At the Los Angeles Auto Show (–27.11.), Porsche presented the 911 Dakar as a world premiere. The model, limited to 2,500 examples, also commemorates the marque’s first overall victory at the 1984 Paris-Dakar Rally, which also marked the birth of all-wheel drive in the Porsche 911. The Dakar is therefore optionally available with a design package reminiscent of the winning car back then.
The Dakar has five centimeters more ground clearance than one
911 Carrera with sports suspension. In addition, the standard lift system can raise the front and rear by an additional 30 millimetres. The ground clearance and ramp angle thus reach the level of classic SUVs. The lift system is not only used to slowly cross obstacles, but is an integral part of the newly tuned chassis. The “high level” setting of the lift system works off-road up to a speed of 170 km/h; the chassis lowers automatically at higher speeds.
The sports car is powered by a three-litre twin-turbocharged six-cylinder with 480 hp (353 kW) and up to 570 Nm of torque. The Dakar accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds. The top speed is limited to 240 km/h thanks to the off-road tyres.
The engine is mated as standard to an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox and all-wheel drive. There is also rear axle steering, engine mounts from the GT3 and roll stabilization. Off-road driving supports two new driving modes, which can be selected with the rotary switch on the steering wheel. The “Rallye” setting is suited to loose, rough terrain, with all-wheel drive designed to be especially rear-heavy. In “Offroad” mode, the high level is activated automatically. This mode is designed for maximum traction on rough terrain and sand. In both cases, the new Rally Launch Control can be activated with around 20% wheel slip.
The Porsche 911 Dakar has a fixed lightweight carbon rear spoiler and CFRP front hood taken from the 911 GT3 with distinctive air intakes. There are also red recovery eyes made of forged aluminum, wider wheel arches and rocker panels and protective elements on the front, rear and rocker panels. In addition, the newly developed side air inlets at the front are protected from stone chips with stainless steel grilles.
As an option, a roof rack can be ordered for accessories such as additional headlights, petrol and water cans, folding spades and recovery boards. A roof tent is also available.
The 911 Dakar features full bucket seats and has no rear seats. Lightweight glass and a lightweight battery further reduce the weight, so that at 1605 kilograms the car is only ten kilograms heavier than a 911 Carrera 4 GTS with dual clutch transmission. The sport rally package with roll bar, six-point seat belts and fire extinguisher is available as an option.
The rally design package, also available on request and in the look of the winning car from 1984, comes with a two-tone paint job in white/gentian blue metallic and foiling, for which the customer can choose a start number from “0” and “999”. The historic lettering of the cigarette brand “Rothmans” is replaced by the word “Roughroads”.
Porsche is asking 222,020 euros for the 911 Dakar. The design package costs 26,061 euros. Upon request, customers can also order an exclusive chronograph with a particularly scratch-resistant and lightweight titanium carbide case. (awm)
