Is 40 old? I was told my whole life that 40 was old. Then I had a birthday and nothing happened. The gradual increase in pain that started when I hit my mid-30s didn’t speed up. I didn’t suddenly start agreeing with David Brooks. None of the stuff I was warned about was lurking on the other side of the calendar.
Most of the time, I feel great. I can lift more, I get into fewer dumb arguments online, and I still am somewhat aware of what modern music is. This isn’t to say that there’s been no change. If your favorite part of drinking is the hangover, then you’ll be excited to learn that you can save money and recreate the dull ache of a night of lubricated excess merely by being vertical after about 11:00 pm.
I didn’t really notice a serious change until recently, when Land Rover allowed me to borrow its nipple-hair-raising, high-performance Defender OCTA for a week. An earlier version of myself would probably say that the best supercar you could get for about a quarter-million dollars would be an Artura or a 911 GT3 RS. Those are good options.
This is a better one.
[Full disclosure: Land Rover gave me a Defender Octa for a week with the understanding that I’d write a review and put fuel in it before returning it. Also, it snowed, finally.]
The Basics
Engine: 4.4-liter turbo V8 w/ 48-volt hybrid system
Transmission: 8-speed automatic transmission
Drive: All-wheel drive w/ a two-speed transfer case
Output: 626 horsepower, 553 lb-ft of torque
Fuel Economy: 15 MPG city, 19 MPG highway, 17 MPG combined
Base Price: $167,800
Price As-Tested: $170,200 (including $1,625 shipping/handling)
Why Does This Car Exist?
Ok, here’s another sign that maybe I’m old. A few of these photos will feature important places or figures from the Revolutionary War. I’ve been deep in the history, including doing my second pass through David McCullough’s 1776 as well as visiting historic sites.
The photo above is from a Revolutionary War-themed trivia night I went to, and as proof, here’s me and George Washington:
While a comparison between the Defender OCTA and the 64-gun HMS Asia probably would be amusing to twelve people, by the end of my week with the car, my basic sense was that this is basically a supercar, and it’s the supercar I’d buy if I had the money.
If you don’t know what OCTA is, I don’t blame you. My mind immediately jumped to the never-once-complained-when-my-kid-wanted-to-watch-it animated series Octonauts. OCTA is an abbreviation, but represented in all caps like it’s an acronym. This is short for octahedron, which represents the eight sides of a diamond, because a diamond is tough and beautiful.
To let you know that this is an OCTA Defender, there’s even a “gloss black diamond within a machined and sandblasted titanium disc on each Signature Graphic pane.”
This is a ridiculous thing to do, which is just more of a reason why I think it’s a great supercar. There are so many boring high-performance sports cars that feel interchangeable. This is just the right amount of nonsensical flourish to make it feel special. I’m sorry, but your Huracan is boring if it doesn’t have a little diamond in a titanium disc. I don’t make the rules.
While the name is ludicrous, this is the same company that brought us the Land Rover Range Rover Velar SVA Autobiography Dynamic Edition. Points for brevity, I suppose.
More than the name or the window trinkets, what’s exceptional about the OCTA is that nothing about this is at all half-assed. This isn’t just a big motor in a Defender. This is a thoughtful, full-cheeked attempt at making something truly great. And it is. It’s truly great. One of the best cars I’ve driven in a long time, and I’m already in the bag for the Defender.
The easy thing for Land Rover to do would have been to utilize the already loud and capable 5.0-liter V8 found in other Defenders, squeeze some extra power out of it, and call it a day. That’s not what they did. This has the smaller twin-turbo 4.4-liter V8 from BMW (making this a distant cousin of the also fantastic Alpina XB7).
This is a no-corners-cut, we-thought-of-everything attempt at taking a Defender to its most illogical end without sacrificing most drivability.
How Does It Look?
The photo above shows the Defender parked in the snow outside the Phillips Manor Hall Historic Site in Yonkers, New York. Frederick Philipse was one of the richest people in America and owned about half of Westchester County. Though the family comes from Holland, as soon as the British took over New York, Phillipse was like, “The Netherlands? I nether heard of them!” Unfortunately for him, his nephew Fred III didn’t inherit that kind of flexibility and signed something called “The Declaration of Dependence” to show how loyal he was to the Brits. Oops! After the American Revolution, the family was told to clear out of America and relinquish all its lands or face death.
This is all to say, sometimes people make bad choices. The designers at Land Rover, realizing the stock Defender already looks the business, didn’t screw with the basic design too much. The most obvious visual cue that this is an Octa is the vehicle’s wider track, with the axles capped off by handsomely purposeful 20-inch forged alloy wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich Trail-Terrain tires (there’s an optional Goodyear Wrangler RT tire if you’re really going for it, but I’d stay away from the 22-inch wheel, which looks wrong to me).
