Porsche has released a series of special edition wrap options for its 911 Dakar adventurer, inspired by the company’s five decades of racing experience in the East African Safari Rally.
When Porsche first entered the iconic Paris-Dakar event in 1984, and took out the victory in its first attempt, the groundwork for this win was actually laid by its works teams that competed in the East African Safari Rally in the 1970s.
To celebrate its rally pedigree, Porsche has released a series of three exclusive wraps for the new 911 Dakar, each of which is inspired by its East African Safari Rally teams of 1971, 1974 and 1978.
The first, the Rallye 1971 bears a black-and-white colour scheme with competition number 19 headlining the side profile in homage to the fifth-place finisher of the rally, with Polish drivers Sobieslaw Zasada and Marian Bien at the helm.
The next, the Rallye 1974 wrap also with number 19, is a nod to one of the toughest rally events that saw just 16 of the 99 entrants make it to the finishing line, with Bjorn Waldegard and Hans Thorszelius piloting their 911 Carrera 2.7 RS to second place.
The final wrap celebrates Waldegard’s fourth-place finish at the 1978 East African Safari Rally, and features a mix of blue and red flowing its way across the bodywork, wearing competition number 14.
The Rallye 1971 and 1974 wraps are priced at 4165 euros (approximately AU$6488) while 1978 is priced at 5950 euros (AU$9267), and can be ordered at any Porsche Centre.
The 911 Dakar is on sale in Australia priced from $491,400 (excluding on-roads), with the first deliveries set to take place in the second half of 2023.