Porsche pulls the wraps off the limited-edition off-road Porsche 911 at the 2022 Los Angeles auto show
Welcome to the limited-edition famed 911 sports car; a toughed-up high-riding version of the 992 GTS, named for the Paris-Dakar rally race that began in 1978.
It borrows parts from the GT3 and the Turbo S, and has a 473-hp twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-six engine borrowed from the 911 Carrera GTS.
There’s just about a 911 for anyone and for any road and now we have an off-roader for 2023.
Limited to just 2,500 examples worldwide, the 911 Dakar has been overhauled, not completely, but enough to make sure that it can handle the toughest terrain.
Underneath, the Dakar is similar to the GTS, but the modifications to the chassis and body make it a completely different beast.
For example, Porsche likes to point out that the Dakar sits higher off the ground compared to the 911 Carrera S, 50mm to be exact, meaning extra ground clearance, according to Car Magazine. Thanks to an axle life, it can be raised that little bit further by another 30mm for the full off-road experience.
Porsche has commented saying that the suspension is “not designed merely for driving over obstacles at low speed” but can be used at speeds of up to 106mph for “ambitious off-road adventures”.
If this isn’t good enough, Porsche has also developed a Rallye Launch Control option, which can be activated for impressive acceleration when on the trickiest of terrains, says Classic Driver.
Porsche has revealed that they have been testing the 911 off the road, on the proving grounds in Weissach, where the 911 Dakar has been taken to extremes. With the help of development engineers, they have managed to push the cars for close to a million miles, including over 6213 miles off the road!
Porsche test drivers like to base themselves at the Château de Lastours test track in southern France, to get to grips with the Dakar rally-raid practice. “All Dakar teams come here to test their cars in Europe before the rally”, said Porsche works driver Romain Dumas (who’s completed seven Dakar rallies). “I knew what a 911 could do on the road, but I was absolutely stunned by how well the car performed here on the loose”.
Vice president for the 911 and 718 ranges, Frank Moser, said: “Especially here, the 911 Dakar can make the most of its conceptual advantages – the combination of low weight, higher ground clearance, a powerful rear-mounted engine, and the short wheelbase make for an exhilarating driving experience.”
With the arrival due to take place in March 2023, we don’t have that much longer to wait before the 911 Dakar will be gracing us with its presence. It seems like what was always such a dream, will finally become a reality rally-prepped car that we can all enjoy all over the world!
