*Complies with FIA regulations ‑ FIA Appendix J, Article 266 ‑ Energy Regulations for Competition Vehicles, Article 3 ‑ Advanced Sustainable Fuel, 3.2 AS Petrol.
** FIA Stock category regulations limit power based on a hp per kg basis. The D7X‑R’s final regulated power output, which will be less than the production OCTA’s 635PS, will be defined in‑line with the publication of FIA Homologation documents on 01 January 2026
BILSTEIN quote:
Hanno Luczak, Chief Technical Officer, thyssenkrupp Bilstein GmbH, said:
“BILSTEIN is proud to be an active partner of Defender Rally during this extraordinary journey for the brand. We bring our damping expertise and decades of engineering excellence to ensure that every detail is designed for ultimate performance under the most demanding and rough conditions. The Dakar Rally marks the beginning of the World Rally‑Raid Championship and stands for challenge, innovation and endurance. Values that have defined BILSTEIN as a premium brand for generations.”
Driver quotes:
Defender Driver and 14‑time Dakar Rally winner, Stéphane Peterhansel, said: “Experience doesn’t make Dakar easier, it just helps you understand how hard it really is. We have tested Defender Dakar D7X‑R extensively and it has been brutal – but it should be. We have to be ready for anything.”
Defender Driver Rokas Baciuška, said: “Dakar pushes the limits of humans, technology and engineering. No one knows the route for this year’s Dakar, let alone the outcome, but we’re determined to succeed and with Defender we have the right car to do it with.”
Defender Driver Sara Price, said: “Dakar isn’t just a race against others, it’s a race against yourself and a true test of human endurance and teamwork. As a team we need to become one with Defender and take it one kilometre at a time and adapt to whatever challenges get thrown at us. We might be going into the unknown but we’re taking the toughest Defender ever and I can’t wait to get the race started.”
About Defender
Defender embraces the impossible. Each member of the Defender family is purposefully designed, highly desirable and seriously durable. A modern‑day hero that respects the past but at the same time anticipates the future.
Available in 90, 110 and 130 body styles, with up to eight seats, each has a charisma of its own.
As part of our vision of modern luxury by design, Defender 110 is available as an electric hybrid.
Defender Hard Top means business, with 90 and 110 body styles for professional capability.
The tough luxury Defender OCTA is the master of extreme performance – taking performance and capability to another level on and off‑road.
A beacon of liberty that can trace its roots back to the first Land Rover in 1948, Defender is a brand that supports humanitarian and conservation work with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and the Tusk Trust.
The Defender brand is underpinned by Land Rover – a mark of trust built on more than 75 years of expertise in technology and world‑leading off‑road capability.
Defender is designed and engineered in the UK and sold in 121 countries. It belongs to the JLR house of brands alongside Range Rover, Discovery and Jaguar.
Defender Rally
Defender embraces the impossible, and Defender Rally embodies this to the extreme, demonstrating the ultimate capability, reliability and endurance in the most challenging of environments.
In 2025 Defender became the official car partner of the Dakar Rally, the partnership set to continue in 2026, 2027 and 2028. From 2026, Defender will also compete in the FIA World Rally‑Raid Championship (W2RC), entering the ‘Stock’ category – this being the first of a three‑year programme.
Defender’s capability is designed to take on the most challenging of conditions, with Dakar Rally being the ultimate test. The competition car retains the same tough, purpose‑engineered D7x body architecture as the Defender, based on a lightweight aluminium monocoque construction to create a stiff body structure, in addition to featuring the 4.4‑litre twin turbo V8 engine from Defender OCTA to provide exceptional driveability.
While Defender will not compete in Dakar until 2026, it played a key role at the 2025 rally as the event’s official vehicle partner. A fleet of 20 Defenders supported the event, which began in Bisha, Saudi Arabia, and ended in Shubaytah, transporting race officials and VIP media. A further six highly specialised Defender recce vehicles will be used by Dakar Rally organisers to plan the routes for the 2026, 2027 and 2028 events.
About BILSTEIN
For more than 70 years, we have been working with leading vehicle manufacturers to develop shock absorbers for the perfect driving experience. Innovative, exclusive, trusted and precisely tailored to the individual performance characteristics of each vehicle model. Each BILSTEIN product is engineered for original equipment and the aftermarket, ensuring maximum performance and durability. Our close cooperation with premium manufacturers and global network makes BILSTEIN a leading technology partner.
Important notice
JLR is constantly seeking ways to improve the specification, design and production of its vehicles, parts and accessories and alterations take place continually. Whilst every effort is made to produce up‑to‑date literature, this document should not be regarded as an infallible guide to current specifications or availability, nor does it constitute an offer for the sale of any particular vehicle, part or accessory. All figures are manufacturer’s estimates.