Photo by Mark P for Gear Patrol
The creator of the Ford Raptor presents us with a new high-performance Defender, in preparation for almost half a decade.
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Here it is, in all its glory: the Octa, Land Rover’s fastest and most powerful Defender ever. But if you ask its creator, Jamal Hameedi, as I did recently at the vehicle’s unveiling in Los Angeles, there’s much more to this impressive off-roader.
Track Monster
The Land Rover Defender Octa is a new high-performance, ultra-capable Defender 110.
According to Hameedi, Land Rover’s head of special vehicles (whose CV includes developing the Ford Raptor), the manufacturer has tested the new Octa for 1,000,000 kilometres, both off-road and on track.
Interestingly, it’s in this last area that Hameedi thinks the new Octa really shines.
“This vehicle is as fun, if not more fun, to drive on a track as it is off-road.”
“It’s as much fun, if not more, to drive on the track than it is off-road,” they said. “I’ve never seen that before and it makes the Octa really special. We even tested the Octa at the Nürburgring.”
A rough diamond
With the Octa, Land Rover continues its trend of promoting each of its vehicles as a separate sub-brand. For example, the Defender and Range Rover are now two separate entities.
Octawhich means “diamond,” will be the Defender’s new high-performance line. (Think: AMG for Mercedes or M for BMW. It’s about more than just a bigger engine.) Meanwhile, “Special Vehicle (Operations)” will support the Range Rover’s high-performance models.
Expect to see plenty of references to the Octa in the coming years. In fact, Land Rover has already started toning down the Land Rover logo on its new vehicles.
The most powerful Defender ever
Land Rover has not skimped on the equipment for its new flagship. The Octa is jam-packed.
- Power: The Defender is powered by a BMW-sourced 4.4-litre Twin Turbo mild hybrid V8 producing 626bhp and up to 553lb ft of torque. 0-60mph is achieved in 3.8 seconds.
- Huge speed: Some models have a top speed of 250 km/h. To slow down such a mass, the Octa is equipped with massive Brembo brakes.
- Suspension: Land Rover has launched a reworked version of the 6D Dynamics suspension originally launched on the Range Rover Sport SV. Here, it’s able to compensate for pitch and roll. If you’ve ever seen those toy robots that keep the ball level on a surface, you can imagine what this does to the Defender.
- Tires: Along with the new 20-inch off-road wheels, the Defender is equipped with a new special tire that Hameedi told me took two years to develop. It’s a legitimate 33-inch 3-ply off-road tire (275/60 R20) that’s also capable of track use (shown in our live photos).
- Elevator: The 1.1-inch height, combined with the height of the larger off-road tires and a width of almost 3 inches, gives the Defender a seriously serious presence in person. It’s capable of wading an extra 100mm deeper.
- Exterior details: An all-new front bumper, massive fender flares, graphite body protection and chopped carbon fiber details make up most of the exterior changes.
- Inside: All-new seats (front and rear) with special fabrics including leather and animal-free fabrics. And most interestingly, Land Rover has integrated subwoofer-type actuators from Subpac and Coventry University into the seats to better feel your music. It’s like a bass shaker in high-end cinemas. Expect to see more of these.
- With taste and excess: The American clearance lights (like those seen on high-performance pickups) and the high-mounted dual air intakes are overkill but necessary on the Defender Octa due to the V8 and 80-inch width. The fact that they are required to meet legal requirements is just icing on the cake. I’m sure we’ll see people fitting them to Defenders as soon as parts become available.
- Competition: A clear volley against the Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG.
A special version for early adopters, called “Edition One,” features a special Faroe Green paint finish with a matte coating and chopped carbon fiber details. The bronze tow hooks are a particularly refined touch. This is the model in our photos.
When will you see it in the wild?
The Defender Octa’s public debut will take place at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on July 11.
For those of you not in the UK, you’ll need to brace yourself. Only 4,010 units will be created in the first year, with only 1,000 of those coming to the US.
Pre-orders will be launched soon and production will begin in October.
Price: As expected, a significant bonus
- The standard Defender Octa’s manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) is $152,000. You can expect your local dealer, depending on their scruples, to raise that price.
- The Defender OCTA Edition One, pictured here, which will only be available during the first year of production, will have a starting price of $167,800.
Stay tuned for more information once we get behind the wheel of the Defender Octa.