Significance
It isn’t uncommon for Porsche to develop one or two special variants of a 911 generation that are to be produced in limited quantities for discerning collectors. The 911R and GT2 RS are just a few of the more recent examples that are aimed to fill a niche that isn’t already taken by another 911 in the lineup. By early 2022, enthusiasts had been hearing rumblings of a new special 911 to debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show later that year- but what Porsche developed was outside anything they have ever produced for public consumption. Called the Dakar, this 911 is built to be driven off-road, with its name coming from the famously grueling Paris-Dakar Rally, which was won overall by a 911 in 1984. Based on a 992 Carrera 4 GTS, the Dakar’s ground clearance is 50 mm higher than a standard sport-suspension-equipped Carrera and can be raised an additional 30 mm to get across larger obstacles. Porsche announced from the beginning that they would produce just 2,500 units for the world, and it quickly garnered a significant waiting list.
About this vehicle
This 2024 911 Dakar is a brand new example, finished in Shade Green Metallic over a black leather and Race-Tex interior, and shows just 135 miles at the time of cataloging. The 19” 5-spoke wheels are finished in Vesuvius Gray and are wrapped in a knobby set of Pirelli Scorpion tires which fill the arches perfectly and look fantastic with the suspension lift. To continue with the rugged theme, the Tequipment roof rack has been installed, which is a perfect place to store your overlanding supplies and features integrated LED lighting along the front. To keep the car safe while driving through the desert, reinforcements have been made around the car, which include stainless steel lower bumpers, heavy-duty tow hooks front and rear, and stronger side skirts.
The interior is the most conventional part of the Dakar, not straying too far from a standard 911. That being said, it does come with some nice things that are otherwise optional on other cars, making it an extra pleasant place to spend time. The black leather and Race-Tex in this car is accented by Shade Green stitching to match the car’s exterior, and the steering wheel has also been wrapped in Race-Tex, making it easier to grip when behind the wheel. In this example, a number of interior option boxes have been checked, such as the steering column casing in leather, both the seatbelts and tachometer are finished in Guards Red, and the extended Race-Tex package adds the material to the lower dash and door cards. Additionally, surround-view cameras have been added, which are extremely useful both on and off-road.
Powering the Dakar is a 3.0 liter twin-turbocharged flat-6 from the Carrera GTS that is rated for 473 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. Even though the Dakar is set up with a heavier wheel and tire package, it is still exceptionally quick, with a 0-100 kph time of just 3.4 seconds. To give the car maximum control both on and off-road, the dynamic engine mounts from the 911 GT3 have been added along with two new drive modes to the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control for rallye and off-road. Power then goes through an 8-speed PDK gearbox which sends power to all 4 wheels, and a rear axle steer system makes for tighter handling both on and off road.
With nearly every generation of 911, Porsche builds a limited run of very special cars that become extremely collectible in decades to come. For the 992, it is hard to dispute that the Dakar is that 911. With order slots completely filled, this essentially brand-new example is a perfect way to put a 911 Dakar in your garage if you weren’t granted one of the coveted few allocations.
