New Delhi: In a list of things that are good in competition mode, Land Rover always stands tallest with a good livery. Back in the day, when Paris-Dakar was a major competition, it was a thrill to watch the SUV-maker scramble through dunes and wade through rivers. To remind us that Land Rover have brought the Defender D7X-R.
Land Rover are looking to make a heavy dent in the World Rally-Raid Championship calendar in 2026. Three Defenders will make their competition debut at the first event of the year, and it is the all-important Dakar Rally. The Defender has been given some serious styling at first glance. Land Rover are calling the livery a Geopalette design. It comes with Sand, stone and earth tones contrasting against the aqua roof, and it is a bold look that the Defender wears well.
Land Rover’s improved powertrain for Defender Racer
Land Rover Defender D7X-R exterior
It is the mechanical frame and performance that matter the most in the competition, and Land Rover’s Defender Rally team began with the new Defender Octa. With the truck competing in the Stock category, the twin-turbocharged 4.4-litre V8 is still in the nose. Due to the power-to-weight rules, however, the engine will be toned down slightly with an air-intake restrictor. That still leaves the defender with loads of power.
Land Rover comes with the eight-speed gearbox as the standard Octa, but swaps to a lower final-drive ratio, making it easy to maximise the low-speed torque. The powertrain gets additional cooling, improved airflow and a more robust particle filter to keep the sand and dust away.
The Defender Rally team have given it quite an aggressive brake system. Even though the suspension system keeps some elements found in Octa trim, Land Rover have swapped in single coil-over front dampers and twin rear dampers as well. Bilstein supplies the damping materials and developed the system in partnership with Defender Rally.
That suspension system needs to handle more weight of the D7X-R. Since it will be doing long stages, it comes with a 548-litre fuel tank. Inside there are two 7.5 litres of water, three spare wheels, a beefed-up FIA-spec rollcager, tools, compressed air and more spare parts.
Land Rover Defender D7X-R interior
There’s an on-board computer system that Defender Rally developed, which they call ‘Flight Mode’ and an amazing racing tech. When the Dakar D7X-R is airborne, the system manages to adjust torque delivery to the wheels in order to protect the drivetrain during a harsh landing.
How the World Rally-Raid Championship calendar looks for Land Rover
The three trucks of the Defender Rally team head to Saudi Arabia to start the 2026 W2RC calendar. Racing starts with Dakar in January, and the series goes on to Portugal, Argentina, Morocco, and even the UAE. However, it will be the Dakar that will be the most challenging one.
Talking on this, Ian James, Team Principal of Defender Rally, said, “Defender is driving into the unknown – to overcome the dunes, handle the heat and race flat‑out against the clock,” says Ian James, Team Principal of Defender Rally.” He noted that Dakar would pose the biggest challenge, and hence the reason to enter the competition.