The Land Rover Defender Octa is an upcoming 626-horsepower beast for the wild dinosaurs of the world
Land Rover giving Guard a huge increase in performance and capabilities in the form of New Defender OctaAfter years of testing and spy shots, the Defender features new engines from BMW, a wider stance, an improved chassis and a much more aggressive look, all aimed at making it the most extreme Defender ever.
The big story here with Octa is Land Rover has dropped the AJ’s old supercharged 5.0-litre V8 donate BMW’s 4.4-liter twin-turbocharged mild hybrid V8 It’s also used in the new Range Rover and Range Rover Sport. Some enthusiasts will cry foul over the lack of supercharger wine, but the thing still sounds badass, and it puts out 626 horsepower and 553 pound-feet of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission with low range gear
Strong enough to move Defender The Octa accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds, which is impressive for a truck this big. Keep your foot on the gas and the Octa will hit a top speed of 155 mph with the right wheels and tires. You can choose from more street-focused wheels and tires or aggressive off-road wheels and tires with 33-inch Goodyear all-terrain tires.
Land Rover has increased the height of the Defender Octa x 1.1 inches, and it’s not just for show. Octa can wade deeper any Defender production previously, up to 3.3 feet of water. Its stance and wheel arches have also been widened by 2.7 inches to give it real road presence, and because it’s so wide, it now has amber lights in front and red lights in rear. What a great view.
Overall, it doesn’t seem like much. also different from normal DefenderBut there are enough little touches to let you know this isn’t your average Defender, like the different grille, chopped carbon fibre details, quad exhaust tips, new bumper design, copper accents, new badging and tough underbody protection. You can even buy a snorkel, because of course you can.
Land Rover has revised the suspension to include longer, stiffer wishbones and a different active damping setup. The Octa gets Land Rover’s 6D Dynamics suspension system, first seen in the Range Rover Sport SV. Land Rover says it uses “an advanced network of hydraulically linked, continuously variable semi-active dampers that virtually eliminate body roll and pitch on the road.” I haven’t driven one yet, but from the little demo a Land Rover rep showed me, it’s pretty impressive stuff. Additionally, the Octa comes with Brembo brakes with 15.7-inch discs and six-piston calipers up front.
Octa defaults to Comfort driving mode, but Dynamic mode changes the truck’s on-road performance through changes to steering, throttle, and suspension settings. Hold the drive mode button longer and you’ll engage Octa mode. It’s like Baja Burst mode is designed to counter things like Ford Raptor, Chevy Bison And Ram 1500 TRX of the word. Obviously, the Octa also comes with classic Land Rover terrain modes like Sand, Mud and Ruts, Grass Gravel Snow and Rock.
The Octa can be had in a few unique colours, like Petra Copper and Faroe Green, which are exclusive to the Edition One, as well as other Defender colours like Carpathian Grey and “Charente Grey. All feature a contrasting Narvik Black gloss black roof and tailgate, and customers can choose to personalise their Octa with the option Matte protective film from factory. Delusion.
Inside, the Octa is again pretty much the same as the regular Defender. There are two different Ultrafabric options, and Edition Ones will come standard in a two-tone Khaki and Ebony finish, and there are a few other unique interior touches. First-row passengers sit on new performance seats that have more supportive bolsters and integrated headrests, and the rear seat cushions look more prominent too. The front seats also get LR’s Body and Soul Seat audio system, which is a strange thing to experience but pretty neat. Other than that, it’s a pretty standard Defender interior.
The order books are now officially open for the Defender Octa, with a starting price of $152,000. If you want something a little more exclusive, opt for the Edition One, which starts at $167,800. The Defender Octa will be available to the public in 2024. Goodwood Festival of Speed on July 11-14.
