Dashing Defenders Destroy Dunes With Double Dakar Delight

Defender Rally didn’t just enter the 2026 Dakar Rally—they decided to treat the world’s most dangerous desert like a delightful day at the beach. In a debut performance that has left rivals rubbing sand out of their eyes the team secured a sensational 1-2 finish in the Stock class. Rokas Baciuška and Oriol Vidal piloted their Defender Dakar D7X-R to the top of the podium with a time of 58h 09′ 45” proving that these machines are more mountain goat than motor vehicle.

The podium party was a crowded affair as teammates Sara Price and Sean Berriman nabbed the silver medal while the legendary “Mr Dakar” Stéphane Peterhansel brought his crew home in fourth. For two weeks the trio treated the Saudi Arabian dunes like a high-speed car park achieving a staggering 1-2-3 stage result ten times over. Collectively they thrashed their vehicles across 24,000km of punishing terrain showing that the Defender OCTA DNA is as tough as an overcooked steak.

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Under the mud and glory sits the same sturdy D7x architecture you would find at a local dealership. Fuelled by a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 that sounds like a thunderstorm in a tuxedo these cars survived the “Everest of motorsport” without losing their cool. Driver Rokas Baciuška admitted his dreams had come true while the rest of the field was left wondering if the Defender team had found a secret shortcut through the desert.

Managing Director Mark Cameron was understandably ecstatic noting that the team spirit was simply incredible. It turns out that when you combine precision engineering with a bunch of drivers who clearly have no fear of heights or heatstroke you get a history-making result. The winning D7X-R might be modified for the extremes but it started life on the same assembly line as the car you use for the supermarket run. As the dust settles and the trophies are polished the squad is already looking toward the World Rally-Raid Championship in Portugal this March. If this debut is anything to go by the competition should probably start practicing their “congratulations” speeches now. Defender has proven that whether it is a rocky ravine or a sandy slope they are the undisputed bosses of the bush.