Bundu-bashing Porsche 911 Dakar revealed – Everything you need to know

Porsche has revealed its latest special-edition sports car, the 911 Dakar, which will be limited to 2,500 examples worldwide.

The Dakar draws its inspiration from Porsche’s first overall victory in the 1984 Paris-Dakar Rally, which was simultaneously the birth of the all-wheel-drive 911.

In South Africa, the limited-run Porsche can now be ordered from a starting price of R4,140,000, with delivery of the first customer units penned in for the second half of 2023, confirmed Porsche South Africa.

Bundu-bashing 911

Most noticeably, ground clearance on the 911 Dakar sits 50mm higher than the base Carrera on sports suspension, and it comes with a standard lift system which “is an integral part of the retuned chassis” that can increase ride height by a further 30mm.

On the maximum setting the “ground clearance and ramp angle rival those of conventional SUVs” allowing for the slow traversing of tricky obstacles, and the sports car is also able to reach speeds of up to 170km/h before it automatically lowers itself back to the normal level.

Cosmetic upgrades for the Dakar comprise a fixed rear spoiler made of lightweight carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic (CFRP) along with a CFRP front luggage compartment lid with striking air outlets á la the 911 GT3.

Red aluminium towing lugs at the front and back, widened wheel wells and sills, stainless steel protective plates on the front, rear, and side sills, and stainless steel grilles on the side air intakes and front end are equipped, too.

Opening the door, the new 911 reveals full bucket seats covered in Race-Tex upholstery with Shade Green stitching and the removal of the rear seats. The roof also features a visible 12V power outlet.

Considering its roots, it’s no surprise that the special-edition 911 drives all four wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox.

Powered by a 3.0-litre, six-cylinder, bi-turbo engine, the Porsche boasts an output of 353kW and 570Nm resulting in a 0-100km/h run of 3.4 seconds.

As an off-roader, it fittingly also features four-wheel-steering for more agility, and the 19 and 20-inch rims are shod with specially-developed Pirelli Scorpion All-Terrain Plus tyres.

While more conventional Pirelli P Zero summer and winter tyres can also be had, the standard all-terrain variants “offer sports car dynamics on the road” and features 9mm-deep treads and reinforced sidewalls making them highly cut-resistant and ideal for the less beaten path, said Porsche.

However, due to these rubbers, the top speed is limited to 240km/h.

To further increase its dynamic capabilities, the 911 Dakar gets the engine mounts from the track-destroying GT3 in addition to Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control anti-roll stabilisation.

Exclusive to the special-edition 911 are also two off-road-focused driving modes namely Rallye mode, which is rear-wheel biased and suited for loose and uneven surfaces, and Offroad mode, which automatically activates the highest clearance setting to offer maximum mobility on difficult terrain and sand.

Both of the new driving modes feature the new Rallye Launch Control, “which enables impressive acceleration on loose surfaces and allows wheel slippage of around 20 percent,” said Porsche.

Lightweight glass and a lightweight battery were also used to bring down the scales, resulting in the 911 Dakar weighing 1,605kg – a mere 10 kg heavier than the 911 Carrera 4 GTS.

Options

A selection of specially-crafted accessories is on offer to the few lucky buyers of the new 911 Dakar, including a roof tent, roof basket, and a Porsche Design mechanical chronograph wristwatch made of titanium carbide.

The basket comes with auxiliary headlights and supports a total of 42kg with space for fuel, water canisters, folding shovels, and traction boards.

The Rallye Sport Package with a roll-over bar, six-point seat belts, and fire extinguisher is also on the options list.

Finally, in remembrance of the 1984 Dakar-winning rally car, the new 911 can be had with the Rallye Design Package featuring two-tone paint in White/Gentian Blue Metallic, a customer-chosen race number on the side between 0-999, rally stripes in red and gold, “Roughroads” lettering on the doors, white wheels, a red taillight strip, seatbelts in Sharkblue, and extended Race-Tex and leather surrounds in the passenger compartment.

Porsche 911 Dakar