Because of the extra width, you get the Raptor trick of putting lights in the grille, which has become a bit of a visual cliche but works here for reasons I don’t fully understand. Perhaps it’s because the grille already has a sort of zoomed-in 8-bit pixel look?
The front and rear bumpers are subtly modified to allow for a better approach and departure angle, if that’s your thing.
I was specifically given the OCTA Edition One, which has a couple of specific touches. For instance, it has a Faroe Green paint is just this side of matte gray, but it will catch the sun in just the right way to allow some of the bronzier green tint to come through.
If you like the Defender, you’ll enjoy this Wellington-sized beefy boy. If you don’t like the Defender, you’re a simple-minded philistine who will never get it.
What’s It Like Inside?
Full cards on the table here, the first time I saw the raw carbon fiber seats, I chuckled to myself a little bit. Fill up the tank with premium and toss an English Foxhound in the front seat, and this brute weighs in at about 430 stone (or 6,000 pounds).
The idea that the seats are the heavy part of this car is laughable. It’s entirely a flex, and it’s a flex I enjoyed anytime I opened up the car. And this is maybe the Defender’s secret power. I’ve mentioned this before, but most people don’t want to talk to you when you’re driving a Ferrari or a Lamborghini. For all the capabilities, this car has a Michael Caine sort of toughness. He’ll thrash you as good as any, and do it in such style you’re as impressed as you are bruised.
People kept asking me to open the doors, and they oohed and aahed at the carbon seats. My daughter gets ferried in a new car to school nearly every week, and she insisted that this will be the next car we buy. When I tried to explain to her that if we paid the new cost for this vehicle, we’d have to sleep in it, she insisted she could cuddle up just fine in the backseat.
Otherwise, the Defender in OCTA trim is easily recognizable as every other Defender. The car proudly sports an “Ultrafabrics” interior, which is to say a PETA-approved vegan “leather.” In the cold, it bothered me not at all. I do wonder if it wouldn’t trend towards sweat-inducing in warmer weather.
The windows lining the roof are a throwback to the original Defender and, especially with the dark interior, provide a nice bit of natural light without the glare of a sunroof or moonroof.
It’s a comfortable and attractive place to be. The most unsupercar thing about the Defender, I suppose, is that I could drive this across the Sahara and not need to stop for a lower lumbar adjustment.
How Does It Drive?
Like any true elder supercar owner, I drove this approximatley 90% like a responsible adult and 10% like an utter moron. It helped immensely that it finally snowed so that I could confidently slide the big SUV around.
As a normal luxury SUV it does a great job of driving like a normal luxury SUV. It does not feel as heavy as it is, and a lot of that is due to the “6D Dynamics” system, which is what Land Rover calls its most advanced suspension setup. Remember, this bad boy isn’t a Jeep or an Ineos. It may take some shade from hardcore off-roaders for its fully independent suspension, but it makes it extraordinarily livable, and with the adjustable air springs and active dampers, incredibly flat in turns.
Something like a Raptor can also feel like a supercar at times, but it’s a truck underneath, and there’s no forgetting that. With this, you can kind of forget what it’s truly capable of, and like a maple branch dragged along that titanimum disc hanging off the side, I barely scratched the surface of the OCTA.
That being said, I did hit the OCTA button below the steering wheel more times than the situation called for, especially since I wasn’t planning to do any off-road launches. It’s just deeply satisfying to feel the BMW-sourced 4.4-liter V8 pop off. It doesn’t sound quite as good as the 5.0-liter, but it’s a better match for this particular SUV. In theory, under this launch mode, you get a little extra torque and can hit 60 mph in under 4 seconds. 
I didn’t time it, but every launch I did in the Land Rover was hilarious. As was shuffling the big tires around snowy parking lots and sideroads when the car was empty (I did this once when the car was full and had to apologize to my passengers).
At the same time, I didn’t hesitate at all to drive this thing slowly and carefully in less-than-ideal wintry conditions. Even on the highway, with the road starting to glaze over, the combo of the tough tires and well-programmed traction control gave me incredible confidence.
Don’t Tell My Kid, But This Isn’t Even A Bad Deal
As much as I like the raw carbon fiber look, I don’t think you necessarily need this exact edition of the truck. The cheapest OCTA you can buy is the best OCTA you can get, and a non-blacked-out one in Sargasso Blue is in the realm of an Alpina XB7 at $160k.
When compared to other high-performance five-passenger SUVs and wagons, you have some interesting choices. An Urus is faster and more exotic, though more expensive. A Cayenne Turbo GT is also pricier and, if you’re going to track it for some reason, obviously the better choice. A BMW M5 Touring is a cool alternative, no doubt, but spendy.
