Land Rover Defender to take on the Dakar

JLR has announced that the Land Rover Defender will race at the Dakar in 2026. Billed as a full works effort – the first of its kind for the brand – entrance into the race is intended to prove the performance, durability and capability of what most know as the most rugged name in motoring.

While still very capable, the latest iteration of the Defender has taken on more of the duties that the Discovery traditionally performed, as a sturdy yet cossetting family SUV. Quite in contrast to the rough and ready Land Rover that existed in broadly the same form between 1948 and 2016. 

Over the years, events like the Camel Trophy and G4 Challenge are where Land Rovers were pushed to their limits. In 1971 and 1972, modified Range Rovers crossed the Darién Gap, a 250-mile stretch of what was considered impassable swampland between Panama and Colombia. The Dakar will present an altogether different kind of challenge for the latest Defender, of course, being an actual race/competition against other makes and models.

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Though the special version of the car that is to take part has yet to be revealed, the lead-up to the event will involve Defender becoming a close partner of the long-running off road racing event.

Defender will be the official car partner of the event, starting from 2025 initially until 2028. A fleet of six specially-prepared Defenders will be brought in as recce vehicles to test routes for future events, while Defenders will also be used on the transport fleet for rally officials and VIP media.

James Barclay, JLR Motorsport Managing Director, said:

‘Anyone who loves motorsport will have a passion for Dakar. It’s the Everest of motorsport and an event where success is dependent as much on human determination in the toughest of conditions, as it is the ultimate test for vehicle and engineering capability. Bringing the world's most capable and iconic 4x4 to the world's most iconic rally-raid is a perfect fit. 

‘Our first time ever with a factory entry into the Dakar means we are right at the beginning of our journey. We are conscious of how much we have to learn and achieve before taking the start in 2026, but we are already well under way and looking forward to the adventure. We will share more details of this exciting programme at the Dakar rally in 2025.’