Land Rover Defender Octa, the most luxurious, powerful, high-performance and expensive ever

No other Defender has ever boasted looks, equipment, technology, performance and, Land Rover promises, all-terrain dynamism vaguely comparable to that of the Octa. Based on the five-door 110 version, it is the most exclusive and performance-oriented Defender ever and is aimed at a limited audience. The same crowd that can, without too much fuss, pick up a cheque for 187,000 euros for the 'basic' Octa or over 200,000 euros for the Edition One. In fact, Octa is at the top of the Defender range, also distinguished by its name inspired by the shape, octahedral, and hardness of a precious diamond.

In the long history of the iconic Defender there have been a few limited edition versions with V8 engines. In other words, of similar construction to that of the Octa, but which have not given the slightest thought to stunning performance and have remained rather faithful to the pure off-road concept. The Octa writes a new chapter in Defender history starting with the engine. It is the mighty 4.4-litre twin-turbo mild-hybrid V8 with 48 V technology, born in Bavaria in the house of BMW, configured with an output of 635 hp and 750 Nm of torque. Ultimately, the is the same as the Range Rover Sport Sv. Mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox with reducer, it pushes the Octa up to 250 km/h and puts it into the 4-second club, frequented by supercars and mega-suvs that reach the 100 km/h mark in 4". That's a very high level of performance that, especially considering the sturdy bulk and weight of a Defender 110, the Octa is also capable of delivering off the tarmac. And what it's capable of doing will be on show at the Goodwood Festival of Speed next week.

To get up to speed and maintain the unstoppability of a Defender, the Octa employs the Range Rover Sport Sv's Dynamic 6D, which hydraulically links axles, active dampers, air springs to raise ground clearance, which is also useful if you want to tackle metre-deep fords and active pitch and roll control. The system is integrated in a set-up raised by 28 millimetres and with track widths widened by 6.8 centimetres compared to that of the Defender 110 with the aim of increasing off-road wheel articulation and, at the same time, optimising dynamism on asphalt, reconciling precision of behaviour with reliability. To close the trim discussion it should be added that the Octa can be equipped with 22" rims and all season tyres for maximum speed performance, with 20" rims with 33" diameter all terrain tyres that stop the homologated speed at 209 then and with even more treaded Adavaced All Terrain tyres that stop the speed at 159 per hour. It should be noted that off-road tyres can be retrofitted in place of all-season tyres, but in this case without any reduction in top speed. The tuning of the Octa also includes the Brembo braking system, car configurations enlarged by the Octa mode that raises torque to 800 Nm, allowing off-road speeds of up to 250 km/h and lightning-fast acceleration thanks to the Off-Road Launch function, as well as activating the best car configuration according to the terrain being tackled thanks to the data collected by the cameras around the car. Combined with the traction and stability management programmes, it also calibrates off-road brake response.

The Octa differs from the Defender 110 in its taller stature and greater width imparted by the widened wings, both of which have been imprinted by the trim modifications already described. The bodywork has been modified at the bottom to offer specific off-road angles, incorporates trim such as the roof and tailgate in black Navrik, and is personalised by the Octa logo embedded in a sandblasted titanium disc. In addition, it can be completely covered with a protective film, which regenerates with heat if slightly scratched. In the passenger compartment, exclusive interior surface finishes, semi-aniline leather or Ultafabric upholstery, special colour combinations and Performance front seats with the Body and Soul system that transmit the vibrations of music stand out.