I put it in a category with those cars, as well as an entry-level supercar, and in that context, it’s a reasonable deal, inasmuch as anything that’s not a Honda Civic Hybrid is a good deal.
Maybe I shouldn’t feel this way. Maybe it’s my age speaking. Maybe you disagree. That’s fine. Another perk of being my age is that I don’t need you to agree with me.
All photos: Matt Hardigree unless otherwise noted. The good photos are not me, basically.
I’m 68 and have broken both arms in ways that didn’t fully recover. Driving with verve is not nearly as much fun as it used to be. I also have neuropathy in my feet.
Somedays, I DO feel old. I used to fly an airplane and ride motorcycles. Now I don’t dare.
I used to think 40 was old. Then I thought 50 was old. Then 60, then 70. Maybe it’ll be 80, I’m still waiting. With luck, your decades are what you make them.
When I was much younger, I used to think those old gray haired men driving their new convertibles looked ridiculous.
When I hit my 50’s, I realized that I had the money, I still wanted a convertible, and I didn’t give a shit what people thought when they saw me driving it. So I bought a new Mustang GT convertible, 5MT of course . I still have it. I still love it. I’m still gray. I plan to still be driving when I finally become old.
I’d like to request an article about the MOST system in Land Rovers. It’s a fiber optic data transmission thing that is in Land Rovers for infotainment. I haven’t seen any deep dives on how it works or what benefits it has over regular ole copper.
Most people here turned 40 before 1995. From their perspective, you basically just learned to walk and talk.
Yeah? I feel like we need to do some sort of informal survey. Questions: age; most you’ve ever spent on a car; most you think you will ever spend on a car
That would honestly be pretty interesting to see.
For myself:
Age: 45
Most I’ve spent on a car: $42,000 CAD
Most I think I’ll ever spend: $80,000 CAD
My Most expensive car was the family van 10 years ago. Even with a much higher income now, I am no longer within the demographic that has the means to purchase a new Sienna.
All the cars that interest me now are under $80k, but there are a few wild cards if I win the lotto or something.
How about you?
41, $55K, and $80K feels right to me too! Probably b/c it’s significantly more than I’ve ever spent, but doesn’t feel insanely expensive.
I find that most fun sports cars fall under that price cap. Above that, value for dollar seems to drop off until you get up to exotic prices.
Also 45
Most spent on a car £4,000
Most I might spend* £10,000
IIRC members have to include our DoB, so presumably The Autopian have some idea of how old we all are.
*(if I got a new job and got paid loads more. Right now my budget is about one grand and whatever I can get for my current car, which might be as much as £2k)
Just hit 40 a couple of months ago, can confirm what you say. I feel find physically; I could be in better shape (cardio, lifting, etc) than I have been in a decade if I actually exercised. I can still run around with my kids and when coaching, help people move furniture, crawl under a car, etc.
But if I don’t get 8 hours of sleep, I’m a zombie the next day. If I sleep on my back wrong, it will hurt for a week instead of a morning. And I definitely do not want to get down on the floor to do things – building Legos is dangerous for example, because when I sit cross-legged for 15 minutes then try to stand, it just doesn’t work like it used to.
But overall? I’m good still. And this Defender sounds wonderful too, 10/10 would daily year round.
What makes these cars special is that they can put a smile on your face without the constant anxiety of bottoming out on a driveway, clipping a curb, or dealing with the daily struggles that plague low slung sports cars. I picture a long, winding on-ramp where the Octa settles into a confident lean as you mash the throttle to merge effortless, slightly ridiculous, and undeniably fun. I am right there with you Matt and also turned 40 a few weeks ago. The goals have changed for us.
This is the same reason I like my Model Y Performance. Slip it into “sport” and the thing will make you giggle as you blow past every obstacle while merging, if that is what you wish to do. Then, drop back into “chill” and drive it as the completely capable family car it is. No worries about scrapes, or being too low or too expensive that you worry about every little imperfection that happens to every car that gets driven daily. Sure, it isn’t anything to look at, but I could buy 2-3 of them for this “bargain-mobile”. I see why Matt likes it, I would 10/10 rock this Defender. It looks unique, probably sounds mean as hell, and while nice inside still appears to be somewhat durable for daily use. It will move the family and some gear around anywhere you want to go and go like stink when you need to let off a little steam or need to get around some annoying drivers.
So true. Most of the time you just need a useable comfortable vehicle… but its so nice to have the ability to flip a switch/button/pedal and get a little more engagement from time-to-time
Led me add a section: What’s it like underneath?
