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Defender Battle Scars
Defender Battle Scars

BATTLE SCARS

“We can talk about Defender. We can talk about its strength, its capability. Always the ambition was, we’ve got to go and prove it.”


Mark Cameron, Defender MD.

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.

DEFENDER Dakar off-roading on rocky hill
“There’s going to be a bad day. And in Dakar, you are only as good as your worst day.”
Sara Price, 2nd Place Dakar Rally 2026 Stock Class.
Side view of a Defender Dakar studio shot

That remarkable achievement only reveals part of the story. The three Defenders racked up a combined total of 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.

Defender Dakar back top view

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.
Front three-quarter view of a Defender Dakar studio shot

STAGE 8

Stéphane was forced to take a time penalty when his DX7-R suffered from a broken alternator belt that could not be fixed in the desert. Despite losing an opportunity of a podium, once his vehicle was repaired Stéphane continued the Rally, carrying extra parts to support his fellow Defender drivers.
Defender Dakar rear light dent

STAGE 10

Stéphane would go on to help free Sara Price’s car from the challenging sand dunes. A 10-tonne truck appeared at high speed and, despite the warning signals, struck the stationary DX7-Rs. Despite this incident, the car went on to finish the Rally with only cosmetic damage.

DEFENDER RALLY

Defender debuted at the Dakar Rally, showcasing its strength and capability on the world's toughest off-road challenge.