The Land Rover Defender has long been one of the most popular off-road-ready SUVs, as well as one of the most capable, as evidenced by versions like the Defender 130 Outbound, which boast over 400hp on tap, has a more-than-8,000-pound tow rating, nearly a foot of ground clearance, 35.4” of wading depths, and approach, break-over, and departure angles of 37.5° , 27.8°, and 28.5°, respectively. Despite the already impressive go-anywhere capabilities of the current lineup, the British brand has now announced that it will soon be rolling out what’s said to be the most high-performance production Defender model variant to date with the Land Rover Defender OCTA. 

The Defender OCTA is being touted by Land Rover as being both the toughest and most capable Defender ever built, as well as supposedly being the most luxurious. It doesn’t end there, as the Defender OCTA will also reportedly be the most powerful, high-performance model variant in the Defender’s more-than-four-year history. This status is achieved through the use of a newly-designed mild hybrid V8 engine that’s been fitted with a set of turbochargers. This dual-forced induction setup will almost certainly afford this new Defender variant some supercar-esque horsepower and torque figures — and likely some supercar-esque acceleration times too. Additionally, we also expect the Defender OCTA to come loaded with a wide range of off-road upgrades and accessories all as standard, with items such as front and rear bumpers, auxiliary lighting, flared fenders, and a roof rack or rooftop tent. From teaser shots we also know the OCTA-spec will come loaded with top-of-the-line Brembo braking hardware. 

In addition to its ultra-potent twin-turbo powertrain, this spare-no-expense trim level model also massively benefits from the use of hydraulic interlinked 6D Dynamics air suspension tech that features an envelop-pushing pitch and roll control system that enables the OCTA to maintain a near-level stance whether accelerating, braking, or cornering, on-road, or off. Further differentiating the OCTA-spec from other Defender models is a new encircled diamond graphic that’s found adorning several interior and exterior elements including a gloss black diamond within a machined and sandblasted titanium disc on each Signature Graphic panel. This octahedron-shaped logo will also be used on all of the company’s future flagship models. Before eventually being unleashed upon the motoring public, Land Rover has been painstakingly testing the new twin-turbo Defender model across a wide range of locations, terrain types, and conditions, including see the OCTA put through its paces at everything from the trails of Moab, Utah to the tarmac of the Nürburgring. 

Though pricing, availability, and full specs have yet to be revealed, the company has stated that the 2025 Land Rover Defender OCTA is slated for a release later this year. Either way, we anticipate a fairly steep, six-figure MSRP, and a low production number that will make this super-premium off-roader even more exclusive.