RE: 'Unstoppable' Defender OCTA officially unveiled

RE: 'Unstoppable' Defender OCTA officially unveiled

Wednesday 3rd July

'Unstoppable' Defender OCTA officially unveiled

Land Rover promises to unlock Defender's full potential with 635hp super-SUV  


We’ve known for yonks that Land Rover has been cooking up a very senior-grade Defender. It was obvious when it cancelled the Discovery SVX. It was obvious at the Defender's original launch, when the manufacturer already sensed it was onto a winner. It was obvious based on the car’s subsequent sales performance, and the preparedness of buyers to accept with six-figure asking prices. Even when the first V8 derivative was introduced, it was obvious that the chassis had more to give. The question was never about ‘if’ but ‘when’. And to what extent Land Rover would let its hair down. 

Well, the answers are ‘now’ and all the way down to its waist. We already knew the model would be called OCTA (it is to do with diamonds; let’s gloss over it) and feature the same combination of 4.4-litre V8 and hydraulically-interlinked dampers as the new Range Rover Sport SV. But we didn’t know the power output would be the same - meaning the Defender gets 635hp; fully 110hp more than the 5.0-litre V8 derivative - and nor did we know anything about the spec or the price. Both are eye-popping. 

As, it must be said, is the car. In a break from tradition, Land Rover has been touring the country (and it other major markets) showing the 110-specific model to likely customers ahead of its official reveal and dynamic debut at Festival of Speed; a static preview that PH was invited to last month, so we’ve seen it in the flesh. Marvelled at it, really. The pictures hardly do it justice: those are 33-inch diameter tyres, the largest ever fitted to a production Defender, with specially developed all-terrain performance rubber from Goodyear - not to mention a new lightweight 20-inch alloy wheel design that’s by some distance the best we’ve yet seen on the car. 

It helps that the wheel arches have been pulled out to accommodate them, giving the OCTA the kind of glowering, goose-bumpy stance that marks it out as very different from the rest of the lineup. Additionally, you get a new grille (said to improve the under-bonnet airflow), revised bumpers for better approach and departure angles, and much tougher underbody protection courtesy of new aluminium alloy shield. But it’s the rims you notice. And the updated four-exit valve-wearing exhaust. And the Phosphor Bronze front and rear towing eyes. In Faroe Green - exclusive to the specially curated Edition One - it looks brawny enough to be hunting for Scud missile launchers in an Iraqi desert. 

What's underneath does nothing to dilute the impression. The V8 and its eight-speed automatic are already familiar, yet they are primed to deliver an unfamiliar amount of performance to the Defender. The current 5.0-litre 110 serves up 0-62mph in a raucous 5.4 seconds; the OCTA will get you there in 4 seconds dead. Clearly, that is a meaningful uptick in potency, and delivering a new chassis to contain it is where much time and effort has been spent. The newcomer sits 28mm higher than standard, yet its footprint is 68mm wider and the roll centre and kerbweight remain roughly the same as they are for the supercharged 110. Land Rover says the OCTA gets longer and tougher wishbones, as well as uprated 400m front discs with Brembo calipers. 

The suspension geometry has changed, too, although it is the introduction of the continuously variable 6D Dynamics system, with its hydraulically networked dampers, that ought to serve as the key point of difference in the car’s handling. The ability to dramatically subdue pitch and body roll ought to have much the same effect on road as it did for the Range Rover Sport SV, although Land Rover was keen to underline what it means for the OCTA’s off-road performance - not just thanks to an increase in wheel articulation, but also its incorporation into the ‘first ever dedicated Defender off-road driving mode with a performance focus’. 

Inevitably this is called ‘OCTA Mode’, although ‘Baja’ would seem a more fitting description. The manufacturer talks about ensuring ‘ultimate control and driver confidence’ but on the basis that it enables an Off-Road Launch mode for loose surfaces combined with what is essentially a TracDSC setting, the end goal is clearly skidding cheerily about without completely dispensing with a safety net. Obviously you still get a full suite of grown-up Terrain Response modes as well - but a unique Off-Road ABS calibration for fast driving on gravel tells you a good deal more about what Land Rover is expecting some OCTA owners to get up to. 

