Defender Rally’s maiden season will come in a sand-coated and teal look. On Tuesday, Land Rover formally unveiled the Defender Dakar D7X-R that they will race in the 2026 Dakar Rally and World Rally-Raid Championship.

The team made their racing debut at last weekend’s Dubai International Baja with Stéphane Peterhansel and Rokas Baciuška. Neither were classified since their cars were categorized as Experimental Stock, but would’ve respectively been 12th and 13th fastest among all FIA entries and won the Stock class. Their Land Rovers at the race sported the same generic black livery as in testing.

The new look is called “Geopalette” and is based on the desert. It predominantly uses yellow and brown to represent the sand and dunes of the desert, but has an aqua roof in reference to an oasis.

“Defender is driving into the unknown: to overcome the dunes, handle the heat and race flat out against the clock,” said team boss Ian James. “We know Dakar represents one of the toughest challenges in motorsport, but that’s exactly why we are entering.

“Following an intense testing program, the team are ready for the adventure ahead and the Defender Dakar D7X-R has been built to take it on. With world‑class partners and some of the best rally raid drivers on the planet, we’ll give it our all. 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 Defender Dakar D7X-R is based on a production Defender OCTA, built atop the same D7x platform with identical transmission, driveline, and 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine. However, the engine will be regulated via air intake restrictor plate due to FIA rules. It also sports the same eight-speed automatic gearbox as the OCTA, but the final drive ratio is lower to increase torque at max speed.

The suspension is similar to the OCTA’s, featuring a single coil-over at the front and parallel twin dampers in the rear courtesy of Bilstein.

The body shell is the same as the Land Rover Defender 110. Even then, it comes with air intakes and light pod accessories on the roof to improve air flow; the hood, grille, and front end were also expanded to help in this field. The approach and departure angles on the bodywork is also higher, the wheel arches are broader, and the door panels now have sills to protect the underfloor.

Original to the Defender Dakar is a bespoke 550-liter fuel tank at the rear; a bespoke rally-spec brake system with vented discs, six-piston front calipers, and four-piston rear calipers; a single large radiator assisted by four 12V fans rather than three small ones; and a 35-inch tire package that increases the track width to 60 millimeters and the ride height. It will also be powered by a sustainable fuel.

“Flight Mode” is available to automatically change how much torque is sent to the wheels while the car is in the air.

It can carry up to eight liters of water, three spare wheels, a tool kit, and two hydraulic jacks.

“Defender is the original British adventure brand, synonymous with unstoppable capability and epic adventure, something which we are proud to showcase on the competitive world stage,” Defender managing director Mark Cameron stated. “Defender Dakar D7X-R is the toughest Defender ever built. It carries the same core architecture and silhouette as Defender OCTA but has been developed to take on the ultimate competitive off-road adventure.

“Dakar pushes everything to the limit and competing in a rally raid of this scale will authentically showcase Defender’s capability and robustness in the most extreme and harshest conditions on the planet.”

Baciuška and Peterhansel will run the full W2RC, while Sara Price is set to only compete at Dakar.

Featured image: Land Rover