BATTLE SCARS
The new Defender was made to be capable of taking on the planet’s harshest conditions. After being put to the test with long-term partner the International Red Cross and Tusk in some of the world’s disaster zones and the African plains, the Defender team decided to take on ‘the Everest of motorsport’; the Dakar Rally.
Defender Rally entered the 2026 Dakar Rally, after only 18 months of development, with a modified Defender OCTA and won the new Stock class category and every single stage of the Dakar Rally.
That remarkable achievement only reveals part of the story. The three Defenders racked up a combined total of 14,912 miles (24,000 kilometres) as they tackled the Saudi Arabian desert. These images of Stéphane Peterhansel’s DX7-R illustrate the punishment they had to overcome in this ultimate test of human and machine.
STILL IN THE FIGHT
Stéphane Peterhansel’s Defender took a beating over the course of the Dakar Rally. If this vehicle could talk, it would tell tales of epic adventure and survival.
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STAGE 4
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STAGE 8
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STAGE 10
STAGE 4
During the first day of the first marathon stage, Stéphane Peterhansel and co-driver Mika Metge entered a narrow gorge and rolled their DX7-R onto its roof. It was quickly righted and they went on to win the Stage. The FIA conducted a safety inspection and cleared the Defender to continue the rally; despite the punishment its structural integrity remained strong.
During the first day of the first marathon stage, Stéphane Peterhansel and co-driver Mika Metge entered a narrow gorge and rolled their DX7-R onto its roof. It was quickly righted and they went on to win the Stage. The FIA conducted a safety inspection and cleared the Defender to continue the rally; despite the punishment its structural integrity remained strong.
