Land Rover will enter the Dakar Rally and World Rally-Raid Championship with the Defender OCTA, competing in the Stock class over the 2026 through 2028 seasons.

“Taking on the most demanding rally-raid event in the world represents the ultimate test of our most extreme Defender to date,” said Defender managing director Mark Cameron. “We know that Dakar will be an immense challenge, but Defender OCTA combines huge performance with characteristic Defender capability and durability, the perfect foundations for what I’m confident will be a highly competitive rally raid vehicle.”

Unveiled last July, the Defender OCTA is touted as the “toughest and most durable model in the Defender family.” It is built atop the D7x platform, which is a lightweight aluminum monocoque that’s three times stronger than the usual body-on-frame design. The OCTA is also larger and faster than other Land Rovers, sporting a modified chassis and suspension underneath the redesigned body.

The rally model will feature some modifications to meet FIA regulations, but otherwise resembles the production counterpart. For example, both use a 4.4-liter twin turbo V8 engine along with the same eight-speed automatic transmission and driveline configuration.

The FIA updated its rulebook for the 2025 season to make the Stock class, where Team Land Cruiser Toyota Auto Body is often the only entrant for the past decade, more affordable for other manufacturers to join. Ahead of Land Rover’s debut, the marque signed a four-year deal to be an official partner of the Dakar Rally.

Two Land Rovers will run all five W2RC races each year from 2026 to 2028, while a third will be entered in each Dakar Rally. A specific driver lineup has not been revealed, though the great Stéphane Peterhansel has been linked to one of the seats.

“We had a vision for the future of production-based vehicles in rally raid so it has been incredibly positive to align with the ASO, FIA, and other manufacturers and work collaboratively to create the new regulations for the Stock category,” offered Jaguar Land Rover racing director James Barclay. “We now have the right platform to authentically demonstrate Defender’s capability in the biggest challenge in off-road motorsport.

“Ahead of us is a year of detailed preparation, testing and learning to be ready for Dakar 2026. The team are already well under way and we are very much looking forward to competing in both Dakar and W2RC, the world’s toughest off-road events.”

Featured image credit: Jaguar Land Rover