Roughroads

Higher ground clearance, motorsport livery and even a roof box on request. The new, surprising “crossover” version of the Porsche 911 Dakar

ROUGHROADS

An attitude, a sign and even a registered trademark. Designed by Porsche to describe its first crossover 911 model. Also available on request with the famous livery worn by the 953 for its victory in the 1984 Paris-Dakar

by

Diego Tamone - ph. courtesy by Porsche

Some cars have become motorsport legends, remembered decades on not so much for their drivers, performance, the awards they won or the badges they sport, but the colours they wear. More than any other feature of the cars in question, this sporting livery has remained crystallized in the memory of fans who line the track side or pack the stands as they wait for their favourite to roar past. Their image remains potent, and while the sound of their engines may have faded a little over time the thousands of archive photos depicting them ensure their memory remains as vivid as ever. Such cars were often made famous by a sponsor, a phenomenon especially common with Porsche, a brand active in a range of events, and one that has enabled many of its models to enter the collective imagination and achieve immortality. Three examples above all - the 917, a car developed for endurance races, which entered history wearing the Gulf colours, the 935 “Moby Dick”, remembered for its Martini Racing colours, and the 953 that won the Paris-Dakar in 1984 wrapped in colours that are well-known in the motorsport world, lent for the occasion by a tobacco brand before the existence of laws banning the advertising of cigarette brands. Now, almost 40 years on, we are treated to the arrival of a very special limited edition of the 911, the 911 Dakar. This model, manufactured in a run of just 2,500 vehicles, is based on a concept that according to legend was developed ten years ago over a restaurant table.

And when we talk about an idea, we’re not just referring to the idea of slapping graphics

Offered in a limited edition of just 2,500 examples that are sure to become rapidly appreciating collector’s items, the 911 Dakar is at its best with the optional Rallye Design package, a sporting aesthetic look that reproduces the graphics worn by the Stuttgart-made vehicle that won the 1984 Paris-Dakar rally. The number emblazoned on the doors can be personalised by the client

The 911 Dakar in its natural element, an environment that allows it to show off its qualities and performance to the full thanks to its greater ground clearance, electrically adjustable suspension and tyres

from the motorsport world onto a series-produced model, but the desire to create an icon –the 911 – in a crossover version. A daring notion, bordering on blasphemy, that matured and eventually came to fruition over the space of a decade.

The 911 Dakar, whose aesthetic interpretation is an optional extra, forming part of the Rallye Design package, was introduced in late 2022 at the Los Angeles Auto Show. It’s a revamped sports car whose ground clearance has been increased by 50 mm over the base model, a distance that can be increased by a further 30 mm thanks to a special lifting mechanism that can be operated at speeds of up to 170 km/h. A perfect off-road feature, together with the specially-made Pirelli tyres and electronics making it possible to engage off-road mode directly from a selector on the steering wheel. A further array of high-spec features includes a fixed spoiler and bonnet in CFRP (carbon-fibre reinforced plastic), larger wheel arches and weight savings generated by stripping out the rear seats. These important details enable the 480 Hp, 570 Nm six-cylinder twin turbo engine to power the Porsche 911 Dakar to 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds, with a selflimited top speed of 240 km/h. www.porsche.com.

specially designed by Pirelli