PORSCHE: The Porsche 911 Dakar
At the Los Angeles Auto Show, Porsche showed off its new 911 Dakar, which was made to handle both city streets and rough terrain well.
The special edition, produced in a run of only 2,500, demonstrates that the Porsche 911 idea is practically limitless. It also calls to mind Porsche’s first-ever overall triumph in the Paris-Dakar Rally, which took place in 1984 and coincided with the introduction of all-wheel drive in the Porsche 911. This is why there is a Rallye Design Package for the Porsche 911 Dakar that is available as an option and is reminiscent of the legendary winning car.
As the first eye-catching feature, the Porsche 911 Dakar’s increased ground clearance of 50 millimetres over a 911 Carrera with sports suspension is hard to miss. The front and rear ends can be lifted by 30 millimetres with the help of the standard lift system. It has a similar ramp angle and ground clearance as those of standard SUVs. The lift system is an essential feature of the fine-tuned chassis, and it’s also employed to overcome obstacles more slowly. You can reach top speeds of 170 km/h in the great outdoors on the ‘high level’ option. Once the car’s speed reaches that threshold, it returns to its usual height.
Pirelli Scorpion All-Terrain Plus tyres are specially designed to complement the vehicle’s dynamic off-road capabilities. The two carcass plies in the strengthened sidewalls and the tread make for a substantial nine millimetres of tread depth. When combined, these features make the Porsche 911 Dakar’s tyres suitable for use on rough terrain and resistant to punctures. Summer and winter Pirelli P Zero tyres, with two carcass plies, are an optional upgrade. All-terrain tyres are standard equipment, but they also improve handling, much like those found on a sports car.
This engine has Porsche all-wheel drive and an eight-speed PDK as standard equipment. The 911 GT3’s engine mounts are used, along with PDCC anti-roll stabilisation and rear-axle steering. Due to the harmonious cooperation of its many parts, the 911 Dakar is as dynamic on sand and uneven ground as it is on the Nürburgring Nordschleife. Two new driving modes, selectable through a rotary switch located on the steering wheel, further guarantee optimal performance when driving off-road. With its rear-biassed all-wheel-drive system, Rallye mode excels on loose, unpaved surfaces. When Offroad mode is selected, the high ground clearance is activated automatically. This setting was made to give you the best possible grip on the sand and on rough terrain. The new Rallye Launch Control is available in each of the new driving modes and permits significant wheel slippage (up to 20%) when driving on loose surfaces.
The 911 Dakar is further distinguished by its carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) front baggage compartment lid with dramatic air vents borrowed from the 911 GT3. Off-road features include the usual suspects, like red aluminium towing lugs up front and back, wider wheel wells and sills, and stainless steel protection components at the front, rear, and sides. Stainless steel grilles shield the newly revised front end’s side air intakes from stray rocks.
The optional roof rack’s headlights can be powered by a 12-volt plug that is clearly marked on the roof of the Porsche 911 Dakar. The rack’s weight capacity of 42 kilos means that it can easily hold racing gear like gasoline and water containers, foldable shovels, and traction boards. The 911 Dakar may be outfitted with a rooftop tent.
The 911 Dakar’s standard full bucket seats and lack of rear seats are clear indicators of the car’s sporting intentions. The Porsche 911 Dakar weighs in at just 1,605 kilogrammes, or just 10 kilogrammes more than the 911 Carrera 4 GTS with PDK. This is made possible by the use of lightweight glass and a lightweight battery. The inside of the 911 Dakar is distinguished by its standard Race-Tex surfaces with ornamental stitching in Shade Green, a colour that is also offered exclusively as a metallic exterior finish. You can have a roll-over bar, six-point seat belts, and a fire extinguisher as part of an upgrade called the Rallye Sport Package.
The two-tone White/Gentian Blue Metallic paint job is the centrepiece of the Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur Rallye Design Package. Porsche has never before used bi-colour paint and decorative foiling together in serial production. The customer gets to put a race number from 0 to 999 on the car’s side.
The 911 Dakar with Rallye Design Package, styled after the car that won the 1984 Paris-Dakar Rally, features red and gold rally stripes and the words “Roughroads” on the doors to distinguish it from other models. The word, which is a trademark, was coined to describe the 911 Dakar and its off-road capabilities. In contrast to a regular car, this one has a red taillight strip and white-painted wheels. In addition, Sharkblue seat belts and accents, as well as extended Race-Tex and leather surrounds, are included in the interior.
Porsche Design Chronograph 1 911 Dakar and Chronograph 1 911 Dakar Rallye Design Edition are available only to 911 Dakar customers. As a first, the housing is crafted from scratch-resistant and lightweight titanium carbide.