Just when you thought the 911 couldn’t get any cooler, Porsche takes its most iconic model to new heights with the 2023 Dakar, an all-wheel drive 911 that won’t sweat it if you swap freeways for farm tracks and still keep the hammer down. Forget those endless spy shots of drab, matte black prototypes because the production Dakar is bursting with personality, particularly when specced with the optional Rally Design package that takes vital cues from the pioneering all-wheel drive competition 911s that claimed victory in the 1984 Paris-Dakar Rally, paving the way for the 959 supercar.
Central to the character of the US$ 223,450
(including US$ 1,450 for delivery) Dakar is its ride height, which is up 50 mm over a stock all-wheel drive 911, and can be hiked a further 30
mm. Porsche says the “High Level” off-road mode, which is activated via the
steering wheel rotary controller, gives the Dakar a similar level of ground
clearance and ramp-over angle to some regular SUVs, and is available at speeds
of up to 170 km/h, after which it returns to a normal height.
Off-road model is also designed to
maximise traction in low-grip situations, while another new mode Porsche calls
“Rally” is set up for loose, uneven surfaces and sends a greater portion of its
power to the rear axle. Both modes feature Rally Launch Control, which allows
20 percent wheel slip for speedy getaways on loose surfaces, and capitalize on
the bite provided by 245/45 ZR19 and 295/40 ZR20 Pirelli Scorpion all-terrain
rubber. The Scorpions feature 9 mm-deep tread blocks and two carcass plies for
durability in the dirt, though you can option Pirelli P Zero summer or winter
tires if you prefer.
Unfortunately those trick off-road tires
have forced Porsche to impose a 240 km/h limiter, making the Dakar
the slowest global-spec 911 since 1983 by our reckoning (though, some 911s with
cats were sub-150mph until the 964 arrived in America). That was the year the 245 kmh 3.2 Carrera replaced the 235 km/h SC in Europe. But
there’s no doubt the Dakar would go quicker if Porsche let it. The 3.0-liter
twin-turbo flat-six is cribbed from the 309 km/h 911 Carrera 4 GTS and
sends 473 hp and 570 Nm of torque through a compulsory
eight-speed PDK transmission. The Dakar’s 3.2-second zero to 60 mph time (3.4
seconds to 100 km/h) is only a tenth down on the number Porsche quotes for the US$ 149,900 GTS, and impressive given that those Pirelli Scorpions aren’t designed
with drag strip starts in mind. More surprising considering that the Dakar
comes loaded with kit like four-wheel steering and dynamic engine mounts, is
that the 1,611 kg curb weight comes within 7.3 kg of a
GTS’s, despite the GTS featuring none of those goodies as standard.
But Porsche worked hard to bring the
Dakar’s weight down, replacing the electric rear spoiler with a fixed version,
fitting the lightweight carbon-reinforced plastic hood from the GT3, thinner
glass, bucket seats instead of heavier comfort chairs, and junked the rear
seats altogether. Those kind of features could be found on any RS 911, but the
raised ride height, red, forged aluminium tow hooks, fender and rocker panel
extensions, tough stainless steel body trim and protective mesh grilles over
the air intakes will make sure you’ll never confuse a Dakar for an RS. And if
you really want to ram the message home you can kit your 911 out with the Rally
Design Package.
Costing an estimated US$ 26k (€ 26,061), it brings two-tone White and Enzian Blue paint, red and gold stripes,
white wheels, a red taillight strip and “Roughroads” lettering on the doors.
Buyers also get to choose an individual race number between 0-999. Other less
expensive Dakar-specific options include Shade Green paint and the off-road
roof rack/basket. Capable of holding up to 42 kg of equipment like
spare gas and water canisters and shovels, it’s fitted with a roof light that
runs off a dedicated 12-volt socket to make sure you can still play at Baja
racer when the sun goes down. You can even order a roof tent so you can stay
out until sun-up, and if you’ve still got money to burn after that, there’s
always the Porsche Design Dakar chronograph available in standard and Rally
Design flavors, each version made from scratch-resistant titanium carbide.
Porsche is only building 2,500 Dakars,
though we suspect the model will return again in the next generation of 911 and
become a regular fixture, a bit like the GT3 RS and Speedster. The model’s
versatility and sheer novelty – this is the first really different 911 in a
long time – means getting allocated a car is going to be tough. And even if you
can get a car, you’ll have to decide whether that’s a better 911-shaped home
for your US$ 220,020 (plus US$ 1,450 destination) than a 911 GT3 RS or 911 Turbo S,
which cost almost exactly the same, but have radically different characters.
Which would you choose? Drop a comment below and let us know.
