Land Rover Defender OCTA gets OTT turbo V8
LAND ROVER has unveiled the most powerful Defender model to date with the Octa, which promises to be equal parts rugged and capable… but it isn’t cheap.
The name comes from the ‘octahedral’ shape that gives diamonds their distinctive appearance and durability, so of course Land Rover has included an actual black diamond within a machined titanium disc on the signature graphic panel.
At the heart of the Octa is a 4.4-litre twin-turbocharged V8 petrol engine that produces 467kW/750Nm, with up to 800Nm available when using launch control, good for a 0-100km/h sprint time of just 4.0 seconds. Why? Why not!
Despite the chaotic power levels, Land Rover has built some sensibility into the Octa, opting for a 48-volt mild-hybrid system to eke a bit more economy out of the BMW M5-sourced powertrain – also shared with the Range Rover Sport SV.
In fact, the state of tune for the V8 is actually more powerful than that of the standard M5, instead matching the M5 CS outputs. This puts the Defender Octa ahead of other wildly powerful off-roaders like the G 63 AMG.
According to Land Rover, it’s also the most dynamically capable Defender ever created, with ‘6D’ dynamic suspension, a new off-road performance mode, and beefier dimensions.
Land Rover heavily reworked the chassis and body, now offering a 68mm wider track, 28mm more ground clearance and redesigned bumpers to improve the approach and departure angles too.
Beefy 33-inch Goodyear all-terrain tyres give buyers a serious off-road rubber option, or they can opt for all-season tyres that are undoubtedly more performance focused for on-road use.
Larger Brembo brakes, gripping 400mm front rotors, slow the Octa – which is capable of 250kph, mind you – and it has the quickest steering ratio ever fitted to a Defender.
Suitably, given its clear performance focus, Land Rover plans to debut the Defender Octa at Goodwood Festival of Speed from 11-14 July.
The Australian order books are set to open soon too, with Land Rover confirming an indicative local starting price of $291,542 plus on-road costs – or three times the cost of the base model Defender 110.
It’s a far cry from the boxy, underpowered, riveted-together Defenders of the past, but based on the Octa the future of the model looks bright…like a diamond.
2024 Land Rover Defender pricing*:
|
90 D250 S (a) |
$92,402 |
|
|
110 P400 S (a) |
$94,992 |
|
|
110 D250 S (a) |
$106,232 |
|
|
110 D350 X-Dynamic SE (a) |
$109,880 |
|
|
110 P400 X-Dynamic SE (a) |
$115,250 |
|
|
110 D350 X-Dynamic HSE (a) |
$125,125 |
|
|
110 PHEV 400 X-Dynamic SE (a) |
$126,800 |
|
|
110 P400 X-Dynamic HSE (a) |
$129,900 |
|
|
130 D350 X-Dynamic SE (a) |
$130,450 |
|
|
130 P400 X-Dynamic SE (a) |
$134,556 |
|
|
110 D350 Sedona Edition (a) |
$135,791 |
|
|
130 P400 Outbound LE (a) |
$136,647 |
|
|
110 PHEV 400 X-Dynamic HSE (a) |
$138,705 |
|
|
90 P400 X (a) |
$155,949 |
|
|
110 D350 X (a) |
$158,627 |
|
|
110 P400 X (a) |
$159,945 |
|
|
90 P525 V8 (a) |
$192,373 |
|
|
110 P525 V8 (a) |
$199,999 |
|
|
130 P500 V8 (a) |
$217,282 |
|
|
110 V8 OCTA (a) |
$291,542 |
New variant |
*Pricing excludes on-road costs.
