Land Rover is embracing its inner Bond villain with a storming new Defender. The hottest Landie since Bowler Motors last had a go at the brand, the Land Rover Defender Octa promises to be the company’s stiff-upper-lip answer to the Ford Bronco Raptor.
It’s just a tease for now, but Land Rover is calling it “a new high-performance hero.” That’s a bold claim, but it’s tough to ignore. So here’s our look at what we know and what we can assume from what Land Rover is saying.
New Twin-Turbo V8
Defender Octa gets a mild-hybrid twin-turbo V8 engine, meaning it won’t be the V8 the Defender uses now. The current V8 Defender uses the company’s aging 5.0L V8 engine, which has been in the Jaguar Land Rover lineup since 1997. It’s plenty powerful, but it’s also supercharged and not a twin-turbo.
Is Land Rover going to drop the blower for a pair of turbos and add mild-hybrid tech? It’s not likely, especially since the engine is now only used in two other models, both Jaguars, and both of those drop the 5.0L this year.
Range Rover models have already moved on to a 4.4L V8, which the company sources from BMW. It’s the likely choice, especially given that the engine is both twin-turbocharged and has mild hybrid tech. Land Rover said the Octa will be the “most powerful Defender ever,” and the 4.4L V8 makes 626 horsepower in the Range Rover Sport SV. That’s a healthy dose of vitamin H over the current V8 Defender’s 518.

Big, gold-painted Brembo brake calipers are another hint as to the Octa’s performance. No details on how many pistons, but the size of them makes it look like six or more are on the way.
6D Suspension From Range Rover Sport SV


Land Rover Defender Octa Tested From Moab to Nurburgring

