New Land Rover Defender Dakar revealed: a road-going rally racer with a 635hp V8 engine

I thought the Land Rover Defender Octa was as hardcore as this mud-plugger could get, but now it’s been turned up even further. The new Defender Dakar uses the same engine, but the suspension is beefed-up even more.

It’ll be available to reserve early next year, and it’ll be revealed in full at the 2027 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia. Land Rover has given us a handful of details to whet the appetite, though.

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New Land Rover Defender Dakar: design

The Land Rover Defender Dakar is essentially a road-legal version of the D7X-R – a full-blown rally racer which Land Rover used to win the 2026 Dakar rally.

The Dakar Rally is a gruelling challenge which sees cars cover thousands of miles across scorching deserts and some of the roughest terrain the world can throw at them. That’s why the Defender Dakar is both wider and taller than the Defender Octa, which is already wider and taller than the standard Defender.

It also has massive 35-inch tyres on 20-inch forged alloy wheels and, unlike the standard Defender, the spare wheel isn’t mounted on the tailgate. It’s kept in the boot instead, partly to help with weight distribution, and partly because having such a massive wheel bolted to the tailgate would probably break the hinges when you’re bouncing through a desert.

The flared wheel arches look mean and purposeful, and there are also some powerful LED spotlights integrated into the roof. This beige-on-green paint scheme is also inspired by the Dakar livery, but there will be other colours to choose from.

New Land Rover Defender Dakar: engine and suspension

Under the bonnet of the Defender Dakar is the same 4.4-litre V8 engine as you get in the Octa, and it’s actually more powerful than the race car.

Rally rules limited the D7X-R to around 400hp, but this roadgoing version can have the full 635hp you get in the Octa. Land Rover hasn’t given a 0-60mph time yet, but the larger wheels mean it’s likely to be a tad slower than the Octa. That car does 0-60mph in 4.2 seconds.

It also has a race-developed coil suspension setup from Bilstein, and a couple of new driving modes called Dune and Gravel, as well as Flight mode. That was developed specifically for the Dakar Rally to make sure the car lands smoothly if you get air on rough terrain.

New Land Rover Defender Dakar: interior

There are no pictures of the Dakar’s interior yet, but it won’t be as practical as the standard Land Rover Defender. It’ll only have four seats for starters, with race seats in the front which can be fitted with optional four-point harnesses.

The boot will also be taken up with a mounting point for the spare wheel, but at least you’ll get dedicated storage for a pair of crash helmets.

New Land Rover Defender Dakar: how much will it cost?

Land Rover hasn’t put a price on this car yet, but you can bet it’ll be over six figures. The Octa costs just under £150,000, so the Dakar could well nudge £200,000.

We’ll know for sure closer to the start of orders in early 2027, but let’s face it, the sort of person buying this car for their collection is unlikely to be strapped for cash.

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