August 23, 2025 by Mat Watson
The new Land Rover Defender Octa is a go-anywhere powerhouse – a 600+hp monster capable of amazing things both on and off the road. But how fast is it really?
To find out, I’ve got hold of this awesome machine and I’ll be putting it through its paces on the Carwow drag strip – and I’ve got some interesting machinery to compare it against. Let’s see the stats…I’ve been a sport and let racing driver Sam take the wheel of the Octa. Underneath his right foot is a BMW-sourced 4.4-litre turbocharged V8 engine, producing a massive 635hp and 750Nm of torque which it sends to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
It weighs in at a beefy 2,510kg, and costs from an even beefier £148,000.
This is the more ‘normal’ Defender – the P525 V8 model. It’s powered by a 5.0-litre supercharged V8, producing 525hp and 625Nm of torque.
That goes to all four wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox. It weighs in at 2,603kg, and when new costs from £109,000.
The results of these two racing might seem like a done thing, but I’ve brought along a couple of other high-performance off-roaders just to keep things interesting…
The G63 is one of the few cars with even more road presence than the Defender – just look at it. It’s not all just for show, either – underneath the bonnet there’s a 4.0-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine with 585hp and 850Nm of torque.
Like the Defenders, it drives all four wheels but this time via a nine-speed automatic gearbox. It weighs 2,550kg and costs from £189,000.
So it weighs slightly more than the Octa, and has 50hp less – but there’s that monumental torque figure to consider. There’s also the fourth car in our lineup…
And now, racing driver Sam’s shown up in a pile of scaffolding with an engine attached. The Ariel Nomad has a 2.3-litre, turbocharged, four-cylinder engine with a mere 310hp and 518Nm of torque.
Power goes to the rear wheels only, unusual for an off-roader, and has a six-speed manual gearbox too – so it’ll be harder to get the best out of. It weighs just 715kg, though – less than a third of the other cars here – and costs from just £68,000. Though for your money you don’t get many creature comforts – or a roof.
So which of these cars comes out on top in a drag race? Watch the video to find out.
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