- The most potent version of the Defender will debut at next week’s Goodwood Festival of Speed.
- U.S. pricing starts at $152,000 and $167,800 for the Defender OCTA Edition One.
- This insane Defender needs just 3.8 seconds to hit 60 mph.
The Land Rover Defender family has a new addition, and it’s the most powerful and quickest model ever adorned with the Defender badge. It’s dubbed the OCTA and has been presented ahead of its dynamic debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next weekend.
The headline of the new Defender OCTA is its powertrain. Whereas the current Defender V8 uses a supercharged 5.0-liter V8, the OCTA uses a BMW-sourced 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged V8 with mild-hybrid technology. It pumps out 626 hp and 553 lb-ft (750 Nm), although that torque figure increases to 590 lb-ft (800 Nm) with launch control activated.
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In a straight line, the insane 4×4 needs just 3.8 seconds to hit 60 mph (96 km/h) or 4.0 seconds to reach 100 km/h (62 mph), making this comfortably the quickest Defender ever. However, the Defender has never really been about blistering on-road performance, and instead, it’s become an icon because of its ruggedness and off-road prowess. Land Rover hasn’t forgotten this with the OCTA.
This new model sits 1.1 inches (28 mm) higher than lesser Defender models and has a 2.7-inch (68 mm) wider stance. It’s been equipped with longer and tougher wishbones to improve wheel articulation and features the brand’s new 6D Dynamics suspension technology. This setup consists of hydraulically interlinked continuously variable semi-active dampers that Land Rover says reduce pitch and body roll on the road while also improving articulation off-road.
Land Rover has also equipped the new model with a system that automatically detects what surface it’s being driven on and optimizes the Defender accordingly. Drivers can also manually adjust the steering, throttle, and suspension settings. There’s also a new driving mode dubbed ‘OCTA.’ In this mode, an Off-Road Launch control is enabled, and the ABS is tweaked to make it more effective on loose surfaces. The same array of Terrain Response modes as other Defenders are present, including Sand, Mud and Ruts, Grass Gravel Snow, and Rock Crawl settings.
Bold new looks
Thanks to the new model’s dramatic stance, it immediately stands out from lesser Defender variants. It has 33-inch Goodyear Advanced All-Terrain tires, flared wheel arches, a thoroughly revised front fascia, and a new rear bumper with quad tailpipes. All OCTAs built will feature a two-tone paint scheme with a Narvik Black roof and tailgate, and owners can opt for a matte protection film to be applied across the body.
Changes continue in the cabin. Two new Ultrafabric options are available, while as standard, the Defender OCTA includes a Burnt Sienna semi-aniline leather with Kvadrat textile trim. Land Rover has also gone to the trouble of designing new seats for the model and installed a new audio system that the brand says will allow front passengers to “feel, as well as hear, the music.”
U.S. prices for the Land Rover Defender OCTA start at $152,000, although the first year of production will exclusively consist of the Defender OCTA Edition One variant, priced from $167,800.
