14/08/2026
LONG READ | WHEN EXTREME PERFORMANCE MEETS A WORLD RECORD
The Defender OCTA has just added another remarkable achievement to its story, playing a vital role in helping the hydrogen-powered JCB Hydromax set a new world hydrogen land speed record.
At the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, USA, a specially adapted Defender OCTA was tasked with something extraordinary: push the 2,550kg JCB Hydromax from a standstill to 100km/h within the 300m distance permitted by the regulations.
For the fastest and most powerful Defender ever made, it was a challenge perfectly suited to its capabilities.
A bespoke push plate was fitted using Defender OCTA’s integrated winch mount, while its 467kW twin-turbo V8 powertrain and all-wheel drive capability delivered the acceleration needed on the loose salt surface.
But power was only part of the equation.
Defender OCTA’s advanced 6D Dynamics suspension helped keep the vehicle level and composed under hard acceleration, maintaining the crucial push plate angle as it launched the JCB Hydromax towards record-breaking speed.
Once beyond 100km/h, the Hydromax took over under its own hydrogen combustion power.
The result? Driven by world land speed record holder Andy Green OBE, the JCB Hydromax achieved an incredible 653.909 km/h, setting a new land speed record for a hydrogen combustion vehicle.
From extreme off-road capability to playing its part in a world record attempt, Defender OCTA continues to show what happens when engineering, performance and capability are pushed beyond the expected.
Defender OCTA. Embrace the impossible.
For more information about Defender, contact Lazarus Land Rover Centurion on 012 678 0044.
