Defender completes first rally-raid prototype test and signs Dakar Rally legend

Original British adventure brand Defender has accelerated its preparations for entering the World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC) by completing prototype test activity in Morocco with the Defender Dakar D7X-R, in addition to signing two stellar drivers.

Fourteen-time Dakar Rally winner Stéphane Peterhansel will join the Defender Rally team for the ultimate epic adventure, alongside emerging talent Rokas Baciuška. French driver Peterhansel joined the Defender Rally team in Morocco, successfully completing early test activity with the first prototype of the Defender Dakar D7X-R as they began preparations for competing at the Dakar Rally in January 2026 – an event renowned as the world’s most gruelling long-distance off-road race.

Defender, the iconic and unstoppable 4x4, which is designed and engineered for capability and durability, will make its works debut at the Dakar Rally, where three Defender Dakar D7X-Rs will compete in the ‘Stock’ category for production-based cars. A two-car entry will contest the remaining rounds of the 2026 FIA World Rally-Raid Championship (W2RC).

The Defender Dakar D7X-R, the team’s purpose-built, production-based, competition challenger, will share the same robust D7x aluminium body architecture, transmission and driveline layout as production Defenders, testament to its extreme durability and strength. The Defender Dakar D7X-R is powered by a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 engine, and the prototype is wrapped in a distinctive camouflage design. It was put through its paces to verify the reliability, durability and capability baselines in the demanding sand dunes of the Sahara Desert.

Just like Defender’s embrace the impossible ethos, having impressive physical and mental strength as a driver is a prerequisite for success. Drivers will be tested to the extreme in the harshest of environments, and only those possessing a determined spirit, unwavering bravery and a passion for adventure will have what it takes. All of the Defender Rally team’s drivers will demonstrate their fearless speed, meticulous skill and unwavering stamina in the heat of competition.

The 2026 edition of the of the W2RC will implement new regulations that are aimed at making the ‘Stock’ category significantly more competitive overall, as the FIA and Dakar organisers respond to the increasing capacity and popularity of high-performance 4x4s and SUVs. These new regulations will allow increased performance benefits, giving Defender the opportunity to showcase its extreme durability and capability through the harshest terrains.

The build of Defender’s official competition cars has also started, with the bodies of the cars coming off the line at JLR’s Nitra production plant. An exhaustive test programme is planned before a full team launch later this year ahead of Dakar and the FIA World Rally-Raid Championship in 2026.