Defender Rally sets course for Dakar 2026 with D7X-R

Defender Rally completes Saharan test of D7X-R ahead of Dakar 2026

Defender Rally has reached a major milestone by completing demanding tests of the first competition-spec Defender Dakar D7X-R in the Saharan desert and confirming the appointment of Ian James as Team Principal. The trials took place near Erfoud, Morocco, where the car covered hundreds of kilometres across dunes, rocky plains and fast sand tracks, closely mirroring Dakar conditions.

The D7X-R is derived from the production Defender OCTA, retaining the aluminium D7x body architecture and 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8. Its body was assembled at JLR’s Nitra plant in Slovakia before being adapted in the UK to meet the requirements of the Stock category, which allows only limited modifications to production cars. Unlike the Ultimate class of prototypes, Stock preserves much of the original structure, making Defender’s participation especially significant.

Testing duties were taken on by world-class drivers: Stephane Peterhansel, a 14-time Dakar winner; American racer Sara Price, the first US woman to win a Dakar stage; and Lithuanian Rokas Baciuska, two-time W2RC champion in T4 and current Challenger title holder. Along with their co-drivers, they worked with electronic navigation roadbooks, simulating race conditions.

The official debut will come at the 2026 Dakar Rally, held in Saudi Arabia from 3–17 January. The route will cover about 8,000 km, including 5,000 km of special stages, with the start and finish in Yanbu on the Red Sea and a rest day in Riyadh. Three Defenders will enter Dakar before two cars continue through the remaining W2RC rounds.

The arrival of Ian James underlines JLR Motorsport’s ambition. Formerly Managing Director and Team Principal at McLaren Electric Racing, where he oversaw four Formula E world titles, James now leads not only Defender Rally but the broader JLR Motorsport strategy, including Jaguar TCS Racing. His stated goal is to link competition programmes with the company’s technological roadmap.

Defender has already proven its role in rally-raid: in 2025 it was the official vehicle partner of Dakar, supplying support fleets and specialised recce cars for route planning. The agreement with organisers extends through 2028, positioning Defender as a long-term force on the world’s toughest off-road stage.