The legendary Goodwood Festival of Speed welcomed a new contender into the world of rally racing as the Defender Dakar D7X-R prototype made its dynamic global debut. Greeted by motorsport enthusiasts and adrenaline junkies alike, the powerful off-road machine scaled the iconic Hillclimb and powered through the Off-Road Arena over four exhilarating days—offering a taste of what’s to come when it takes on the world’s toughest endurance race in 2026.
Designed to conquer extreme landscapes and built for peak endurance, the Defender Dakar D7X-R is based on the Defender 110 and will compete in the reimagined ‘Stock’ category of the 2026 Dakar Rally and World Rally-Raid Championship. This prototype serves as a preview of Land Rover’s most daring off-road chapter yet—a production-based competition vehicle engineered for authentic performance and real-world durability. Every hillclimb and hairpin turn at Goodwood was a statement: Defender is back, and it’s more powerful than ever.
Taking the wheel for the debut were two motorsport titans: the trailblazing four-time Dakar stage winner Sara Price, and rally legend Stéphane Peterhansel, whose record-breaking 14 Dakar Rally wins speak for themselves. “Driving at Goodwood was awesome,” said Price. “The hillclimb, the off-road zone—everything about this car is exciting. We’re just getting started.” Peterhansel added, “It’s a proud moment to return to Dakar roots with a production car—and with Defender, the most iconic off-road brand. This is our next big adventure.”
Behind the scenes, the Defender Rally team is gaining serious momentum. Castrol joins as the Official Fluids Partner, ensuring high-performance endurance under the most extreme conditions. British performance outfitter Shackleton will also outfit the team with expedition-grade gear during testing and competition, bringing another layer of precision and durability to the project. Together, these partnerships solidify Defender’s status as a brand that thrives under pressure and in the wildest corners of the planet.
First tested in Morocco’s unforgiving dunes, the D7X-R prototype has already undergone significant upgrades. Now featuring 17-inch wheels with 35-inch tyres, increased ride height and track width, and a motorsport-ready steering rack, the vehicle is inching closer to the competition-ready model set to be unveiled later this year. The exhaust system has also been removed to optimise airflow and push performance even further.
The road ahead is tough, but the message is clear: Defender is not just participating—it’s rewriting the rulebook. With Dakar legends at the wheel and cutting-edge engineering under the hood, the D7X-R is poised to prove that even the most rugged production vehicle can dominate the world’s most punishing terrain. Defender has never shied away from a challenge—and the 2026 Dakar Rally may be its boldest chapter yet.
Building on its illustrious legacy, the Defender brand is reasserting its role as a benchmark for capability and innovation in the off-road world. The D7X-R project doesn’t just signify a racing endeavour—it embodies a philosophy of pushing limits while staying grounded in authenticity. By using a production-based platform, the Dakar effort aims to highlight what a real-world Defender can accomplish, not just in the controlled environment of a track but across the unpredictable extremes of deserts, dunes, and rocky outcrops.
The development process for the D7X-R continues to move at pace. The engineering team is focused on integrating learnings from every test—like the recent Morocco trials—to refine performance, durability, and safety. Each iteration brings the prototype closer to the final competition-ready form that will take on the world’s toughest terrains in the Dakar Rally and World Rally-Raid Championship. The project is a clear statement of intent from Defender to dominate this new, more demanding Stock category.
With global motorsport legends onboard, world-class partners in Castrol and Shackleton, and a passionate fan base behind them, the Defender Rally team is creating a movement. It’s not just about building a competitive rally car—it’s about redefining the standards for production-based off-road racing. As the countdown to Dakar 2026 continues, the world will be watching closely as Defender proves, once again, why it’s synonymous with adventure, power, and uncompromising resilience.
