Up until recently, the Land Rover Defender Octa had been considered the pinnacle of that model’s lineup. It was always billed as a luxury vehicle first (see video), not a daily rock climber or mud swimmer. Well, things are about to change now that a new, even more extreme Defender prototype has been spotted testing on the North Loop.
If you take a closer look at these spy shots provided by Carscoops, you’ll see that the off-roader rides higher than ever and packs not one, but two snorkels for wading deep water. It also looks rather out-of-place on the Nürburgring track with its ostentatiously off-road wheels and meaty tires, but that just makes us think that the company wants to make a no-compromises 4x4 for the street and the wilderness alike. One that may rival the legendary Mercedes-AMG G 63 4х4² if need be.
There has been no official announcement yet. The Octa features a 4.4-liter, twin-turbo V8 tuned to deliver 635 PS (626 hp / 467 kW) and 800 Nm (590 lb-ft) of torque to the four wheels. It needs four seconds for a 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) sprint. Carscoops believes the new version could pack even more power in order to handle some of the worst off-road conditions imaginable for this vehicle class.
Whatever the actual case is, the new Defender likely won’t debut until 2027, when the standard model is due a facelift.