Porsche 911 Dakar: slowest 911 since 1988

Is an all-terrain 911 the next sacred cow to knock Porsche down? The purists have had a lot to endure over the decades. The disappearance of the air-cooled boxer engine, the arrival of an SUV, the turbo engine in a 911 Carrera, a four-cylinder in the Boxster and, in recent years, even a fully electric Porsche. And now a 911 with SUV looks, which evokes associations with types such as the Rover Streetwise, Ford Focus Active or VW CrossPolo. You know them; a little higher on the legs, black edges around the wheel arches, a piece of aluminum colored plastic in the lower part of the bumpers and the picture is complete. Don’t worry, things have been handled a lot more energetically at Porsche and that results in a 911 that actually holds its own in the field, even though no one will ever use this pricey collector’s item for that.

Dakar instead of Safari

The name Dakar does not come entirely out of the blue: in 1984 Porsche won the famous rally with the 953 and again in 1986 with the 959. At first we thought it would be called Safari, in 2012 there was already a study model with that name based on the 991 and in 1978 Porsche drove in the Safari Rally in Africa. But as much as the enthusiastic team that developed and actually tested the Safari in 2012 wanted this, the board of directors did not see such a thing at the time. The test car disappeared to the museum, the plan was shelved. Not in the freezer thankfully, so there was no question of thawing when 2019 started again with a modern interpretation of the 1980s rally winner.

Sympathetic type

In a photo studio on a deserted business park not far from Weissach (where Porsche’s huge R&D Center is located) we first come face to face with the 911 Dakar at the beginning of October and all skepticism disappears like snow in the sun. Forget the Turbo S with its imposing spoilers or the even fiercer-looking GT3 RS. The Dakar is so much more sympathetic and even more attractive than the recently presented new 911 Sport Classic. Yes, it has the black fender flares and is higher (5 centimeters) on its legs. The aluminum accents on the front, rear and sides are actually aluminum, and the black grilles in the nose are real metal. So they can take a stone. Thick, red, forged aluminum towing eyes emphasize the rally character even more.

With lift system 3 cm higher

The color combination also works a lot. The basic color of the 911 Dakar is white, for an additional charge you can have the lower half sprayed in the well-known rally blue colour, which is completed by the wide gold/red trim across the waistline, roof and tailgate. And then those muddy, white five-spoke wheels surrounded by the Pirelli Scorpion with a nice coarse profile. On the front wheels in the size 245/45/19, the rear is 295/40/20. With a lift system, the carriage can be pumped up another three centimeters, bringing the ground clearance very close to that of a Cayenne. In the highest mode, the top speed is limited to 170 km/h. Speaking of which, the Dakar, with its top speed of 240 km/h, is the slowest 911 after the 1984 964 Carrera, which reached 256 km/h.

Real stripe tractor

The four wheels are powered by the 3.0-litre twin-turbo boxer from the 911 GTS. Then we are talking about 480 hp and 570 Nm, good for a 0-100 km / h in 3.5 seconds. An eight-speed PDK always ensures the perfect gear ratio and the rear-axle steering in combination with active stabilizers ensures total control in all conditions. Two new driving modes have been added: Rally and Off Road and with the Rally Launch Control you can get off to a spectacular start with four spinning wheels. That means a few very cool black stripes on asphalt! Weight savings have also been made. The boot lid (of the GT3) and rear spoiler are made of the plastic type CFK, which consists partly of carbon, there is no rear seat, the seats and the battery are extra light and the glass is thinner than usual. A start number (between 1 and 999) is available at an additional cost, as well as a lightweight roof rack on which you can mount a set of spotlights. There is already a 12 Volt connection on the roof as standard.

For collectors and speculators

Such a raised 911 may seem a bit difficult to place, but we love it. Moreover, Porsche makes good money with all those special versions of the 911, such as the new Sport Classic, the GT2 RS, the GT3 RS and the GT3 Touring. Most disappear into a collection and are bought as an investment. Speaking of buying: it costs €299,900. That includes watch. If you are already one of the 2,500 lucky ones who made a reservation on time.