Limited to 2,500 units worldwide, the Porsche 911 Dakar special edition was sold out two years ago. It is known that the Hong Kong quota is limited to a small number, making it a rare sight. The author visited Porsche’s headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, and was given the opportunity to test drive the 911 Dakar for a day, experiencing the potential of this off-road capable 911.
Porsche 911 Dakar test drive in Germany: Design inspired by the 1984 rally-winning car and based on the 992 Carrera 4 GTS
The design of the 911 Dakar is inspired by the 1984 911 4×4 (No. 953), the Paris-Dakar Rally Champion. It is based on the 992.1 911 Carrera 4 GTS. The ground clearance is significantly higher by 50mm than the standard 911 Carrera, and the electronically controlled suspension system has been re-adjusted and equipped with All Terrain off-road-specific tires. Rallye and Off-road driving modes have been added (including Rally Launch Control) to comprehensively enhance all-weather off-road capabilities.
The car uses the Carrera 4S’s 3-liter horizontally opposed six-cylinder twin-turbo engine with an output of 480ps and 58.1kgm of torque. It is equipped with an 8-speed PDK dual-clutch semi-automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive, capable of accelerating from 0 to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds. The new car comes standard with rear-wheel steering assist, PDCC dynamic chassis control, and anti-roll stability control systems.
Porsche 911 Dakar test drive in Germany: Rally Sport package plus body stickers, great ratings on rugged and bad roads
The body features a series of off-road accessories, including a lightweight CFRP carbon fiber front cover and rear spoiler derived from the 911 GT3. Stainless steel baffles are added to the front, rear, and sides of the car’s underside, and edge-preserving rubber edges surround the wheel arches. The test car was equipped with replicas of the Safari Rally rally car called Rallye 1974, and a full Rally Sport Package, including two carbon fiber lightweight GT sports car bucket seats and a full racing-style rollover protection rack behind the cabin. The original car’s windows were replaced with lightweight glass similar to the GT car, and a small battery was installed, resulting in a total weight of only 1,605kg.
Driving this 911 Dakar away from the Porsche headquarters, it attracted a lot of envious glances along the way, likely due to its eye-catching appearance. The tall body and long suspension travel make this car much more comfortable than GT cars (like the 911 GT3) when driving in urban areas. Its power output is not significantly different from the regular Carrera 4S, except for the more majestic exhaust sound. However, the most exciting aspect of this car is its performance on rough and bad roads. When Rallye mode is activated, the body automatically rises, and the tracking system allows for a slight amount of side slipping. On slippery mud roads, it feels relaxed, flexible, and confidently controlled, which is very fascinating. When cornering hard, it can flick as powerfully as an off-road racing car, but the steering feel is direct and precise. I never thought driving a 911 off-road might be this fun and exciting. You can watch the free video on the “Cockpit” channel for a live test drive experience.
- Porsche 911 Dakar Specs
- Engine: 3-liter flat-six twin Turbo
- Horsepower/Torque: 480ps/58.1kgm
- Transmission: 8-speed PDK semi-automatic, four-wheel drive
- 0 to 100 km/h: 3.4 seconds
- Price: Starting from $4,470,000 (2,500 units sold worldwide)
- Inquiries: Porsche Center/2926 2911
Limited to 2,500 units worldwide, the Porsche 911 Dakar special edition was sold out two years ago. It is known that the quota in Hong Kong is only limited to a limited number, making it rare to see. The author earlier visited Porsche’s headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, and was specially arranged to test drive the 911 Dakar for a day, giving him the opportunity to experience the potential of this off-road capable 911.
Porsche 911 Dakar Test Drive in Germany: Design Inspired by the 1984 Rally-Winning Car and Based on the 992 Carrera 4 GTS
The design of the 911 Dakar is inspired by the 1984 911 4×4 (No. 953) Paris-Dakar Rally Champion Chariot. It is based on the 992.1 911 Carrera 4 GTS. The ground clearance is significantly higher by 50mm than the standard version of the 911 Carrera, and the electronically controlled suspension system has been re-adjusted and equipped with All Terrain off-road-specific tires. Rallye and Off-road driving modes have been added (including Rally Launch Control) to comprehensively enhance all-weather off-road capabilities.
The car uses the Carrera 4S’s 3-liter horizontal six-cylinder dual turbo engine with an output of 480ps and 58.1kgm of torque. It is equipped with an 8-speed PDK dual-clutch semi-automatic gearbox and four-wheel drive, and can accelerate from 0 to 100km/h in 3.4 seconds. The new car comes standard with rear-wheel steering assist, PDCC dynamic chassis control, and anti-roll stability control systems.
Porsche 911 Dakar Test Drive in Germany: Rally Sport Package Plus Body Stickers, Great Ratings on Rugged and Bad Roads
The body is equipped with a series of off-road accessories, including a lightweight CFRP carbon fiber front cover and rear spoiler derived from the 911 GT3. Stainless steel baffles are added to the front, rear, and sides of the car bottom, and there are also edge-preserving rubber edges around the wheel arches. The test car is equipped with a set of replicas of the Safari Rally rally car called Rallye 1974, and a full Rally Sport Package, including two carbon fiber lightweight GT sports car bucket seats, and a full racing-style rollover protection rack behind the cabin. The original car was replaced with lightweight glass windows like the GT car and a small battery, and the car weighed only 1,605kg.
Driving this 911 Dakar away from the Porsche headquarters, probably because of its eye-catching appearance, it attracted a lot of envious eyes along the way. Due to the tall body and long suspension travel, you will find that this car is much more comfortable than GT cars (such as the 911 GT3) when driving in urban areas. Its sense of power is not much different from that of the regular Carrera 4S, except that the exhaust sound is more majestic. However, the most exciting thing regarding this car is its performance on rough and bad roads.
When the Rallye mode is activated, the body will automatically rise, and the tracking system will also allow a little more side slipping. When riding on a slippery mud road, it will feel relaxed, flexible, and yet extremely confident control characteristics are very fascinating. When cornering hard, it can flick as hard as an off-road racing car, but the steering feel is direct and precise. I never thought that driving a 911 off-road can be so fun and exciting. For live test drives, you can watch the video for free on the “Cockpit” channel.
Porsche 911 Dakar Key Features and Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Engine | 3-liter flat-six twin Turbo |
| Horsepower/Torque | 480ps/58.1kgm |
| Transmission | 8-speed PDK semi-automatic, four-wheel drive |
| 0 to 100 km/h | 3.4 seconds |
| Price | Starting from $4,470,000 (2,500 units sold worldwide) |
| Inquiries | Porsche Center/2926 2911 |
The 911 Dakar is a unique and special vehicle that combines the performance of a sports car with the off-road capabilities of a rally car. It is a truly rare and sought-following model that is sure to turn heads wherever it goes. With its impressive performance, luxurious interior, and striking design, the 911 Dakar is a dream car for many.
