AUTONEWS

Land Rover Defender Octa is getting ready for racing

Land Rover is preparing the Defender Octa for the factory car category as part of the World Rally Raid Championship next January, and the first photos of the prototype called the Dakar D7X-R have appeared on the Internet.

The Defender in the photos wears a camouflage livery and white stickers, and was driven for testing in the Moroccan part of the Sahara, where conditions of extreme temperatures and dust are similar to those during the Dakar, which awaits the D7X-R in less than eight months.

Given that it is in the "stock" category, the car is almost identical to the standard Octa model, has the same aluminum structure, eight-speed automatic transmission and all-wheel drive.

According to Mundoquatrorodas, there are no changes to the BMW 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, so it probably delivers 635 hp and 750 Nm of torque.

Land Rover also took the opportunity to confirm the line-up of its factory team, which consists of Rokas Baciuska and experienced 14-time Dakar winner Stephane Peterhansel. The Dane has achieved 14 titles in just 35 appearances. A third driver will be confirmed at a later date.

Mundoquatrorodas