Jaguar may be in the midst of a controversial re-imagining but Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) management knows exactly what to do with the Land Rover Defender. The British firm announced today that it is taking its iconic off-roader racing in the Dakar Rally.
Starting with the 2025 edition, the Defender will be the ‘official car partner’ of the Dakar and will enter a factory team from 2026.
Mark Cameron, managing director of the Defender brand, said the deal is the ideal fit for both sides.
“Adventure is in the very DNA of the Defender brand, so we are inspired to partner with Dakar – the ultimate motorsport adventure – where competitors truly embrace the impossible,” he said.
Few details of the program were announced, so it’s unclear what class Land Rover will compete in. Ford, Toyota and Dacia all have entries in the T1+ class that compete for outright honours, but there are a variety of classes beneath those.
JLR bought the Bowler operation, the racing team that specializes in converting Land Rover models into rally-spec machines in 2019, so it has in-house knowledge that it can draw on.
“Anyone who loves motorsport will have a passion for Dakar,” said James Barclay, JLR’s head of motorsport. “It’s the Everest of motorsport and an event where success is dependent as much on human determination in the toughest of conditions as it is the ultimate test for vehicle and engineering capability. Bringing the world’s most capable and iconic 4×4 to the world’s most iconic rally-raid is a perfect fit.
“Our first time ever with a factory entry into the Dakar means we are right at the beginning of our journey. We are conscious of how much we have to learn and achieve before taking the start in 2026, but we are already well under way and looking forward to the adventure. We will share more details of this exciting programme at the Dakar rally in 2025.”
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