Defender D7X-R Unleashed: New Cooling Tech & Beast Mode Ready For 2026 Dakar Rally Debut

The iconic automobile from the house of Tata Motors Land Rover has revealed a new model of its flagship car Defender. The company has revealed its all-new Dakar D7X-R. The Land Rover has been working on this vehicle for the past few months.  

The company has officially launched its first look with specifications. The 2026 W2RC debuts the new Stock category which is where the D7X-R will do its thing. The regulations framed by FIA for this category state that the entered vehicles should not differ from their production versions. 

The all-new Defender D7X-R, which is based on Defender Octa. The car features the iconic Defender model’s body architecture, transmission, driveline, and engine which means the car is offering an unmodified 4.4-liter twin turbo V8 and eight speed automatic transmission. 

The new Defender D7X-R basically stock in terms of layout and capabilities. The engine and gearbox have some tweaks. The V8 engine of the car features an air-intake restrictor to limit its power to comply with regulation. The company has installed a cooling package due to which the car can survive in the extreme temperature of the desert. 

Design of Defender DX7-R 

The Land Rover has increased the frontal area of the SUV and optimized airflow through the grille in the bid to provide the engine with more cooling power. The three radiators that are offered in the standard variant have been replaced with a single large radiator. There are 4 fans of 12V on the deck to support a single large radiator. 

The engineers have also made changes in design to keep the car cool. The engineers have also installed a particle filter on the top to resist the desert sand from getting into the air intakes. 

The design of the all-new Defender D7X-R is not only run smoothly in the rough condition of deserts but also it allows to carry a much larger fuel tank which can hold 550-liters of fuels which means one can go off-roading for up to 800 kms. 

Interior of Defender D7X-R 

The company has changed some changes in the interior also. The company has installed a roll cage. The role cage is included in the regulation of FIA. This roll cage will display speed and heading and a configurable motorsport dashboard. 

The company has removed the rear seat for which the company says that the removal of rear seat creates enough space which can carry 2 gallons of water, three spare wheels, a tool kit, compressed air, and essential spare parts. 

The eye-catching part of the all-new Defender D7X-R is its paint. It gave a cartoonish look. The car may look invisible while racing in the desert. There will be three units of Defender D7X-R on Dakar in January 2026.