Did you know Land Rover's latest-gen Defender can powerslide like a madman? Probably yes, if you've watched the spy video we covered last week. The footage made its way to the World Wide Web courtesy of Car Spy Media, and more recently, our photographers shared several scoops from the same testing session.
Sure, it's one thing to see it in static shots like the ones shared above and a completely different story regarding the video mentioned above. Still, we couldn't ignore this batch of scoops for multiple reasons, the coolness of the snapped prototype being one of them.
The model in question is called the Land Rover Defender OCTA, and it features a V8 heart. However, it's not JLR's supercharged 5.0L mill, which makes 518 hp (525 ps/386 kW) and 461 pound-foot (625 Nm) of torque, but a 4.4-liter unit with twin turbos and mild-hybrid assistance that came straight from BMW's portfolio.
Are you wondering how much it puts out? So are we, and certain reports speak about 617 hp (626 ps/450 kW) and 553 pound-foot (750 Nm) of torque. If they're accurate, then it represents an almost 100 horsepower (101 ps/75 kW) boost over the regular Defender V8 and 93 lb-ft (126 Nm) more.
Photo: Baldauf
The latter model needs 5.2 seconds to accelerate to 62 mph (100 kph), and we reckon the OCTA should be around half a second quicker. The top speed should also increase from the current Defender V8's 150 mph (240 kph), and it could be capped at around 155 mph (250 kph) just to draw a thicker line between the two.
Land Rover is said to have modified the motor's ECU, intake, and exhaust system, so it should sound different. The Defender OCTA also benefits from a clever suspension for improved cornering and the occasional drifting (that sounds weird when talking about a Land Rover, doesn't it?) and features uprated brakes that Brembo signed.
Flared front and rear wheel arches will immediately tell bystanders they're looking at a special model. The tweaked grille and other highlights will also separate it from the lesser variants. We hope those disc-like wheels that seem to have been inspired by the world of rallying carry over to the production model, but the truth is that we do not know.
It is possible that the interior has suffered some alterations, yet we haven't caught a glimpse of it so far, other than the official teaser that revealed a diamond-like symbol on the steering wheel that was backlit. Land Rover will officially unveil the new Defender OCTA this summer.
The potent SUV is scheduled to be shown in July, and we expect it to arrive in the United States as a 2025 model, where it will take on the Mercedes-AMG G 63 and Ford Bronco Raptor (Jeep's Wrangler Rubicon 392 is about to bite the dust).
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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