In anticipation of the Dakar Rally, Defender Rally unveiled the Defender Dakar D7X-R. This vehicle will compete next January in the 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) endurance event.
5,000 km to cover
During this event, the teams — composed of Stéphane Peterhansel and Mika Metge, Rokas Baciuška and Oriol Vidal and Sara Price and Sean Berriman — will have to cover some 5,000 km of terrain riddled with numerous obstacles.
As required by the competition rules, the Defender Dakar D7X-R is produced on the same assembly line in Slovakia as the models intended for public sale. The Dakar D7X-R version is built with the same architecture and powertrain as the Defender Octa. It thus receives the same 4.4L V8 engine enhanced with two turbochargers.
Among the modifications made, note the 550-litre fuel tank allowing a range of up to 800 km between refueling points. The suspensions have also been reworked to cope with the additional mass of the larger tank.
The Dakar D7X-R is also equipped with 35-inch tires and tracks widened by 60 mm. To ensure the vehicle can withstand extreme heat conditions, the engine's cooling system has also been revised.
Comments from Driver Stéphane Peterhansel
Among the drivers who will share the wheel of the Defender Dakar D7X-R is Stéphane Peterhansel. The 14-time winner of the event said that “Experience doesn't make the Dakar easier, it just makes you understand how difficult it is. We have tested the Defender Dakar D7X-R extensively, and it's been brutal — but that's normal. We need to be ready for anything.”
The Dakar Rally begins next January 3rd in Saudi Arabia.
