Photos: Land Rover Defender preps for 3,106-mile Dakar Rally with giant 35-inch tires

Land Rover has unveiled the Defender Dakar D7X R, an extensively modified version of the Defender Octa, designed to compete in the 2026 Dakar Rally’s Stock class. The rally SUV features significant upgrades including giant 35-inch tires, wider tracks for stability, and a reinforced suspension with Bilstein dampers to handle harsh off-road conditions. Exterior modifications enhance performance with improved cooling through hood vents and dual snorkels, better approach and departure angles via redesigned bumpers, and weight reduction by removing the tailgate-mounted spare wheel carrier. The vehicle sports a distinctive Geopalette livery inspired by desert landscapes. Under the hood, the Defender Dakar D7X R retains the 4.4-liter twin-turbo V8 engine, now tuned to run on sustainable fuel per championship regulations, paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission featuring a lower final drive ratio for challenging terrain. Advanced electronics include a motorsport control unit with a Flight Mode to smooth torque delivery during jumps. The interior is stripped down