A Near Showroom-Ready Land Rover Defender Will Compete In The Dakar

Normally, when a manufacturer announces it’s tackling the Dakar Rally, we look forward to seeing some kind of vast rally raid special with enormous tyres and suspension travel that could span the Grand Canyon. Think Audi RS Q e-tron, Dacia Sandrider, or Ford Raptor T1+. Land Rover, though, is taking a different approach with its Defender sub-brand.

From 2026, it’s going to be launching a three-car effort in the ‘Stock’ class which, as its name suggests, is for cars that are pretty much showroom-ready. Formerly known as T2, the only major modifications made to cars in this class are the basic safety features required by the FIA – things like a roll cage and fire suppression system.

The idea is that, rather than building a bespoke rally raid prototype that serves more to get eyes on the brand than anything else, entering a car that people can actually buy serves to prove how capable it is. This year, Toyota entered the class with a pair of Land Cruisers in addition to its purpose-built Hiluxes that competed in the top category.

We don’t have much more info on the Defender effort – only that it’ll begin in 2026 and last for an initial three seasons, not just in the Dakar but the wider World Rally Raid Championship (W2RC), which encompasses similar-format events across the globe.

We suspect, though, that LR might use the new Defender OCTA as its challenger. Essentially designed to go very fast off-road, it pairs a 626bhp twin-turbo BMW V8 with fancy hydraulically interlinked suspension, so seems like the ideal thing to use as a Dakar racer. Also, the teaser image that Land Rover sent out shows the longer-wheelbase Defender 110, the only spec you can get the OCTA in.

We’ll likely find out more in the next 12 months ahead of the 2026 Dakar, but in the meantime, Defender is supplying a fleet of support vehicles for the 2025 event, which is taking place in Saudi Arabia between 3 and 17 January.