2023 Porsche 911 Dakar arrives as a 911 for the dirt

2023 Porsche 911 Dakar arrives as a 911 for the dirt

When you go on an off-road trip, a sports car is not the first thing that springs into your mind. What if it comes with an awful lot of off-road hardware and software? The 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar is here, and it may be able to skew your preferences a little.

Off-road biased Safari conversions of the 911 are not really common. But nothing as hardcore as the 911 Dakar has ever rolled out of Stuttgart. It is not a sticker job. Porsche has specced this rough sports car with an awful lot of kit for the dirt.

Suspension modifications

For starters, there is a suspension lift, 50 mm of it. If that is not enough, there is a special lift system to raise it another 30.5 mm. Adding more capability to the mix are the Pirelli Scorpion all-terrain tyres. The chunky rubber wraps around 19-inch wheels at the front and 20-inch wheels at the rear. If you want to go a bit more hardcore, summer performance tyres or snow tyres are optional.

Porsche 911 Dakar engine specifications

Power for the 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar comes from a twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre flat-six engine from the 911 GTS. This mill produces 473 hp and is hooked up to Porsche’s 8-speed PDK transmission. It is, of course, all-wheel drive. It can reach 100 kph from a standstill in just over 3.4 seconds. The top speed, though, is limited to 241 kph to stay within the capability window of the all-terrain rubber.

Porsche 911 Dakar vehicle dynamics

Adding more potency to the hardware end are Porsche’s Dynamic Chassis Control and rear-axle steering. It also gets special engine mounts, lifted off the hardcore GT3. Another GT3 bit is the bonnet.

On the software end of things, the 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar adds two drive modes that are unique for it. These are named Off-Road and Rallye. Off-Road mode improves the vehicle’s dynamics in rough terrain and increases the ride height. Rallye is for having some silly fun on loose surfaces.

Optional packages

If you want to carry something for your off-road trip, the 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar can be kitted with a roof tent and cargo basket. To round off the package, an optional Rallye Design Package decorates the 911 Dakar with a dual-tone paint finish and a start number on the side.

All this, and a limited run of just 2500 units, won’t come cheap. The 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar will set you back by $223,450 (AED 820,750) in the United States.

Keep track of the latest Porsche 911 prices in the UAE & KSA buyer guide.

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