“Our high-performance experts have achieved the impossible with Defender OCTA, working tirelessly over the past three years to create the most capable Defender ever made – regardless of which surface it is enjoyed on,” noted Jamal Hameedi, who joined JLR as Director of SVO with a view to building this very car. “They have re-engineered components throughout the vehicle to ensure Defender OCTA is the perfect companion for epic adventures anywhere on the planet.”

As you might expect, the ‘no compromise’ approach was repeatedly highlighted when discussing the development process. Land Rover is fond of talking up its exhaustive testing regime, but the OCTA is said to have broken all previous records for durability evaluation - not just by traversing all the most extreme off-road sections that the company has access to (its additional ride height means its wading depth has increased to one metre), but also by going to places they’ve never been before, like Château de Lastours, which usually hosts teams preparing for the Dakar. 

Of course, it’s perfectly possible that for some OCTA owners things will get no more challenging than the school gates - and when not regaling you with stories about just how entertaining the car is on a rally stage, Land Rover was keen to stress just how remarkable the model's bandwidth really is. This is probably best encapsulated in the tyre choice. Yes, you can have the puncture-resistant, go-anywhere three-ply Goodyears which (from an advisory point of view) limit your car to 99mph - but you can also have all-season rubber on a flashier 22-inch rim that will let you do 155mph. And there’s a halfway house choice between the two for those who want to go off-road, but also safely do 112mph. The choice is very much yours. 

And that’s to be expected because the OCTA is, for now at any rate, not a traditional range-topper. Land Rover has committed to building 1,070 examples in the first year, making it a limited-run model of sorts (certainly the First Edition version will only be available in that period). If the very well-attended event we were invited to is indicative of a worldwide level of interest, it is very unlikely to remain a short-lived option - although that hasn’t prevented its maker pricing it like it was one: the OCTA starts at £145,300 in the UK, with the Edition One costing from £160,800. Thank goodness the latest Mercedes-AMG G63, the model squarely in Land Rover's crosshairs, cannot be had for less than £184,595. Talk about unlocking the Defender’s full potential. Expect the order books to open soon, and to hear that it sold out almost immediately. 


Author
Discussion

Billy_Whizzzz

Original Poster:

2,063 posts

146 months

Wednesday 3rd July
quotequote all
Stuck on arches look a bit rubbish. And unlike the article, I’m not salivating although would quite like a go in one.

tight fart

2,970 posts

276 months

Wednesday 3rd July
quotequote all
Unstoppable!
Sounds like brake failure.

WY86

1,405 posts

30 months

Wednesday 3rd July
quotequote all
The 33inch tyres would be eye watering to replace i imagine. The ultimate yummy mummy vehicle, as when ever i see one on the road it is always driven by a woman.

jhubs139

67 posts

28 months

Wednesday 3rd July
quotequote all
Wow. I'll take one in full off-road spec please...

It's amazing stuff like this is still getting made given the general direction of the market. Not exactly obtainable for most but glad cars like this are still being created.

mooseracer

1,980 posts

173 months

Wednesday 3rd July
quotequote all
jhubs139 said:
Wow. I'll take one in full off-road spec please...

It's amazing stuff like this is still getting made given the general direction of the market. Not exactly obtainable for most but glad cars like this are still being created.
Yep - this sort of vehicle isn't for me, and never has been. But it's bloody nice to see this being released.

Ed Moses

622 posts

123 months

Wednesday 3rd July
quotequote all
Look forward to seeing this at FOS and in 90 spec.

PRO5T

4,315 posts

28 months

Wednesday 3rd July
quotequote all
Love my defender but Jesus the software bugs on the stereo are a joke! This months update means CarPlay no longer functions, or it does one time out of five.

Previous update meant bass or treble disappeared every few times you started the car.

Occasionally, the screen just doesn’t start up at all.

Love the thing as a utility vehicle, had a 1.75 ton digger on the back this week but Jesus they need to sort out their software.

Having seen some examples of their other products completely stting themselves though I consider mine a good one! rofl

wistec1

343 posts

44 months

Wednesday 3rd July
quotequote all
Apparently the name OCTA is meant to refer to the octahedron shape of a diamond. Well it's got the price tag of one for starters but I'm struggling with any other comparisons.

