2023 Porsche 911 Dakar leaves us wanting extra

Final December, Porsche CEO Oliver Blume mentioned the brand new 911 Dakar won’t be a one-off, however fairly the primary of a number of off-road sports activities automobiles. After two days of sliding throughout gravel expanses and kicking up enormous sand plumes within the Moroccan desert, all I can say is, please—fairly please—deliver it on!

The Porsche 911 Dakar is absurd in the very best method. Primarily based off the 911 Carrera 4 GTS, the Dakar has a 2.0-inch taller trip peak, making room for stronger dampers and longer hyperlinks that enable for elevated wheel journey. Meaty 245/45ZR19 entrance and 295/40ZR20 rear tires have a 9-mm tread depth, and behind them sit the iron 13.8-inch entrance brakes with 6-piston calipers and 13.0-inch rear brakes with 4-piston calipers from the 911 Carrera S (carbon ceramics usually are not obtainable). The 911 Dakar coupe’s nostril, tail, and aspect sills all have chrome steel skid plates beneath them to maintain drivers from destroying costly {hardware} ought to they arrive down too onerous on a rock, and the 911’s entrance finish was resculpted to enhance the Dakar’s strategy angle, so go on, head for the hills.

2023 Porsche 911 Dakar

Porsche eliminated the Carrera GTS’ heart radiator to create that further front-end leverage, so the 911 Dakar makes use of a brand new cooling setup with a pair of 650-watt followers borrowed from the 911 Turbo. The air intakes and filters are additionally beefed as much as deal with the additional mud and filth the Dakar will little doubt encounter, and Porsche examined this configuration within the desert at temperatures exceeding 120 levels Fahrenheit, so it’ll be capable to deal with essentially the most brutal of climates. Conversely, I can also’t wait to get one among these items out within the snow.

A hydraulic suspension raise comes normal, elevating the Dakar’s physique an extra 1.2 inches when activated for a complete floor clearance of seven.5 inches. That is primarily only a duplicated model of the nostril raise system Porsche makes use of on different 911 fashions, with the second hydraulic system flipped round and mounted to the rear axle. To package deal this raise equipment on the rear, Porsche needed to take away the 911 Dakar’s again seats, however come on, it’s not such as you have been going to make use of these anyway.

2023 Porsche 911 Dakar

In its increased setting, the 911 Dakar boasts strategy, departure, and breakover angles of 16.1, 18.2, and 19.0 levels, respectively. No, this doesn’t imply the Porsche can hold with Jeep Wranglers and Ford Broncos, however that’s hardly the purpose. As a substitute, it provides the 911 Dakar the power to drive over rocks and sand with ease, and it may well climb comparatively steep inclines with out producing any expensive-sounding scrapes on the base of the hill or when cresting it.

Regardless of all the extra gear, the 911 Dakar solely weighs 16 kilos greater than an equal Carrera 4 GTS, at 3,552 kilos in whole. Not having rear seats enormously contributes to this weight loss program, however Porsche additionally suits the 911 Dakar with a carbon-fiber hood, roof, and rear spoiler. The truth is, the hood is borrowed from the 911 GT3, hideous nostrils and all.

The Dakar’s general design is actually polarizing, and I actually assume how engaging it’s depends upon the way it’s ordered. The assorted throwback livery choices look cool, and you need to admit, all performed up in a Martini paint job, this factor seems to be completely at dwelling bombing by the nice and cozy Sahara Desert sand. Alternatively, I actually hate that the imitation Rothmans get-up says “Roughroads,” and to be trustworthy, I’d most likely skip the Rally Design Package deal altogether and follow a solid-color physique. Don’t overlook, Porsche’s rainbow of paint-to-sample hues could be utilized to the 911 Dakar. Be sure you take a look at the Techquipment catalog, too, for roof baskets, tents, and different equipment that’ll deplete each final greenback in your financial savings account.

Mounted atop the rear axle, the Dakar’s 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-6 engine carries over unchanged from the Carrera 4 GTS, producing 473 hp and 420 lb-ft of torque. With a regular 8-speed dual-clutch automated transmission and all-wheel drive, Porsche says the 911 Dakar will launch to 60 mph in 3.2 seconds, which is identical time as a rear-wheel-drive Carrera GTS. In different phrases, it’s rattling quick.

2023 Porsche 911 Dakar

Must you smash the throttle on filth or gravel—and belief me, it is best to—make sure you use the brand new Rallye Launch Management operate, which permits for 20% extra wheelspin than regular. This genuinely makes the 911 Dakar simpler to manage when slamming it off the road on tough surfaces. Plus, it seems to be cool in motion. Actually, actually cool.

