Land Rover will be presenting its highly-anticipated Defender OCTA high-performance SUV at the 2024 Goodwood Festival of Speed in a few weeks, and it won’t be a static presentation. Yep, spectators will get to see the new beast sprinting up the famous hill climb.
The Defender OCTA will be Land Rover’s new hero model. Needless to say, it’ll be the fastest and most powerful road-going Defender ever, featuring a twin-turbo V8 – likely the BMW-sourced 4.4-litre unit as seen in other JLR products.
Power outputs are yet to be confirmed, but the engine will feature mild-hybrid tech and it does produce up to 467kW in the case of the Range Rover Sport P635 SV. The most powerful Defender so far has been the supercharged V8 model, producing 386kW.
It won’t be just about engine power, though. The new model will be capable of conquering corners as well, equipped with a crazy suspension package that promises an “unparalleled breadth of capability, comfort and composure, whether on-road or off-road,” according to Land Rover.
Prototypes have been put through their paces all around the world, with the gruelling testing programme spanning three years, with 13,960 tests, including on ice in Sweden, rally raid stages in France, and sand deserts in Dubai.
The engineers have also hit the Nurburgring in Germany, where, judging by spy videos, test drivers have had some fun pushing the new beast to its limits (see video below).
Spectators will get the chance to see the new 6D Dynamics suspension system in action during hill climb runs. It will also be on display in the paddock along with a number of other Land Rover exhibits, including the full Range Rover lineup, and the special Defender 110 Sedona Edition along side a classic 110.
The Defender OCTA (as it’s officially called, dropping the ‘Land Rover’ name), will make its full debut on July 3, just ahead of its dynamic debut at the Goodwood Festival. The Festival runs from July 11-14.
