Land Rover has whipped the wraps off the Defender Octa, the most powerful series-production Land Rover to ever don the “Defender” moniker. Here’s what you can expect…
Sited below the Defender Octa’s bonnet is a 4.4-litre, twin-turbocharged V8 engine incorporating mild-hybrid tech. The BMW-sourced petrol unit produces a whopping 467 kW and 750 N.m of torque (or 800 N.m when Dynamic Launch Mode is engaged), with the latter being on tap as soon as the rev needle edges the 1 500 r/min marker to “almost” 6 000 r/min.
According to Land Rover, these figures allow the most powerful Defender it has ever produced to dispatch the obligatory 0-100 km/h sprint in 4.0 seconds, before topping out at a maximum speed of 250 km/h (when fitted with 22-inch lightweight alloy wheels that are wrapped in all-season rubber, that is).
With [the] Defender Octa we have been able to unlock the full potential of [the] Defender.
However, the Defender Octa isn’t only about on-road performance (it is a Land Rover, after all). Compared to its standard stablemates, the Defender Octa boasts a 28 mm increase in ground clearance and 68 mm wider stance. It has also been equipped with revised suspension components, including “tougher” wishbones and “unique” active dampers, replete with separate accumulators. In addition, the Defender Octa features an uprated braking system, which comprises 400 mm front brakes and Brembo callipers.
How much will the Land Rover Defender Octa cost in South Africa?
Although official SA pricing for the Defender Octa has yet to be released, the local arm of the British marque has released indicative pricing for the all-terrain-performance-focused Defender. In short, you can expect to pay from R3 499 100 when it officially launches in SA.
According to Mark Cameron, Managing Director of Defender, “With [the] Defender Octa we have been able to unlock the full potential of [the] Defender. It is the very definition of breadth of capability, and a testament to what we can achieve utilising the very best technologies and talents within our engineering division. With its powerful V8 engine, ground-breaking 6D Dynamics suspension technology, exquisite finishes and unique detailing, it is rare, incredibly tough and inherently desirable.”