The Land Rover Defender isn’t what we’d call an underpowered SUV. With a selection of straight-six engines, this off-roader isn’t short on pulling power.
But then again, who doesn’t want a little more muscle? Provided you can pay for it at the gas station, there’s also a more powerful, V8-powered option for the Defender.
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For those who want a little more punch, there’s Defender 110 Carpathian Edition P525 (yes, long name, we know). The P525 swaps out the familiar 3.0-liter inline sixes for a brawny 5.0-liter supercharged V8. As you may have guessed, P525 means a healthy 525hp, along with a meaty 625Nm of torque.
Still not enough? Well, say hello to the OCTA edition, and it’s easily the fastest Land Rover Defender from the factory. It’s the perfect Defender for those who still think the P525’s output is still on the conservative side.
Instead of the supercharged 5.0-liter V8 in the P525, it gets a twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 under the hood. It’s from the BMW family so you can think of it as an M5-powered Defender. It packs M5-like power too, packing 626hp and a whopping 800Nm of torque.
With that much power, it gets the heavyweight 4x4 to 100kph in just four seconds flat. It’s then electronically limited to 250kph. Pretty solid for something that looks this boxy.
Of course, the suspension gets an upgrade, too. It utilizes Land Rover’s 6D Dynamics that aims to further improve on-road handling and maximize off-road suspension articulation. The OCTA also sits 28mm higher than the standard Defender and has a water wading capability of 1,000mm.
Sure, it can chase sports cars with that much power, but it can still be a beast off-road. Besides, it's still a Land Rover at heart, after all.
