Land Rover Defender Octa To Debut On July 3; Most Powerful Defender To Feature BMW-Sourced V8

Land Rover will unveil the range-topping variant of the Defender on July 3. Named the Defender Octa, it will be the most powerful and potent version of the SUV yet. Land Rover has also said it will only be offered in limited numbers in its first year of production and that prospective clients interested in purchasing the SUV can attend one of the preview events where they can reserve and configure the vehicle.

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The Defender Octa has been tested for durability around some of the toughest terrains in the world

Land Rover claims it conducted more than 13,960 additional tests, on top of those conducted on the standard Defender. These include durability tests at the Nürburgring in Germany, ice trails of Sweden, the deserts of Dubai and the rocky terrains of Utah, USA among others. A video released by the brand shows the Defender Octa powering through trails that include snow, water, sand and rocky paths. The company has also conducted a range of exclusive client preview events as part of the testing process.

Interested buyers can register for the Defender Elements program, where they will receive early access to the vehicle, along with opportunities to spec and reserve their vehicle. The events will be held in undisclosed locations around the world in countries including the UK, Germany, Italy, US, Dubai and Japan.

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The SUV will feature the 6D Dynamics air suspension setup

The Defender Octa will feature the new 6D Dynamics air suspension used by the brand’s flagship Range Rover SV. The set-up features an interlinked hydraulic damper set-up that aims to minimize pitch and roll whether under acceleration, braking or cornering on tarmac. Additionally, Land Rover says that the new suspension set-up will also maximise wheel articulation and independent wheel travel when going off-road.

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The BMW-sourced 4.4-litre V8 engine will power the SUV

On the powertrain front, the Octa will be the first model in the Defender lineup to feature the 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine sourced from BMW. The engine, that currently does duty on vehicles like the Range Rover Sport SV churns out 626 bhp and 800 Nm.