Land Rover Returned to Racing in the Dakar Rally. Here’s What to Know.

Land Rover has been busy. In the past 12 months, the British brand launched its newest, most capable off-road vehicle yet, the Defender Octa. It then worked with the FIA (Federation Internationale de l’Automobile) to certify the Octa for the World Rally-Raid Championship series. Land Rover has also become the official car partner of the Dakar Rally, returned to factory-sponsored competition in said rally for the first time in over 40 years, and proceeded to win its class. Calling this period “the most impressive year in Land Rover’s history” might sound like hyperbole, but it’s pretty accurate.

The first Dakar Rally took place in 1979, and Land Rover won it with a nearly showroom-stock Range Rover Classic. The brand won again in 1981, then went into a Dakar Rally support role, supplying vehicles capable of transporting race crews, media, and medical personnel along the same route used by the race vehicles. 

Thankfully, for Land Rover fans pining to see its vehicles scaling rocks and cresting sand dunes in full race mode, their patience has been rewarded. A factory-sponsored, three-team effort just competed in the Stock class at the 2026 Dakar Rally, which ended on January 17. Land Rover has further committed to a factory effort for the 2027 and 2028 race seasons. Company reps told us they expect to see multiple mainstream manufacturers join Land Rover in offering factory teams in the same category in the coming years, including Ford with its Raptor R.

Robb Report was on hand to witness Land Rover’s Defender Dakar D7X-R entries in action during the multiday contest. These machines start out as examples of the Defender Octa model variant, but swap the Octa’s advanced 6D active suspension for a dedicated race design engineered by Bilstein. The front suspension uses a single spring up front, but twin dampers are required in the rear to deal with the D7X-R’s 145-gallon fuel tank. This massive tank fills the cargo area, replacing the Defender’s third-row seating, and weighs approximately 900 pounds when full. A roll cage, a wider track, a lower gear ratio, a higher ride height, and 35-inch tires on 17-inch wheels complete the chassis upgrades.

The Defender Octa’s standard 4.4-liter twin-turbo V-8 and eight-speed automatic transmission are retained, though with an improved cooling system and reduced power to meet FIA rules. Team officials told us the factory engine’s 626 hp output is down to around 400 hp in race trim, meeting the FIA’s limit of 1 hp per 14 pounds of vehicle weight. Original bodywork is also a requirement of the rules, though wider fender flares are allowed to encase the D7X-R’s wheel track, which has been expanded by 2.4 inches. 

The engineers behind the D7X-R’s chassis and suspension design appear to know their stuff, as these Defenders placed first-in-class in nearly every stage of the rally, and ultimately finished in first, second, and fourth overall in the Stock class, while Toyota took third. Covering a total distance of 5,000 miles across the Saudi Arabian desert, the Dakar Rally includes everything from high-speed stretches across sand dunes to rocky passes, not to mention the occasional nomadic camp site. Challenges include an ever-present fine dust, extreme temperatures, and complex navigation routes. Any of these could halt a vehicle’s progress.

Land Rover arranged for a few non-participants, including Robb Report, to drive the same Dakar Rally stages as the race teams, but in completely stock Defenders. No reengineered suspension with elevated ride height. No enhanced cooling capacity or wider track. Not even a swap of the factory wheels and tires. Just get in a showroom Defender—and go!

And go we did, over the same shifting sand dunes, rock-strewn riverbeds, and endless dusty plains the race teams traversed just 24 hours earlier. Of course, we didn’t have the same podium-finish pressure as the factory drivers, so we didn’t carry the same speeds or push the vehicles as aggressively over the varied landscape. But the same environmental demands remained.

The Defender’s capabilities, even in stock form, get to the heart of why Land Rover has reengaged with the Dakar Rally. The world has gone S.U.V. crazy over the past 20 years, with the category replacing many of the traditional sedan and station-wagon nameplates that have gone extinct in the U.S. It makes sense, as there’s no arguing the increased flexibility and utility offered by S.U.V.s. But the image of independence or adventure that early examples offered has been blotted out by the S.U.V.’s now-ubiquitous presence at every stop light and parking lot. The only message the average model transmits in 2026 is, “I’ve joined the crowd.”

If you’re a serious S.U.V. brand looking to make a serious statement about your products’ prowess, you need more than a boxy shape and elevated ride height. Land Rover has now taken a high-profile step in authenticating the Defender’s pedigree at the most grueling, and prestigious, off-road race venue on the planet. And unlike so many of today’s race series, including Formula 1 and NASCAR, the FIA’s World Rally-Raid Championship has a Stock class based on a car any consumer can buy at their dealer.

Click here for more photos of Land Rover at the 2026 Dakar Rally.