As development concludes, Porsche has revealed the first official images of its new 911 Dakar special
Almost two years since we spotted the first prototype testing on the Nürburgring, Porsche has finally released official teaser images of its new 911 Dakar. Set for reveal on November 16 at the Los Angeles Auto Show, the special edition will take inspiration from the 1984 953, with comprehensive upgrades centred around performance both on and off road.
We’ll have to wait until its reveal for the specifics, but it looks to build upon a standard 992-generation bodyshell, with extended wheelarches to cover a wider track. A GT3-esque bonnet vent, modified front and rear bumpers and a new rear wing are also part of the package, with said wing clearly influenced by the kind found on the original 911 Safari and differing in design to the current extended rear wing available through Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur.
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This extra ride height is a substantial change, as the 911’s coilover suspension design doesn’t facilitate adjustable ride heights aside from the hydraulic nose-lift, which is speed limited as it essentially removes all rebound from the damper’s vertical movement.
Other than the unfamiliar ride height, the prototypes have looked fairly standard, wearing slightly smaller wheels than most 911s, wrapped in tyres with a taller sidewall than you’ll find on the current Carrera. There’s also a small winged outcrop at the top of the rear screen that looks to have a small camera mounted within, perhaps signalling a future use of a virtual rear-view mirror, like the one already found in some Jaguars and Land Rovers.
Having now covered over 500,000km in testing around the globe, with over 10,000 of those off-road, Porsche claims the 911 Dakar will be the ‘first two-door sports car to offer outstanding off-road capabilities’. Porsche works driver Romain Dumas said: ‘I knew what a 911 could do on the road but I was absolutely stunned by how well the car performed on the loose.’ Even two-time world rally champion Walter Röhrl got in on the action, putting the car through its paces on the frozen lakes of Arjeplog, Sweden. Röhrl said: ‘The car is incredibly fun to drive. Everything works so precisely and calmly. No Porsche customer will believe all the things you can do with this car before they’ve driven it themselves.’
It’s no secret that evo is sceptical about most crossovers, but a factory-developed 911 Dakar is something – you won’t be surprised to hear – we could well get behind. With the off-road Huracán Sterrato set for a reveal this December, it will be fascinating to see how the two approach this unique new formula.
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Keyword: Road-going Porsche 911 Dakar teased ahead of November 16 reveal