Porsche has revealed its factory high-riding 911, paying tribute to its 1984 Paris-Dakar rally winner. The new 911 Dakar receives a number of upgrades transforming the 911 from a regular road car to a machine capable of being driven off the road at speed.
Starting with the design, the 911 Dakar gets the lightweight bonnet from the 911 GT3 along with a carbon-fibre reinforced rear spoiler. The front and rear bumpers are unique to the Dakar featuring points for towing along with skid plates to protect the underbody. Down the sides the flared fenders feature cladding along the wheel arches while more can be found on the lower sills. The exhaust is integrated into the rear bumper’s skid plate.
The Dakar also sits taller than other models, a full 50 mm taller than the Carrera S. Additionally, the car can be raised a further 30 mm. Porsche says that the suspension set-up is designed to let the car travel triple-digit speeds in off-road scenarios while also offering good body control for spirited driving on it. As standard, the 911 Dakar comes with Pirelli Scorpion All-Terrain Plus tyres though buyers can option for the road-friendly Pirelli P-Zeros or snow tyres.
Other upgrades under the skin include the dynamic engine mounts lifted from the 911 GT3 as well as the active roll control system and rear-axle steering. The onboard drive modes too have been upgraded to include two new modes – Rally and Off-Road. Rally sends a larger portion of the power to the rear wheels while off-road splits the power equally. Both modes also come with a dedicated launch control system to help maximise acceleration on loose surfaces.
Porsche has also taken weight-saving measures, including using lighter glass and removing the rear seat.
Coming to the engine, the Dakar is powered by the 3.0-litre flat-six twin-turbocharged unit from the GTS. Output sits at 473 bhp and 570 Nm with power sent to all four-wheels via a 8-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.
Porsche will be making just 2,500 units of the 911 Dakar.
