G-WAGEN VIBES, RALLY CAR RAGE

LAND ROVER DEFENDER OCTA

- Ramesh Somani

₹2.59 crore (ex-showroom)

What do you get when you cross a luxury SUV with the spirit of a Dakar rally car, a beach buggy's enthusiasm, and the gym-honed physique of a bouncer? The Land Rover Defender Octa - a high-performance off-roader that aims to be the fastest in the world, both in the sand and on the tarmac straights - has knowingly or unknowingly picked a fight with the legendary G-Wagen.

The name “Octa” is derived from “octahedron” - the geometric shape of a diamond. It’s symbolic of toughness and strength, and it’s trademarked in 175 territories, which is a branding scoop for Land Rover. It has also gone over 13,960 additional tests in the past 3 years. From Nürburgring apexes to Swedish ice sheets, Dubai's dunes to the brutal Château de Lastours rally route - the Defender Octa has been through more terrain than most of us see in a lifetime of Google Maps scrolling. It’s also the first Defender to conquer every trail at JLR’s Eastnor Castle proving ground. Translation? This thing's got serious off-road cred.

It rides 28mm higher and is 68mm wider than your average Defender. Wheel arch extensions, optional matte protection film, and a ruggedly charming Faroe Green paint option give it that modern military edge.

The Octa is the most powerful, most extreme Defender ever made. Think of it as the Defender SVR that never happened—a 4.4-litre twin-turbo V8 sourced from BMW delivering a staggering 626bhp and 750Nm of torque. That’s enough to propel this steel-clad fortress from 0 to 100 kmph in just 4 seconds. Four Seconds in something shaped like a cargo container is confusing.

DESIGN: BRAWN OVER BEAUTY