Defenders set for 2026 Dakar rally
Jlr is in the process of transforming its defender nameplate into a standalone brand dedicated to adventure cars, and as part of its transformation, plans to join the Defender factory team in the tough Dakar rally in 2026.
The Dakar program is run by Jlr Motorsport boss James Barclay, who currently oversees Jaguar's Formula E program.
Details will be announced at the Dakar rally in Saudi Arabia in early May 1, 2025, but in a statement released on Monday, Barclay said work on the Dakar program has already begun.
The latest defender is already the most capable off-road currently on sale, especially with the extra rugged Defender Octa outfit announced earlier this year, but JLR is likely to run a bespoke rally raid style vehicle that shares some technology with the design and possibly production defender.
Audi, which won the Dakar rally in 2024, has been competing with custom-built off-roaders in recent years using a unique series of plug-in hybrid powertrain. Ford is also preparing to enter the Dakar rally in 2025, using its own bespoke off-road vehicle called the Raptor T1+. The name T1+ is a nod to the Dakar rally's T1 class. This class is open to non-production vehicles that meet the FIA's technical and safety standards, which JLR can compete with.
JLR said it wants Defender to be a standalone brand in 2023 alongside the new Range Rover and Discovery brands, as well as the existing Jaguar brand. As for the original Land Rover brand, JLR confirmed that it would not disappear entirely, but could not provide further details.