I can't see much to like at this price point except the fact that it's ICE powered. Acronyms eh...I can't wait for the land rover fluffy & haribow to be released with some JLR Clown dreaming some comparitors. The zippy and bungle rainbow edition is the one to have though.

Grantstown

1,013 posts

90 months

Wednesday 3rd July
quotequote all
Where have sourced the 4.4 V8 from for this one?

wistec1

343 posts

44 months

Wednesday 3rd July
quotequote all
Grantstown said:
Where have sourced the 4.4 V8 from for this one?
BMW

wistec1

343 posts

44 months

Wednesday 3rd July
quotequote all
wistec1 said:
Apparently the name OCTA is meant to refer to the octahedron shape of a diamond. Well it's got the price tag of one for starters but I'm struggling with any other comparisons.

I can't see much to like at this price point except the fact that it's ICE powered. Acronyms eh...I can't wait for the land rover fluffy & haribow to be released with some JLR Clown dreaming some comparitors. The zippy and bungle rainbow edition is the one to have though.
If the deep thinkers at JLR see this we could easily get the LF rainbow edition.

https://youtu.be/FnFhACQEIVY?si=RMf5okEPAWFb7Ihx

LooneyTunes

7,045 posts

161 months

Wednesday 3rd July
quotequote all
Not really sure what to make of this as I’m all for decent sized engines but the largest engined Defenders always seem require much compromise.

When it comes to modern Land Rovers we own three at present:
My 5.0 s/c RR runs the standard tyre LR supply;
My 110 (Puma) Defender, on winters or muds depending on the season;
Mrs LT’s D300 110 Defender on the standard tyre LR supply.

Off road on the mud terrains my Defender is much more capable than the others, due to tyre choice. I like the way it looks too. On road the tyres are noisy and frankly terrible compared to the others. Would I want anything like them on a daily? Nope (but I do know a couple of chaps who run all terrains on their less powerful RR’s to help with muddy fields).

When you look at models such as the s/c Defender or this OCTA I just don’t think they look right with road tyres but, as the article makes clear, the more off-road focused options just can’t deal with performance on offer (in addition to top speed, I’d also expect acceleration, handling, and braking to be seriously compromised) - yet the choice LR need people to make is to admit that the image of off-road adventure is complete nonsense (and choose the road tyres) or compromise the vehicle’s on-road performance by choosing tyres that fit the off-road image.

Overall, I suppose I want to like the idea of such a powerful Defender but question whether the execution will work in the real world.

Exasperated

130 posts

14 months

Wednesday 3rd July
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I think the market would prefer Unstealable rather than Unstoppable.

GreatScott2016

1,285 posts

91 months

Wednesday 3rd July
quotequote all
I’d just go buy a Jimny smile and pocket the change. Yes, I’m boring and old smile

SpadeBrigade

682 posts

142 months

Wednesday 3rd July
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The price is quite mad of course but I am sure they will have no trouble selling all of them. I’m quite surprised they are limiting the volume to be honest.

I would love one.

NJJ

442 posts

83 months

Wednesday 3rd July
quotequote all
LR naming strategy seems all over the place, why not call it Defender SVX or SVO?! Harry mentioned it recently in one of his vids the other day and I couldn't agree more.

DaveyBoyWonder

2,607 posts

177 months

Wednesday 3rd July
quotequote all
Perfect for the school run which is where new Defenders seem to live...

LRDefender

191 posts

11 months

Wednesday 3rd July
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About time LR brought something like this out as MB with their G63 has enjoyed great success.

I see many G63's all over Europe and anything that wants to steal a (large) percentage on G63 sales needs to be very good indeed and in my experience the Defender is a very good product. I think the OCTA will do well.

I'm undecided by the name though.

Gecko1978

10,016 posts

160 months

Wednesday 3rd July
quotequote all
DaveyBoyWonder said:
Perfect for the school run which is where new Defenders seem to live...
While I get they are big an comfy the box on the side just seems pointless on the school run

smilo996

2,868 posts

173 months

Wednesday 3rd July
quotequote all
Three examples of car manufacturers needing a slap and to do so much better than pander to white sneaker and baseball capped muppets.
However, the more metal, plastic and resources they stuff into these bloviated and flatulent expressions of wafeur thin ego, the better the margins.
Nice wheels on the Landrover.