Karolis's car is not a Defender. It is the 1978 Land Rover 109 Series III Station Wagon with a V8 and leaf springs that won the 2026 Dakar Classic. This guide covers what has broken on it, how to fix it at the roadside or the bivouac, what to carry, and a full classic-Defender fault reference in case a Defender ends up in the plan.
More than one hour late at any control and the Clerk of the Course can retire you from the stage: up to 5,000 points, against a 2026 winning total of 735. On a stage, only do a fix that fits inside the hour (straps, splints, swaps of pre-fitted parts). Everything else waits for the bivouac. Decide in the first five minutes.
The core engine, gearbox and axles have not failed in two Dakars. The chronic weakness is leaf springs at Dakar speeds; the secondary one is ancillaries shaken loose by impacts.
| Item | What we know | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Model | Land Rover 109 Series III Station Wagon. Lithuanian media and Land Rover Lietuva call it the "senolis Defender", which is where the Defender label comes from. | High |
| Year | 1978 per Wikipedia, 131 Off-Road and tv3; LRT says 1979. The factory Stage One V8 was built 1979–1985, so either a 1978 Series III converted to V8, or a dating quirk. | Ask |
| Heritage | Built to evoke the Calamel brothers' Land Rover (#101) from the first Paris–Dakar in 1979. | Medium |
| Engine | Rover V8 petrol. Rovers North lists it as "LR 109 Stage One V8". One weak blog says 3.5 L, about 130 hp. Carburettors or injection unknown. A factory Stage One has twin Zenith-Stromberg CD carbs, about 8.1:1 compression. | V8 high, rest low |
| Gearbox / transfer | Unknown. A factory Stage One has the LT95 4-speed with integral transfer, permanent 4WD and a vacuum-operated centre diff lock. In 2025 Karolis lent a gearbox to the Bolides Defender, which hints at an LT77/R380-type box. | Low |
| Axles | Unknown. Factory Stage One: Rover front with CV joints in the swivels, Salisbury 8HA rear, 3.54:1. | Low |
| Suspension | Leaf springs with one damper per wheel; front ride height raised after the 2025 prologue. | High |
| Brakes | Ferrari F40 Competizione pads adapted to calipers. A factory Stage One had drums all round, so at least one axle has been converted. | Pads high |
| Cooling | Honda NSX radiator (2026). | High |
| Steering | Power-assisted conversion of unknown type; failed in 2025. | High |
| Weight | About 2,000 kg (weak source). In-car kit adds 190–215 kg. | Low |
| Builder | Built in about a month for 2025 at the Vilnius Automuziejus workshop, "from calculations" with little testing. Karolis maintains it himself. | High |
Sources: Wikipedia · 131 Off-Road · tv3.lt · landrover.lt · allisons.org Stage One spec · Glencoyne · LRT (same car for 2027)
Orange cards are risks on our 109. Green cards are the classic Defender reference (200Tdi/300Tdi/Td5, coil springs, LT230). Several apply to both: the V8, swivels, propshafts, brakes, tyres and electrics.
Without a service truck (the 2026 situation; the 2027 support team has fallen away), the car must carry everything the marathon nights need. On 19–20 January only other Classic crews and officials may help you. Weights are estimates; weigh the loaded car and strap everything low and forward of the rear axle.
Complete front and rear spring packs (2 × ~25 kg), spare gearbox (LT95 ~75–80 kg; R380 ~50 kg), spare diff, alternator, starter, radiator and fan, water pump, steering box, 4 dampers, calipers, third and fourth wheels, welder and generator. Before the start, find out which other Classic teams run Series or Land Rover leaf springs and agree to swap parts. That is how stage 9 was saved in 2026.
Engine at idle 30 s, then off. Note warning lights and any noise the driver reported. The co-driver logs the odometer and stage notes.
Ride height at all four corners against the reference written on the dash. Drips, tyres (cuts, bulges, pressures), wheel-nut paint marks, body and cage, lights and numbers, Tripy and Iritrack mounts and power.
