Land Rover reveals rally-raid Defender D7X-R

No more teasers, no more build-up - this is the Defender ready for Dakar in Jan

By Matt Bird / Tuesday, 25 November 2025 / Loading comments

Nobody could accuse Land Rover of not throwing everything at the Defender Dakar endeavour. Barely a fortnight has passed in the development programme, or so it has seemed, without a new press release about the car, the drivers, or the team. The D7X-R competition vehicle, and its participation in the 2026 World Rally Raid Championship, is clearly a big deal for all involved with the Defender. Given JLR’s travails over recent months, it really feels like something exciting to be looking forward to as well.

Because the 2026 Dakar actually kicks off pretty soon - January 3rd will be here before you know it. And this is the Defender Dakar D7X-R in its final form, at last, as it will take on two weeks and 5,000km of stages in the new year. The design is called ‘Geopalette’, which is inspired by the ‘arid landscapes that characterise the Dakar’, with just a little bit of Aqua thrown in for good measure. While there seems a degree of danger when it comes to the colour scheme, the sandy shades do seem to suit the D7X-R pretty smartly. And what a relief not to see another black Defender.

If you’re thinking this looks quite a bit more butch than even an OCTA, then that’s because it is. While regulations dictate that cars in the Stock category of the W2RC must retain the standard car’s bodyshell, this D7X-R racer has 60mm wider tracks than a regular Defender, complete with properly chunky arches, as well as an increased ride height. Both the front and rear end have been tweaked to improve approach and departure angles compared to the road car, which also exaggerates the squatness of the stance. The tyres are 35-inch, with three spares carried inside. There isn’t space for very much more besides those, the driver, the co-driver and their water, because the Defender has to house a 550-litre (!) fuel tank in that regular 110 bodyshell as well. Even a mildly detuned V8 (via an air restrictor) needs a lot of sustainable fuel, especially with stages up to 500 miles long.

Additional changes for Dakar specification include better cooling, with new radiators and grille routes, to deal with desert temps, a lower final drive for the eight-speed auto to maximise low-end torque, and sturdier brakes with six-piston front calipers. New suspension has been developed with Bilstein, too, to cope with the terrain and support that giant fuel tank. And if all that seems like quite a lot of change for a car in a ‘Stock’ category, apparently the setup ‘retains its kinematic principal from the production Defender OCTA and has been enhanced with a performance damper system.’ Perhaps the most interesting modification, however, is ‘Flight Mode’, part of the new electronics package; it detects when the Defender is jumping through the dunes, and tweaks torque accordingly ‘to ensure a smooth landing and protect the driveline.’ Coming to a MY27 OCTA update near you soon, right...

Those with an aversion to screens best not look inside the D7X-R; understandably, given its remit as a desert racer, navigation is key, so the driver has a head-up display, the co-driver has two tablets ahead of them, and there’s an FIA-regulated system in the middle. By the perfectly presented standards of a JLR interior, it ain’t pretty, but for competition cars getting the job done is obviously far more important. The roll cage looks like it could support a bungalow.

Ian James, Defender Rally Team Principal, 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… I’m incredibly proud and excited to make our competitive debut in the W2RC and I look forward to what the season will bring.” The rest of the 2026 season includes trips to Morocco, Portugal and Argentina, but Dakar remains by far the most famous event on the calendar, the one every team will want to do well in. It all kicks off in less than six weeks...