Off-road time trial: New V8 Defender Octa meets buggy and 4x4 EV

The new Land Rover Defender Octa, a Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally, or an Ariel Nomad 2?

Should you find yourself at the wrong end of a farm and need to get to the other side quickly, which of these three will it be?

The new Defender Octa has a BMW M5-sourced V8 with 626bhp, but weighs over 2.5 tonnes.

The Ford Mustang Mach-E Rally has 'only' 480bhp, but is a little lighter than the Land Rover and has instant torque response from its electric motors.

Ariel's latest Nomad 2 is the least powerful of them all, and only two-wheel drive, but at just 715kg is so lightweight that it's incredibly agile.

We find out which of the three skips over a mountainside the quickest, and which is also the most fun.

For more on all three of these cars, find us over at www.autocar.co.uk