My colleague bought a v6 turbocharged LR4, when upstate rust ate his old Land Cruiser (he likes camping in the Adirondacks with his newfies, always drives big boxes, had sticker shock when trying to replace his Land Cruiser, found himself at the Land Rover store. This was still the 200 series Cruisers that cost a pretty penny, not the new ones with the turbo hybrid whatever).
At the end of year two, his brake lines rusted, under warranty. Turns out, you have to drop the subframe to replace them; labor was in the double digits. But you also need to wait 8 weeks for them to arrive from the UK – and this was BEFORE any disruptions that might be the case now.
When he was done with it and traded it in, he showed the dealer his ledger. Based on vehicle data (avg speed and accrued mileage), he calculated the car had spent more time at the dealer than on the road. Outpriced by the Land Cruiser, he opted for a new Pathfinder now, and is happy with the 3.5 and 9 speed.
Further, when my bimmer shed a suspension component, I had to do an emergency pitstop at a really cool specialty shop in Delaware. The owner chatted me up about the rust on my vehicle. He said THEY FABRICATE LAND ROVER COMPONENTS THEMSELVES for their customers, because there is no protection whatsoever, and dealer parts are unobtanium (price or availability, you choose). I am just repeating here, I have no personal experience.
This is awesome! I am so glad you found your dream machine. Everyone should be so lucky. Hopefully you will get it one day.
What does Adrian think of the flourishes?
Side note: This is definitely a male oriented vehicle as women would be averse to dropping their kids off to school in one. There is absolutely no way she will want to be known as OCTAmom.
It’s been a,while since I’ve thought of Phillips Manor, or the other restorations, but it’s also been a long time since I lived in Westchester.
The idea of a super cars with lots of seats has been appealing since the days of Stirling Moss terrorizing every passenger in a Mercedes-Benz 600.
On the other hand I think a Defender is an odd thing to do this too and at least some people will think it’s a fancy Hyundai Palisade. This is not a seat for my butt, even if I had $160,000
Also two really interesting books on the American Revolution are A People Numerous and Armed by John Shy which has good coverage of guerrilla warfare in the Hudson Valley and Iron Tears by Stanley Weintraub about the British side
I’ve come around on these. At first I was one of the “that’s not a Defender” but if they’d have named it something else I wouldn’t have batted an eye.
If you need to have an eye-wateringly expensive car, this works better than a Lambo. Cold weather? Fine. Groceries? Looks like just another Defender. (This only works at Whole Foods or whatever healthy/expensive grocery store.). School run? Check. You can actually put luggage and people in it, with the bonus of not stressing over whether the pavement has been redone since the Carter administration.
Michael Caine? Yeah, I can see that but to me this is Jason Statham. Ready to punch you out in a bespoke suit and $800 shoes.
I still think this should have been the Disco 5.
So when you end up buying one, will you work from the passenger seat or maybe rent out a co-working space?
Not even my entire salary could get me one but… it’s tempting.
Yes! Reviews! Thanks for this, I’d never heard of the OCTA
I dislike the “raptor” lights, or think there should be more of them, I can’t decide. Otherwise I am a fan of how the new defender looks and really like those wheels. I would be curious to see some more shots of that paint color too! I like big dumb SUVs, on paper I prefer sports cars, but in reality I rarely drive my sports car…
I think these things are as hideous as the insides of the people that can afford to drive them.
You’re right, I should build and price one of these in the local market. Oh, they’re $345k on the road here. Let me see, that’s about 100x what I can afford.
Wait 5 years and this thing will be comfortably within your price range.
This review is a 100% accurate take on being 40, Octonauts, and presumably this car as well.
Is it me or do the doors not line up very well with the body panels in that picture of the rear three quarter view photo?
It’s part of the British Leyland Legacy Collection.
Literally inconceivable.
This would already be a tough sell for me over an Escalade V, but this level of cheapening is unconscionable at this price point.
UPON REVIEW, semi aniline leather is offered, the fake stuff is merely an option. Still ridiculous, but somewhat defendable (ha).
I actually prefer fabric to leather (I’d like to keep the skin on my hammies and ass cheeks throughout the summer, thanks). But selling plastic as “vegan leather” is absolute bologna marketing shenanigans.
“I drove this approximatly 90% like a responsible adult and 10% like an utter moron”
This is a good aspiration on both sides of the equation: if you drive it MORE than 10% like a moron, whoa, you’ve got neighbors and obligations, dial it back. If you’re more than 90% responsible, come on, loosen up a little, will Miss Daisy complain from the back?
…and just like a supercar, it ain’t for me. Especially where I live. Yes, out west you have rocks and mountains and dunes. Here, we have mud, square bodies, and domestic beer.