Ad Feature: Defender’s Dakar Rally Starts Here

The Dakar Rally. It’s the roughest, toughest and most brutal rally-raid on the planet. And now Defender wants in. Since its inaugural event in 1978, the Dakar Rally has worked hard to earn its reputation as the most gruelling off-road race in the world. Originally running from Paris to Dakar in Senegal, the off-road enduro now calls Saudi Arabia home. You’d think that the Dakar would be meat and potatoes for a brand like Defender. But 2026 is the first time that Defender has officially competed - and the company seems to be taking it very, very seriously with the most hardcore Defender 110 on the planet. It’s called the Defender Dakar D7X-R and its competing in the revised ‘Stock’ category - basically for vehicles lifted from the production line and with standard engines, gearboxes, drivelines, bodywork and chassis. The class that’s a real test of a car that you can actually drive down a high street. Admittedly Defender’s base car is the already pretty insane 4.4-litre V8 Defender OCTA, but apart from a huge fuel tank, uprated suspension and safety gear, it really is like the car you can buy. It’s a prospect that’s tempted ‘Mr. Dakar’ Stephane Peterhansel to drive the Dakar again - which probably tells you all you need to know. For this year’s 48th edition, the hardcore competitors must conquer near-vertical sand dunes, tyre-slashing rock crawls, thick mud, higher-speed gravel stages and canyons across 13 stages (plus one welcome rest day). Those who make it to the finish (the attrition rate is something to be admired) will have racked up nearly 8,000 kilometers. For all the latest of Defender’s Dakar adventure, head to: https://bit.ly/DefenderAdFeatureDakarRally *This is an Advertisement Feature by Jaguar Land Rover* 🎥 Subscribe to Top Gear YouTube: http://bit.ly/SubscribeToTopGear ⏪ Subscribe to Top Gear Classic YouTube: http://bit.ly/SubscribeToTopGear 📖 Subscribe to Top Gear Magazine: https://top-gear.visitlink.me/YeyndO 🎧 Top Gear Magazine Podcast: https://topgear.podlink.to/Podcast ✉️ Top Gear Newsletter: https://www.topgear.com/newsletter-signup 🛍️ Top Gear Shop: https://www.topgear.com/shop Follow Top Gear ⬇️ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/topgear/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/topgear TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@topgear X/Twitter: https://x.com/BBC_TopGear This is a commercial channel from BBC Studios. Service & Feedback https://www.bbcstudios.com/contact/contact-us/