New Porsche 911 Dakar: a quarter-million-euro whim

Not long ago we told you that Porsche planned to present an off-road version of the Porsche 911, called Porsche 911 Dakar. And here it is, unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show. What seemed like an absolute madness starts to make some sense when we see the final result and, above all, Porsche’s plans: building a limited edition of 2,500 units, with a price that in Spain starts from 256,000 euros.

What makes this Porsche 911 so special? I could answer with another question: can you imagine a Ferrari Roma prepared to tackle obstacles off the asphalt as if you were behind the wheel of an off-roader? That is possible with the Porsche 911 Dakar. It also has the added appeal of paying tribute to Porsche’s first outright victory in the Paris-Dakar Rally in 1984.

In fact, Porsche offers for the 911 Dakar the so-called “Rallye Design package”, which costs a whopping 29,730 euros. This package includes two-tone paint in white and blue as a tribute to the Dakar-winning car, with a race number on the sides of the vehicle that the customer can choose between 1 and 999, as well as red and gold decorative stripes running along the car’s longitudinal axis, white-painted wheels and a range of specific interior details.

The “total” Porsche 911

As you can imagine, adapting a Porsche 911 to run on rough tracks and trails has not been easy. First, raising the ground clearance, which is 50 mm higher than that of a 911 Carrera with sport suspension. But 5 centimeters is still not enough in many situations off the asphalt, and the 911 Dakar’s standard suspension allows the body to be raised a further 3 centimeters. The highest position is usable at speeds of up to… 170 km/h! Above that, it lowers automatically.

The second area of focus, of course, is the tires: the 911 Dakar is fitted with Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus tires in 245/45 19 at the front and 295/40-20 at the rear, with speed rating Z (over 240 km/h), specially developed for this model. They feature a tread with a 9 mm deep block pattern, as well as two-ply reinforced sidewalls for the greatest possible cut resistance.

Although Porsche states that these tires also deliver sporty behavior on the road, the option of Pirelli P Zero tires (in both summer and winter variants) leaves open the choice for customers who opt for the 911 Dakar out of pure whim and who are clear that they will leave the asphalt very little, or rather, not at all.

As for the engine, it is a 6-cylinder twin-turbo flat engine producing 480 CV, paired with an eight-speed PDK dual-clutch gearbox and Porsche’s all-wheel drive. This engine allows the 911 Dakar to accelerate from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds, while the top speed is limited to 240 km/h. It also comes standard with the PDCC system, which controls body roll, and rear-axle steering.

For off-road driving it features two new modes: Rallye, which sends more torque to the rear axle for driving on slippery surfaces; and Offroad, which raises the body to its maximum height and optimizes traction distribution. In both modes you can launch using the new “Rallye Launch Control”, for maximum acceleration on any terrain.

A roof prepared for a roof rack or tent

Other notable features of the 911 Dakar are the rear spoiler and front hood made of CFRP, the red aluminum towing hooks at the front and rear, the clearly widened wheel arches, the underbody protection with stainless steel elements, and the front air intakes, in this case inherited from the 911 GT3.

The bodywork can be painted in an exclusive green color that is echoed in the technical fabric used for the cabin upholstery, where bucket seats are fitted as standard. To save weight, the rear seats are omitted, along with thinner glass and a lighter battery, which allows the 911 Dakar to weigh only 10 kg more than a 911 Carrera GTS PDK.

But there’s more. Customers can choose between a roof rack with a permissible load of up to 42 kg, designed to carry items needed for a rally: shovels, recovery boards and jerrycans, plus additional lights. It is also possible to choose a fold-out roof tent.

Porsche 911 Dakar – Image gallery

Technical specifications of this car

CoupePorsche 91119 versions · from 157,835 €