This year has been a special year for Porsche with the prestigious manufacturer launching four new limited-edition models of its iconic 911 series.
This was either to celebrate a big milestone or special event, to give back to charity, or to forge into new market territories.
We take a look back at all the rare 911s that launched in 2022.
911 50 Year Porsche Design Targa
The Porsche 911 50 Year Porsche Design Targa was developed in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Porsche Design department.
Built on a Targa 4 GTS as the base model, the Porsche Design edition is accompanied by platinum accents on the Targa bar and side decals, the same alloy wheels as on the range-topping Turbo S, blackened brake calipers and exterior components, model-unique 50th anniversary badging, and two exterior hues – plain black or Jet Black Metallic.
Continuing on the inside, the seats feature chequered Sport-Tex centre panel seat inserts, black leather sides, and Slate Grey contrast stitching and seatbelts.
Moreover, the Porsche Design dash clock sees red highlights, a Slate Grey 12 o’clock marker adorns the GT Sports steering wheel, the door entry guards are brushed aluminium, embossed 50th-anniversary logos are found on the headrests, a limited-edition plaque is screwed to the dash, and Adaptive Sports Seats Plus with 18-way electric adjustability are fitted.
The signature of F.A. Porsche, the founder of the Porsche Design department and designer of the original 911, can also be found on the lid of the centre storage compartment.
Only 750 units of the 911 50 Year Porsche Design Targa are being produced priced at R3,029,000 in South Africa.
911 Dakar
Inspired by the 1984 Paris-Dakar-winning Porsche 953, the new 911 Dakar stands taller and is more capable than any of its 911 siblings.
Its ride height comes in 50mm higher than the base Carrera on sports suspension and it sits on a retuned chassis with a lift kit built in as standard that can raise clearance by a further 30mm.
Additionally, the Dakar boasts a fixed rear spoiler and front luggage compartment lid both made of lightweight carbon-fibre-reinforced plastic, red aluminium towing lugs, widened wheel wells and sills, stainless steel protective plates on the front, rear, and sides, and stainless steel grilles on the side air intakes and front end.
It fittingly also features four-wheel-steering for more agility off the beaten path, as well as 19 and 20-inch rims wrapped in specially-developed Pirelli Scorpion All-Terrain Plus tyres with 9mm-deep treads and reinforced sidewalls.
Inside the cabin, this 911 is equipped with full bucket seats in Race-Tex upholstery with Shade Green stitching and sees the removal of the rear seats.
A total of 2,500 examples of the 911 Dakar are to be built with prices in South Africa starting at R4,140,000, and the first local customer deliveries are scheduled for the second half of 2023.
911 Sally Special
Sally Special is a one-of-a-kind 911 Carrera GTS that was inspired by the 2002 911 Carrera featured in the animated Cars movies and auctioned for a record price of $3.6 million on 20 August 2022 – which equated to roughly R61 million at the time.
Every cent of the sales price went to charity and to make the remarkable event even more noteworthy, it was “the first time that Pixar had supported such a project,” said Porsche.
Sally Special was hand-painted in Sallybluemetallic, a custom paint created specifically for this one-off, and given five-arm design rims to create a visual link to the wheels fitted to the original 996-generation 911 it is based on.
The tattoo from the film was also recreated on the 911’s active spoiler.
Much like the exterior, the interior was given a distinct look with Sallybluemetallic highlights, a specially-made “Pepita houndstooth” fabric upholstery in three colours combined with chalk-coloured leather, Speed Blue stitching, and small nods to the Cars movie including a one-of-one engraving on the dash, a Cars logo on the door panel, a “Kachow Mode” drive mode selector on the steering wheel, steel Sally Special treadplates, a Sally Carrera plaque on the B-pillar, and Cars-branded tyre valve caps.
The incredibly-rare Porsche was sold with another one-off accessory, a similarly-themed Porsche Design mechanical chronograph wristwatch.
911 Sport Classic
The 911 Sport Classic is the most powerful manual 911 ever built owing this accolade to a 3.7-litre, twin-turbo, flat-six petrol engine generating 405kW and 599Nm which is transmitted to the rear wheels via a seven-speed shifter.
With a capable driver behind the wheel, the Porsche manages a 0-100km/h sprint of 4.1 seconds and trumps a top speed of 315km/h.
Enhancing the athletic personality is standard fitment of the Porsche Active Suspension Management system and Sports dampers making the ride height 10mm lower than that of the Turbo S, alongside a model-specific exhaust setup for an emotive soundtrack.
As for the looks, the Sport Classic earns design cues from the 1964 911 as well as the 1972 Carrera RS 2.7 in the form of a fixed ducktail spoiler, “double bubble” roof, and wider body that is usually only reserved for the top-end Turbo models.
It is also the first 911 to be finished in Sport Grey Metallic, with Solid Black, Agate Grey Metallic, Gentian Blue Metallic, or Paint to Sample also on the options list.
Inside, this special-edition 911 is treated to Pepita-pattern door panels and seat inserts, and two-tone, semi-aniline leather upholstery in Black/Classic Cognac.
Production for the 911 Sport Classic will be capped at 1,250 models, at a starting price of R5,169,000, each accompanied by a specially-produced chronograph wristwatch that is only available to buyers of the most powerful manual Porsche ever made.
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