Driving report: Porsche 911 Dakar

Driving a sports car icon like the Porsche 911 over sand and gravel pretty much turns the car world upside down. sand dunes are well known for specially prepared buggies or robust all-terrain vehicles. But for a XNUMX? He belongs more on the race track. But who a bit in the Motorsport-Looks through the history of the Zuffenhausen company and quickly discovers that there is another way. In 1984 a Carrera won the notorious Rally Paris-Dakar. The overall victory was also the birth of the all-wheel drive in 911.

Porsche chose an area south of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. The area is one of the training locations for the Dakar Rally professionals

More than a quarter of a century later, the Porsche strategists had the ambitious idea of ​​developing such an all-terrain 991 (1/XNUMX series) as a production vehicle bicycles to be asked, primarily intended for China, because the roads there are still bumpy in places. That's ten years ago. The project failed. Too much development effort, not enough quantities. It only worked on the second try sleight of hand. The 992 Dakar has now been created on the basis of the 911 series – and it looks so cool that it was only a matter of a few weeks before the limited edition of 2.500 units was sold out. Unit price: 220.020 euros. Probably would have Porsche but you can also write any other number on the sign. Men will pay any price for such a large sandbox toy.

The best environment to test what the 911 Dakar is capable of is of course the desert

The best environment to test what the #911 Dakar is capable of is of course the desert. Porsche chose an area south of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. The area is one of the training locations for the Dakar Rally professionals. sand to the horizon. You almost don't dare to drive off. Because our brain is not programmed for it, rather thinks that after a few meters this car will get stuck hopelessly. But reality looks different. It really works. So good that even die-hards roader Building blocks are likely to be amazed at the ease with which the two-seater coupé dune landscape masters and like an insect crawls almost effortlessly over the sand. the necessary Power delivers the six-cylinder boxer with 480 hp and with a torque of 570 newton meters. The potent unit comes from the 911 GTS.

The higher body allows an approach angle of 16 degrees. Only then does it threaten to touch down

That the cross-country ride is great fun with a high addictive Porsche's head of development, Thomas Krickelberg, is also convinced: "Many customers will certainly come here with their 911 Dakar to have this extraordinary experience." To do this, Krickelberg and his team dug deep into their bag of tricks. The amazing terrain skills do not come about by chance, but are the result of professional engineering work. The 911 Dakar received 5 centimeters, with the standard Lift system even 8 centimeters more ground clearance than a normal Carrera. A result of longer Struts and tires specially developed by Pirelli (19" front, 20" rear). They have a tread depth of nine millimeters, treads made of two carcass layers and extra reinforcements Flanks, in order to survive even stony passages without flat feet. To the biggest surprise. these tires are also good for asphalt, which should be everyday life for the 911 Dakar. No howling, no swimming, the desert Penalty sacrifices almost nothing of its usual sportiness and precision.

The 911 Dakar was given 5 centimeters more ground clearance than a normal Carrera, and with the standard lift system even 8 centimeters more

With 19 degrees, the 911 Dakar has one ramp angle like the Cayenne. The higher body allows an approach angle of 16 degrees. Only then does it threaten to touch down. To keep the weight from increasing too much, the off-road XNUMX was given a Carbon fiber reinforced (CFRP) plastic hood and lighter windows. The rear seats also fell out. All in all, at 911 kilograms, the 1.605 Dakar is only ten kilograms heavier than a 911 Carrera 4 GTS with PDK.

For the white field in the doors, the buyer can choose a number of their choice. The only condition: it must be between 1 and 999

For the new area of ​​application, of course, all electronic control systems be retuned. At the same time, the developers programmed two new driving modes that you would never have guessed in the instruments before: "Offroad" and "Rally". The latter puts the focus a little more on rear-heaviness and drifting fun on gravel, "Offroad" is intended for pure sand driving that Body automatically goes to high level with the maximum ground clearance of 19 centimetres.

Of course, Porsche's designers have transferred the adventure outfit of the 911 Dakar to the interior as well. The clear distinguishing feature is the Racetex equipment with contrasting colors Decorative stitching in shade green. The color is exclusive to the 911 Dakar, even as a metallic exterior finish. On the other hand, they have a high functional value Full bucket seats. Especially in off-road use, they offer pleasant support and keep the occupants in the best possible position. If you want it to be a bit more professional, Porsche offers it Rally Sports package with Roll bar, six-point harness and fire extinguisher.

Of course, Porsche's designers have transferred the adventure outfit of the 911 Dakar to the interior as well. The clear distinguishing feature is the Racetex equipment with decorative stitching in a contrasting colour

Associations with past rally eras and in particular with the Dakar winning vehicle from 1984 are intended to be evoked by a special paint finish that Porsche has never seen before Production car has offered. A decorative foil (stripes in red and gold) and a two-tone paint finish in white/gentian blue metallic are combined here. In addition, the name "Roughroads" is written on the flank. Its design is intended to commemorate the former Rothmans cigarette sponsor. A number is provided for the white field in front of it. The customer is free to choose which one should go there. The only condition: it must be between 1 and 999.

The necessary power is supplied by the six-cylinder boxer with 480 hp and a torque of 570 Newton meters. The potent unit comes from the 911 GTS

How well does this exclusive rally design package customers arrives shows the order rate. So far, according to development manager Krickelberg, almost 70 percent have opted for it - the 26.061 euro surcharge was probably accepted without a murmur. The XNUMX buyers should find the optional roof basket no less cool. On it you can Petrol- and lash water canisters as well as folding spades and salvage boards if it is with the driving skills Should something go wrong in the dunes.

Michael Specht / SP-X