Defender Dakar D7X-R: Built for the 2026 Stock Class
Defender Rally will field a talented team of drivers and co-drivers for an epic rally-raid campaign in the Defender Dakar D7X-R. Three crews will tackle more than 80 hours of competitive driving across two weeks and around 5,000 km of timed stages. Dakar legend Stéphane Peterhansel and Mika Metge, Rokas Baciuška and Oriol Vidal, and Sara Price with Sean Berriman will lead the charge. An experienced group of mechanics and engineers will support them, with newly appointed Team Principal Ian James directing operations.
Defender builds each Defender Dakar D7X-R on the assembly line at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Nitra, Slovakia. The programme follows regulations that require teams to retain the production bodyshell without modification, reinforcing the link between the competition car and the road-going Defender.
The FIA created the new Stock category for 2026 and defined what teams must not change from the production vehicle, alongside tightly controlled modification rules. The Defender Dakar D7X-R uses the same D7x body architecture, transmission and driveline layout as the Defender OCTA, the most capable production Defender ever made. The D7X-R also runs the OCTA 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, another component the rules protect from modification. The team will fuel the car with an advanced sustainable fuel that meets FIA requirements.
Defender will debut the Defender Dakar D7X-R in a raw, elemental livery inspired by desert tones and textures. The new Geopalette design blends sand, stone and earth shades with a hint of Aqua, echoing rare desert waters that cut through the landscape.
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 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." Mark Cameron, Managing Director, Defender.
Although Stock category regulations limit changes to key elements of the Defender OCTA, Defender Rally has engineered targeted upgrades to meet the extreme demands of the Dakar Rally and subsequent W2RC rounds. The Defender Dakar D7X-R shares the Defender 110 bodyshell and integrates a bespoke 550-litre fuel tank in the rear to cover marathon stages, with some routes exceeding 800 km at last year’s event. A competition-specification roll cage protects the crew throughout the toughest off-road sections.
To meet the demands of deep sand and rocky terrain, the D7X-R features 35-inch tyres, a 60 mm increase in track width, and a raised ride height to improve ground clearance. The team has reshaped the front and rear bodywork to preserve OCTA design DNA while improving approach and departure angles. More prominent extended wheel arches accommodate the wider stance, while trimmed door panels and additional sills provide extended underfloor protection.
The suspension keeps the production Defender OCTA kinematic principle and adds a performance damper system developed with BILSTEIN, Defender Rally’s official shock absorber partner. Single coil-over front dampers and parallel twin rear dampers enhance control in extreme conditions and manage the extra mass of a full 550-litre tank. Castrol, Shackleton and Alpinestars continue to support the programme alongside BILSTEIN.
Defender Rally will leave the V8 mechanically unchanged, but it will fit an air-intake restrictor to comply with FIA Stock rules. The team has upgraded cooling for desert heat by increasing frontal area and optimising airflow through the grille. A single large radiator replaces the three-radiator production set-up, supported by four 12V fans for low-speed cooling. The revised bonnet improves heat management, while a particle filter helps keep sand out of the air intakes. The team has also added roof-mounted light pods and cabin air intakes.
The Defender Dakar D7X-R uses the same eight-speed automatic gearbox as the OCTA but adopts a lower final drive ratio to suit rally-raid conditions and strengthen low-speed torque. A bespoke rally-spec brake system features vented discs and six-piston front and four-piston rear callipers. A single motorsport control unit manages electronics with bespoke in-house calibrations, and the new Flight Mode adjusts torque delivery when the car goes airborne to stabilise landings and protect the driveline.
Inside, the crew will rely on an FIA-regulated navigation system, a driver's head-up display for speed and heading, and a configurable motorsport dashboard. The team will tailor the layout and six-buckle seats to each driver for comfort during long, punishing days. Drivers will also carry eight litres of water, three spare wheels, a toolkit, compressed air, and essential spare parts. Integrated hydraulic jacks can lift either side of the vehicle for rapid service in the dunes.
"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. 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." Ian James, Team Principal of Defender Rally.
Defender Rally has already completed more than 6,000 km of off-road testing with the Defender Dakar D7X-R in prototype form. The team now turns its focus to the 2026 Dakar Rally in Saudi Arabia, which begins on 3 January 2026, aiming to prove the Defender Dakar D7X-R as a formidable contender in the new FIA Stock category.
