The Land Rover Defender Octa, equipped with a 4.4-liter V8 biturbo engine and mild hybrid assistance, will be launched to compete in the FIA World Rally Raid Championship, including Dakar, starting in 2026.

2026 is going to be a busy year for the Land Rover Defender OCTA because the British carmaker has just confirmed its entry into the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC), beginning with the Dakar Rally in January. Talk about tough initiations.

A couple of months after Land Rover confirmed that the Defender would compete in the 2026 Dakar Rally, the automaker has revealed the racing model will be based on the flagship Defender Octa. It will compete in the Dakar’s ‘Stock’ racing category as part of a slew of heavily-revised regulations.

I knew that the new Land Rover Defender was pretty capable off-road, and now I have to recognize that it's also a lot more comfortable than most 4x4s.

The twin-turbocharged off-roader is headed for Dakar and the FIA World Rally Raid Championship starting in 2026.

JLR is working on a rally raid vehicle based on the Defender Octa, and it's set to enter the 2026 World Rally Raid Championship.