- Defender Rally accelerates preparations ahead of 2026 Dakar Rally and World Rally‑Raid Championship (W2RC) with Sahara test of the first competition‑spec Defender Dakar D7X‑R
- Attending the milestone test was Ian James, who joins Defender Rally as Team Principal
- The Defender Dakar D7X‑R, derived from a production Defender OCTA vehicle, is built to compete in the ‘Stock’ category of the FIA World Rally‑Raid Championship (W2RC) – the perfect platform to showcase the Defender vehicle’s capability
- The Defender team’s world‑class line‑up of drivers and co‑drivers tested the Defender Dakar D7X‑R over thousands of kilometers in the extreme Saharan terrain of eastern Morocco
Mahwah, NJ – Tuesday, September 30, 2025: Defender Rally has accelerated preparations for their debut entry to the 2026 Dakar Rally and FIA World Rally‑Raid Championship (W2RC) after completing a grueling test of the Defender Dakar D7X‑R in Morocco, Africa.
Attending this milestone test was the new Team Principal of Defender Rally, Ian James – also recently announced as Managing Director, JLR Motorsport. Ian will lead the Defender Rally team into Dakar and the W2RC, and joins from McLaren Electric Racing, where he was Managing Director and Team Principal.
Defender, the 4x4 built for capability and durability, will make its team debut at the 2026 Dakar Rally, where three Defender Dakar D7X‑Rs will compete in the new ‘Stock’ category for production‑based cars. A two‑car Defender entry will then contest the remaining four rounds of the 2026 W2RC.
Progressing from early prototypes, the competition‑spec Defender Dakar D7X‑R is now taking center stage. The Defender Dakar D7X‑R shares the same robust D7x aluminum body architecture, transmission, and driveline layout as the production Defender OCTA vehicle, and also its 4.4‑litre twin‑turbo V8 engine. The D7X‑R’s bodyshell was assembled on the production line at the Defender brand’s state‑of‑the‑art Nitra Manufacturing Centre in Slovakia, before a bespoke final build to ‘Stock’ rally‑raid specification was completed by the Defender Rally team in the UK.
This first competition spec D7X‑R was put through its paces most recently in Erfoud, Morocco, where the team carried out the most significant test to date in their preparation program. The aim of the Saharan desert test was to accumulate mileage on the D7X‑R, covering similar stage distances to those expected at the upcoming 2026 Dakar Rally, the hero event of the W2RC. The test began with shorter loops over smaller dunes, before building up to routes covering hundreds of kilometers spanning wadis and rugged plains, bumps and rocks, and faster sand tracks ‑ mirroring the terrain expected at Dakar.
Putting the D7X‑R to the test was the Defender team’s world‑class line‑up of drivers – Stéphane Peterhansel, Sara Price and Rokas Baciuška – simulating the challenges they’ll face on the Dakar. This included their co‑drivers utilizing the digital navigation ‘roadbooks’ which, on the Dakar, will have each day’s route available to view just minutes before a timed stage begins.
It’s an honor to be leading the Defender Rally team as we enter the almighty world of rally‑raid competition in 2026, the first of a three‑year program. With a world‑class driver line‑up and team in place, and the first competition‑spec Defender Dakar D7X‑R now showing its capability in the desert, I’m looking forward to working through the rest of the extensive preparations ahead of Dakar in January. We’ve still much work to do, but we’re all determined to make 2026 a memorable year in World Rally Raid for the Defender brand.
Ian James
Team Principal of Defender Rally
We made the decision to enter the World Rally‑Raid Championship as it’s the ultimate stage to showcase Defender’s renowned capability and durability. The new Defender OCTA has set a high bar in terms of tough luxury and seeing it transform into an unstoppable Dakar contender is remarkable. Now, with just three months to go until we will take the start ramp in Yanbu, I am proud of how this team is taking shape. We have a stellar line‑up of drivers and co‑drivers and a fantastic strategic and operational staff in place all now led by Ian James as Team Principal. With the first of the competition Defender Dakar D7X‑Rs completing this test everything is on track. I can’t wait to see us taking to the dunes at Dakar.
Mark Cameron
Managing Director, Defender
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