The “Safari build” has been a staple in the aftermarket Porsche restomod world for a while, but it’s a different story when the legendary manufacturer decides to make one of its own. Say hello to the Porsche 911 Dakar.
Porsche has been teasing a lifted, off-tarmac 992 platform 911 for a little while now, and in recent weeks the German brand has been releasing a steady drip of details about the project. It started with a couple of radically modified 992s driving straight to the top of a volcano in South America. A bit of a stunt, for sure, but it illustrates the lengths that Porsche went in their testing regimen for this new model. They claim, “the development team tested the 911 Dakar around the world under extreme conditions to the tune of more than half a million km, including more than 10,000 km off-road.”
Rally-ready race cars are not unknown in Porsche’s deep motorsports history. The model name is a nod to the first overall victory by Porsche in the Paris-Dakar rally. The breakthrough triumph came in 1984 in a modified G-body Porsche 911—which had been fitted with an all-wheel-drive system for the first time. The nearly mythical Rothmans-liveried 959 Dakar race cars helped develop the production version of one of the greatest of all supercars. But a gravel-spec Porsche has never been a factory option until now.
Porsche is renowned (or notorious, depending on your opinion) for its endless list of options and trim packages, so the Dakar 911 is sure to arrive with an impressive—and expensive—catalog of off-road and overland focused accessories. The press photos feature a roof rack, light bar, a spare wheel mount, and attachments for traction boards (natch) and fuel cans.
At the moment we have very little in the way of details on the most important aspects of the 911 Dakar, such as suspension, drivetrain, underbody protection, and other upgrades one would expect in an off-road 911. We’ll know more on November 16, 2022 at the Los Angeles Auto Show, where Porsche plans to unveil the 911 Dakar officially. We can’t wait to drive it.
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Images: Porsche
