Jaguar Land Rover has begun testing its Defender Dakar D7X-R prototype ahead of entering the 2026 World Rally-Raid Championship, including the Dakar Rally.
Official pictures have been shown of the mule smashing through the sand in Morocco, which, the British marque says, will mirror the “extreme desert conditions” that await the team in the 2026 series.
The car will compete in the Stock category for production-based vehicles. Although purpose-built for the series, it uses the same D7x aluminium monocoque chassis (hence its D7X-R name), transmission and driveline layout as the standard car. Kit such as suspension, bodywork and more are very much expected to be bespoke. JLR said further details will be revealed later this year.
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