trophy, a bold new challenge inspired by those legendary expeditions of the 1980s and ‘90s. Designed to test both man and machine, this multi-stage competition invites applicants from over 50 countries to prove their mettle across a series of challenges and extreme terrain, culminating in a grand finale in Africa in 2026. Global adventure and community have been the fabric of the Defender brand’s DNA for decades, staying true to its roots that can be traced back to the original Land Rover of 1948. Our unique new global adventure challenge will bring nations together, as competitors co‑operate to navigate tough terrain, conquer extreme physical challenges and solve tactical tests – all united by a greater purpose. - Mark Cameron, Managing Director, Defender The eligibility criteria is pretty rigorous: Entrants must be over the age of 23, be legally eligible to drive and travel internationally, and possess the ability to swim 50 meters. But above all, participants need what Defender calls an ‘unstoppable spirit of adventure’. This challenge represents a reimagined test of teamwork, endurance, and ingenuity. Hosted with the brand’s long-term conservation partner, TUSK, contestants will battle their way through local qualifiers, beginning this summer, followed by national finals next year. On each of the three stages of the journey, participants will also contribute towards having a lasting impact on the communities and landscapes they pass through. To mark the occasion, Land Rover has unveiled the Defender 110 Trophy Edition. Finished in heritage-inspired hues such as Deep Sunglow Yellow or Keswick Green, this special edition features a host of adventure-ready hardware: 20-inch gloss-black wheels wrapped in all-terrain rubber, a raised air intake, roof rack, deployable ladder, and a side-mounted gear carrier. There’s form with function too, with Black brake calipers and Trophy graphics. Inside, though, things are well-appointed with Ebony Windsor Leather, illuminated treadplates, and the exposed crossbeam color-matched to the exterior. It is laser-etched trim with Trophy branding and exudes expedition pedigree. With a global audience watching and a renewed sense of adventure, the Defender Trophy calls for a new generation to embrace the great outdoors. Watch this space. View All Land Rovers For Sale Source: Land Rover

A dark gray Defender SUV drives through a dusty, rugged terrain, stirring up clouds of dust. Resembling the powerful Dakar Rally cars, the vehicle's headlights are on as it moves toward the left.

By Tyler Rampersaud – January 21, 2025

Defender's Dakar Rally Cars Will Be Based On The New Defe...

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. View All Land Rover Defenders For Sale

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