The Porsche 911 Dakar is so cool it’s still smoking Rothman’s cigarettes

What is at least written on the flanks of the Porsche 911 Dakar? No Rothmans, because tobacco advertising is of course no longer possible, but Roughroads. Exactly what the latest 911 is meant for.

There is no room for value judgments in a news report, but we dare anyway. We knew Porsche would be coming with a 911 Dakar (everyone was talking about the Safari name too), but we never imagined it would look so great.

Porsche 911 Dakar in Rothman’s colors of the Dakar car

Strange actually, because now that we see the car it only feels logical: Of course, Porsche is coming with a Rothmans color scheme for its off-road creation.

The 911 Dakar celebrates Porsche’s first victory in the grueling Paris-Dakar Rally. The brand won the desert race twice: in 1984 with the 911 and in 1986 with the 959.

By the way, not many people can attend the celebrations. No more than 2500 copies of the 911 Dakar will be built. And they are probably only for the most loyal Porsche customers.

Based on the 480 hp Porsche 911 GTS

The Dakar is based on the 911 GTS and has a six-cylinder boxer engine with two turbos, 480 hp and 570 Nm. It is just as fast as the GTS at 3.4 seconds to 100 km/h, but has a limited top speed of 240 km/h. That’s because the off-road tires can’t handle it otherwise.

Off-road tires and significantly increased ground clearance

Standard on the 911 Dakar is an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, all-wheel drive and rear-wheel steering. Of course, the increased ground clearance is striking. Compared to a 911 Carrera with sports suspension, the Dakar is 5 centimeters higher on the wheels.

The standard lift system can raise it by a further 3 centimetres. Then the top speed is limited to 170 km/h. Above that, the car lowers itself automatically.

Like the regular 911, the Dakar has 19-inch wheels at the front and 20-inch wheels at the rear. Unlike the regular 911, the Dakar is fitted with Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus tires.

These include a tread depth of 9 mm and reinforced side walls. Incidentally, buyers can also opt for Pirelli P Zeros.

Two driving modes for off-road use: off-road and rally

For the 911 Dakar, Porsche has added two driving modes to the usual offering: off-road and rally. The latter is intended for gravel roads and mainly sends the power backwards.

In the off-road sector, the Dakar’s chassis is raised to the highest position and the drive train is optimized for difficult terrain and sand. There is a rally launch control for the fastest possible sprints on unpaved roads.

Optional roof rack with space for a roof tent

A 12-volt socket is visible on the roof of the 911 Dakar. This is intended for the LED lamps of the optional, 42-kilo roof rack, on which a tent can actually be mounted.

In order to save weight, Porsche did without the rear seats on the Dakar and opted for lightweight glass and a lighter battery.

Rally design package in white and blue with Dakar foiling

Finally, the Rally Design Pack, which combines a two-tone body (white and blue) with Dakar wraps. Buyers can choose a starting number between 1 and 999 themselves. Like the 911 GT3, the Dakar can be ordered with an interior roll cage, racing harness and fire extinguisher on board. Because apparently owners really want to drive the Dakar Rally.

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