New Land Rover Defender D7X-R drops in with new livery ahead of its anticipated 2026 Dakar debut

The new Land Rover Defender D7X-R has been unveiled with new livery ahead of its anticipated debut at the 2026 Dakar Rally.

It retains the Defender OCTA’s D7x body architecture, transmission, driveline, and 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine.

A talented team of drivers across three crews will take on more than 80 hours of competitive driving over a two-week period.

This is more than 3,000 miles in total, as part of a 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship campaign.

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Taking a closer look at the Land Rover Defender D7X-R

The crews included Dakar‑legend Stéphane Peterhansel, Mika Metge, Rokas Baciuška, Oriol Vidal, Sara Price, and Sean Berriman, alongside their team of mechanics and engineers.

Each and every D7X-R comes from an assembly line in Nitra, Slovakia.

There, it is subjected to strict rules about what changes can be made to the car’s bodyshell.

It retains a lot of the same features from the D7x, including its body, transmission, and engine makeup.

So what’s changed?

It’s been given a wider track, a raised height, and increased ground clearance to help it tackle harsh desert terrain.

The fuel tank is also much bigger at 550 litres, enabling it to last for longer without refueling.

The cooling system has also been modified for the desert heat and dust.

A special ‘flight mode’ has also been introduced, to ensure smoother landings when the car becomes airborne, going over dunes.

When will we see this rally car in action?

Decked out in a sandy style livery, the D7X-R will make its debut at the 2026 Dakar Rally, starting from January 3 in Saudi Arabia.

It’s already completed more than 3,700 miles in off-road testing in prototype form.

“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,” Ian James, the team principal of Defender Rally, said.

“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.”

Land Rover is a big name in the world of cars, and for good reason.

The British brand produces some seriously formidable vehicles, and is loved by world leaders like the ruler of Dubai and athletes like Lando Norris alike.

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