Springs: every leaf, centre bolts, U-bolt marks, shackles, hangers, bump stops. Steering: drag link, track rod, PAS hoses, box bolts, swivel seals. Driveline: UJ twist test, flange bolts, engine and gearbox mounts, leaks. Exhaust hangers. Fuel, brake lines and loom for chafe.
Oil, coolant, brake and PAS fluid (log top-ups). Belts, hose squeeze test. Blow the radiator out from the engine side. Air filter: finger-check the clean side for grit. Carb damper oil, HT leads, battery clamp, earth straps.
UJs, sliding joints, shackle pins, swivels if they have nipples.
Pad thickness, sand in calipers or drums, pedal feel.
Refuel within the 30 km rule, drain the water separator, sniff around the carbs and pump, confirm at least 385 km of range (350 km + 10 %).
Safety first, then marathon risk, then performance. Anything that could take more than an hour on a stage gets fixed tonight.
Repack: every marathon spare on board, extra oil and coolant.
Re-check anything disturbed overnight (U-bolts, wheel nuts). Set tyre pressures for the first terrain before the virtual TC: no adjustments are allowed between the TCv and the RT start. Bouarfa nights are near freezing, so mind the choke and cold start.
On-stage micro-check at neutralisations and refuels, 2 minutes: drips, springs at a glance, wheel nuts, temperature trend, tyre pressures.
| Jan | Stage | Terrain | Mechanical watch |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9–10 | Prologue, Stage 1 · Loulé | Portuguese forest tracks | Shake-down: re-torque U-bolts and wheel nuts after day one |
| 11 | Transfer to the ferry, Nador → Bouarfa | Road; overnight ferry | Car out of reach overnight; check everything before boarding |
| 12–13 | Stages 2–3 · Bouarfa loops | Rekkam plateau: faint tracks, stones | Tyre cuts, springs, exhaust; near-freezing mornings |
| 14 | Stage 4 · Bouarfa → Zagora | Merzouga dunes, camel grass | Cooling at low speed, mounts on landings, grass seed in the radiator |
| 15–16 | Stages 5–6 · Zagora | ~50 km of Erg Chegaga dunes, rocky sections | Air filter on dune days, fuel range in sand |
| 17 | Rest day · Agadir | — | Full service; last good access to parts shops |
| 18 | Stage 7 · Agadir → Smara | Fast tracks, demanding navigation | Repack for the marathon tonight |
| 19–20 | Stages 8–9 · marathon refuge near Dakhla | Sandy tracks, small dunes | No assistance: only what is in the car and other Classic crews |
| 21 | Stage 10 · Smara loop | Fast plateaus, wadis, sandy canyons | Springs and dampers at speed |
| 22 | Stage 11 · Smara → Marrakech | ~20 km of Plage Blanche beach | Salt water: rinse connectors, starter and brakes with fresh water |
| 23 | Stage 12 · Marrakech | Short loop | Finish |
Approximate January norms: Bouarfa (1,100 m+) around 0 °C at night and 13–16 °C by day; Zagora 4–20 °C; Agadir and Smara 8–24 °C; Marrakech 6–19 °C. Heat soak matters far less than in Saudi Arabia. Cold starts, condensation in tanks, coastal fog and salt matter more.
Unleaded super must be at least 95 RON by decree, enough for a stock ~8.1:1 V8. Some below-spec samples have been reported, so fill at proper stations, run a water separator and carry two filters. If it pinks on a bad tank, retard the ignition a few degrees. The factory 109 tank is 68 L: measure real consumption in sand against the 385 km requirement.
Sources: MCNews · ADV Pulse · Moroccan fuel decree · Horizons Unlimited. Climate figures are general knowledge; check nearer the date.
Fault content mixes cited sources with general Land Rover workshop knowledge, which is marked on each card. Check part numbers and torque figures against the workshop manual or a specialist before you rely on them. Several specialist blogs blocked automated reading (HTTP 403); items drawn from search snippets are marked "unverified".