After about a year of speculation, Porsche has confirmed that it is indeed planning to introduce a special 911 Dakar model and the official debut is set to take place next week.
The Porsche 911 Dakar is expected to be based on the 911 Carrera 4S featuring a similar 331kW twin-turbo flat-six engine, while featuring an adapted version of its all-wheel drive system. Prototypes were recently subjected to gruelling torture tests, with these preview images revealing some clear details.
Firstly, the ground clearance is obviously raised to provide a level of off-road capability. Prototypes also feature special off-road tyres and revised aero and body parts, with the production version likely to mimic some of these. There appears to be some under-body protection in place as well.
Engineers took the special model to Morocco and Dubai to run on sand dunes and fast sandy tracks in scorching temperatures. Engineers, including rally ace Walter Rohrl, also took the mutant beast onto the snow and ice in Arjeplog, Sweden, to calibrate the vehicle’s dynamics in extremely slippery conditions. Following the tests, Rohrl said:
“The car is incredibly fun to drive. Everything works so precisely and calmly. No Porsche customer will believe all the things you can do with this car before they’ve driven it themselves.”
The 911 Dakar is being introduced as a special tribute to Porsche’s first victory in the Paris-Dakar rally in 1984. It won with a modified 911 that featured an all-wheel drive system, which was a first for the 911 at the time. Speaking about the new model, Porsche development driver Lars Kern said:
“I wouldn’t have thought that a vehicle with such ground clearance and all-terrain tyres would still feel like a Porsche 911 on asphalt. At first I didn’t have the nerve to push the car to its limits. But I am very satisfied with the handling on loose surfaces. Even the ABS is optimised for braking on gravel. It’s amazing how much traction the off-road tyres deliver. The car is a blast to drive.”
It will come in as Porsche’s first ever two-door sports car that offers good off-road capabilities. In fact, there isn’t anything else quite like it on the current market. The debut will take place on November 16 at the Los Angeles Auto Show.
