Defender finally showed the final version of the Dakar D7X-Rthe model with which the British brand wants to gain a foothold in the elite of World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC) from 2026. This is the most extreme interpretation the firm has created from the Defending OCTAan SUV that already shows muscle on the road, but which here adopts a fully competitive approach to take on the most brutal challenge on the planet: the Dakar Rally.
Although its racing debut will take place in January, during the next edition of the most famous raid in the world, the brand has already unveiled the design and final development of a vehicle that was not designed from scratch, but from the same chassis as the production model. This is precisely the key to his participation: he will compete within the W2RC share classa perfect showcase to demonstrate – without gimmicks or unrecognizable prototypes – what a Defender is capable of with minimal but intelligent adjustments.
The essence of the model is preserved. He The D7X-R retains the body architecture of the D7xthe same transmission and transmission that equips the standard OCTA, as well as the powerful 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8suitable for this occasion to work with advanced sustainable fuel. Defender wants this project to convey not only robustness and performance, but also a nod to the efficiency that modern motorsport demands.
Of course, to survive the rigors of the Dakar, it is not enough to strengthen the mechanics. The engineering team widened the wheelbase, increased ground clearance and completely redesigned the suspension, accompanied by a optimized cooling for the extreme temperatures of the desert. In this work, Defender Rally will have a high-level technical partner: Bilsteinwhich becomes the official cushioning supplier and brings its competition experience to ensure that the D7X-R maintains its shape in the most difficult sections of the championship.
The project also has a list of pilots worthy of the ambition. The legendary Stéphane Peterhanselthe American Sarah Price and Lithuanian Rokas Baciuska They will be responsible for putting the car through its paces when the timer is activated on January 3. Three driving styles, three completely different trajectories and one goal: to see if this special Defender is really ready to write its own page in raid history.
Defender doesn’t just want to compete; wants to demonstrate that a production SUV, suitably reinforced, can fight in the most unforgiving environment in motorsport. He Dakar D7X-R It comes for this: to represent the evolution of the brand’s most emblematic model in the scenario where mechanical resistance ceases to be a value and becomes a condition of survival.
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