The 911 Dakar makes use of a variable all-wheel-drive system with torque break up between the entrance and rear axles that adjustments relying on the chosen drive mode and quantity of traction, amongst different components. Rallye mode provides the AWD programming a stronger rear bias, so that you’ll need to use this when shimmying round on the gravel. Fully disable the traction management by holding down the PSM toggle on the dashboard and the Dakar will allow you to drift to your coronary heart’s content material, the robust compound of the Pirelli Scorpion All-Terrain Plus tires guaranteeing you gained’t blow the rubber to smithereens as you slide over rocky roads.

2023 Porsche 911 Dakar

Offroad mode is the place issues actually get fascinating, because it locks the 911 Dakar into a fair 50/50 entrance/rear torque distribution. This offers the coupe the prowess it must preserve going robust by smooth sand. Steadily plant your foot on the throttle and also you gained’t have to fret about getting caught. As a result of the Dakar’s normal torque-vectoring rear axle continues to be lively on this mode, side-to-side energy switch retains the 911’s rear finish alive, that means you possibly can drift up the edges of dunes like a surfer catching a wave.

Anybody who buys a 911 Dakar and doesn’t take it off-roading is an actual occasion pooper; this factor calls for to get soiled. The robust energy from the flat-6 engine retains the Dakar going by sticky conditions, and the Rallye and Offroad modes alter the transmission programming to make sure the engine stays buzzing within the coronary heart of its rev vary for longer. On the gravel, within the dunes—hell, even when bouncing over desert whoops—driving the Dakar by no means ceases to make me snicker. It’s simply so completely ridiculous. That’s the very best sort of praise, by the best way.

On the paved roads between Porsche’s sandy Moroccan check grounds and the desert airport in Errachidia, the Dakar largely seems like another 911, simply louder thanks, tire noise and barely extra bouncy. However given the longer-travel suspension and rugged rubber, that’s to be anticipated. Physique actions are barely extra exaggerated than you’d usually count on from a 911, however attributes like nice steering and powerful braking energy are however intact.

The Carrera GTS’ lively suspension (PASM), adjustable damper settings, torque vectoring, and rear-wheel steering have all been recalibrated to account for the Dakar’s new geometry, however the entire expertise continues to be quintessentially 911. If on-road driving is your high precedence, Porsche provides summer season tires as a no-cost possibility, however they defeat the purpose of the Dakar as an entire. Please don’t be that individual.

The Dakar’s inside is not terribly totally different from different 911 fashions, save for a particular badge on the passenger-side sprint. The complete carbon-fiber bucket seats Porsche provides within the GT3 are normal within the Dakar, although you possibly can swap ’em out for 18-way adjustable chairs if you would like one thing rather less supportive and an entire lot extra snug. (It is a $0 improve, too.) Multimedia duties are dealt with by Porsche’s newest Communication Administration software program, which now consists of each Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility—lastly.

2023 Porsche 911 Dakar

Every little thing concerning the 911 Dakar package deal is tremendous fascinating, however its price ticket makes it virtually prohibitively out of attain for mere mortals. Regardless of being primarily based on the $151,350 Carrera 4 GTS, the 911 Dakar begins at $223,450 together with a $1,450 vacation spot cost, placing it on the identical rung because the GT3 RS within the 911 hierarchy. Then once more, what different 911—or any sports activities automotive, for that matter—can off-road fairly like this?

Globally, Porsche will supply 2,500 examples of the 911 Dakar, and it’s unclear precisely what number of will come to the U.S. The preliminary run of automobiles will all be 2023 fashions, however as a result of manufacturing is anticipated to span all year long, a number of Dakars will technically carry over to the 2024 mannequin 12 months. The true query is: What occurs after that?

I’ve little doubt Porsche will promote each single 911 Dakar it builds, and shortly, too. It’s a wild and rowdy factor that deserves all the eye it will get, and primarily based on the success of “safari” 911s from aftermarket tuners like Ruf and Singer, demand seemingly gained’t decelerate. Maybe a Dakar primarily based on the 911 Turbo is the subsequent logical step, particularly for the reason that Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato will quickly be an off-road power as effectively. However irrespective of the place Porsche decides to go from right here, I simply hope this Dakar isn’t the final.

—by Steven Ewing

Porsche paid for airfare and lodge lodging for Motor Authority to bomb across the Morroccan desert and produce you this firsthand report.