Pushing The Porsche 911 Dakar Out Of Its Comfort Zone (2024)

The Porsche 911 Dakar is quite intriguing: Why did it take Porsche so long to venture into this territory? Custom aftermarket specialists have been building off-road 911s for quite some time, all drawing inspiration from Porsche's legendary triumph at the 1984 Paris-Dakar rally with the Carrera 3.2 4x4. There has been significant buzz surrounding the "Safari 911" and you might have expected Porsche to seize upon this enthusiasm (and affluent customer base) sooner. The most evident alteration Porsche has made is the 60 mm increase in ride height compared to the GTS model, with the capability to raise it further to 90 mm at your convenience, particularly useful if you find yourself stuck on a sand dune

Taking cues from classic dune buggies, the Dakar boasts a rear-mounted engine, a low-profile chassis, and wide rear tires that complement the 911's natural rear-weight bias. Through clever weight reduction techniques, its curb weight is merely about 20 pounds heftier than that of a Carrera 4 GTS. Despite its approximate 3550-pound weight, it appears less imposing in sandy terrain than the typical SUV, even managing to be 600 pounds lighter than a standard Porsche Macan.

RELATED: A Rally Icon Reborn: The Return Of The Porsche 911 Dakar

YouTuber AutoTopNL Gives Us A POV Review Of This Future Classic

Porsche has been diligently working towards bringing the 911 Dakar to life for nearly a decade, with the initial stages of development tracing back to a prior 991-generation experimental vehicle. Recently Max from the popular German YouTube channel AutoTopNL got his hands on the Porsche 911 Dakar for one of their POV reviews. Although we do not get to see the 911 Dakar go off-road in the video, we do see the car hit the Autobahn.

Before he gets in, he does a walk around and talks us through all the cool exterior features and

extras in this special edition come equipped with. Right off the bat, we can see there are a some plastic bits designed to protect the bumper and a very cool bright red aluminum tow hook integrated into the fender. A similar bright red tow hook is also present on the back bumper. He also shows us a shot of the underside of the front where one would expect to find a metal bash plate, but surprisingly, it's absent. It seems like the 911 Dakar was meant to be driven more on sandy surfaces than actual rough roads.

However, the Dakar has a unique advantage: an enhanced static ride height combined with an additional 1.2-inch suspension lift. This feature is seamlessly engaged in Offroad mode and can be manually chosen in alternative modes. The innovation elevates the Dakar's undercarriage, elevating it from an already substantial 6.3 inches of standard clearance (surpassing the GTS by 1.8 inches) to an impressive 7.5 inches of maximum clearance.

Paired with this are specialized Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus tires, which are designed exclusively for the 911 Dakar. With 19-inch wheels at the front and slightly larger 20-inch wheels at the rear, the Dakar's wheel size is reduced by one inch compared to the GTS model. The front boasts 245/45ZR-19 tires, while the rear showcases 295/40ZR-20 tires, each with an added inch of height from top to bottom.

Leveraging the 911's compact 96.5-inch wheelbase, this adjustment results in a commendable 19.0-degree break-over angle, firmly establishing its prowess in the realm of crossover SUV capabilities. This advantageous attribute proved invaluable in traversing the dunes, completely eliminating concerns of high centering.

RELATED: A Rally Icon Reborn: The Return Of The Porsche 911 Dakar

What Is It Like Within The Porsche 911 Dakar?

Inside the car, Max points out various design details like the Porsche Race-Tex steering wheel, carbon bucket seats, and decorative Dakar badges. Other than that, it feels just like a stock 911, which is pretty special to begin with. He also discusses the optional rally accessories available for the car, such as roof racks with integrated LEDs and roof tents. Max highlights the unique "911 Decor" badge with the specific production number on the interior. The 911 Dakar will be limited to 2500 units worldwide, so it will be incredibly rare to see one in the wild.

During the test drive, Max praises the car's performance and playfulness. He emphasizes its ability to handle different driving modes, such as rally and off-road, thanks to features like rear-wheel steering, a GT3 engine, and Porsche's anti-roll system. Max experiences the car's handling on both regular roads and the autobahn, noting the tire noise and overall comfort.

Specifications

As previously highlighted, the Dakar model finds its foundation in the Carrera 4 GTS, thereby inheriting the identical 473 horsepower 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six gasoline engine. This power plant operates in conjunction with an expeditious eight-speed PDK dual-clutch automatic transmission. The seamless integration of these components propels the Dakar to accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH in a mere 3.4 seconds. Notably, for those yearning to channel their inner rally aspirations, an innovative Rally launch control mode has been introduced, enabling 0-60 acceleration on unpaved terrain in approximately 5 seconds.

Also included are rear-wheel steering and two brand-new driving modes- Rallye, which directs 80 percent of power to the rear wheels, and Offroad, which emphasizes a balanced torque distribution for optimal traction. In Offroad mode, the default setting is a maximum ride height. He demonstrates the car's suspension adjustment and enjoys the sound of the engine. While driving, Max showcases the car's agility, its responsiveness to steering inputs, and its engaging nature. He praises the car's dynamic character, playfulness, and unique driving experience compared to other 911 models. Despite its higher suspension and chunky tires, the Porsche 911 Dakar impresses Max with its on-road performance.

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The Porsche 911 Dakar In Its Natural Habitat

The base price of a Porsche 911 Dakar is a whopping $223,450, but if you want the classic Rothman’s livery, (which is called Roughroads) you will have to shell out an additional $28,470. This is due to the fact that this retro homage takes 34 hours to apply at the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur personalization division. The design package also includes Shark Blue seatbelts and stitching. You can also have the three numbers of your choosing on the livery as your personal race numbers.

The rally-car appearance is enhanced by a stationary rear spoiler, widened wheel arches, and rugged all-terrain tires. You can opt for a standalone carbon fiber roof, but there is no availability of a sunroof at all. The only other car which can be somewhat compared to this model is the ludicrous Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato which is rarer than this model as only 1499 will be made. We live in the hope that this begins a trend among supercar manufacturers to develop their own off-road versions.

In the first video, Max also provides performance figures, including the car's power output, torque, and acceleration times. He briefly touches on the price range and production numbers, mentioning that only a limited number of these vehicles will be produced. The video ends with Max expressing his anticipation for an upcoming off-road test drive.