For every Porsche 911 generation, Porsche always takes it up a notch by making the usual GT3 RS, GT2 RS, or 911 Turbo, but in 2022 they did something unexpected. November 2022 marked the return of a rallying legend, the 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar, which enthusiasts had given up on seeing again. Even though Porsche had referenced the older 911 Dakar, no one expected a return soon, especially when most manufacturers are edging towards EVs.
Porsche used the 911 Carrera GTS chassis with its 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six engine as a canvas for the 911 Dakar, retaining the on-road driving experience every Porsche buyer yearns for. But being more of an off-roader, the 911 Dakar feels more fun to drive where it's built for. It could be on mountain back roads or desert dunes like the first 911 Dakar and 911 Group C rally cars. The 911 Dakar is not limited to any roads whatsoever. Should you buy a 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar? Yes. It has earned the title of the best Porsche of all time, which it well deserves. However, production is limited to only 2500 units, which Porsche claims were all sold out before they began production despite the close to $250,000 (MSRP) price tag.
When Porsche first made the 911 Dakar, it was initially made for a section of buyers who didn't mind paying extra for more rugged looks since it wasn't really that off-road capable. Still, it was a common sighting on dirt tracks despite owners having no experience in rallying. After all, it was a rally car. But Porsche didn't absent-mindedly decide to make a rallying car. In the 1980s, rallying was at its peak, and one of the most coveted races was the Dakar Rally that started in 1978 courtesy of adventurous Frenchmen in Paris. The race was initially called the Paris-Dakar Rally, and Porsche was among the early manufacturer entries, earning confidence from their long rallying history since the 1950s.
Porsche did not win their first race at Dakar, but in 1984, the 953 911SC/RS 4x4 held on for close to 7000 miles traversing desert train, driving Porsche to victory. Today, the winning car is remembered by its iconic blue and white paint with racing stripes, which can be remade onto the 2023 911 Dakar under the Rallye Design package. But you'll have to pay almost $30,000 extra for it. In 2012, when the 991 generation was still in production, Porsche built a secret 911 Safari prototype, but it never got approved and was only shown in exhibition auto shows. We believe that it's the car that went on to inspire the 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar, even though we waited so long for it. But now that it's here, why don't we tell you more about it?
The question of whether the Porsche 911 is a supercar has remained in the balance in the automotive world for the longest time. We think the 911 is deserving of the supercar title, so from henceforth, we'll describe the 911 Dakar as an off-roading supercar. Also, wouldn't calling it an off-roading sports car be absurd?
With so many manufacturers edging towards EVs, seeing Porsche and its sister company, Lamborghini, making efforts to make out-of-the-box cars is overwhelming. We'll talk about the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato some other time. Let's get back to the marvel that is the 911 Dakar. What makes it unique? Limited production cars like the 911 Dakar are not only meant to showcase the manufacturer's abilities, new designs, and features, but they also mark important events in the manufacturer's history. The 911 Dakar commemorates Porsche's success at Dakar and in previous rallying events leading to their first win. Porsche making it and allowing buyers to get a piece in sharing the history shows how unique the 911 Dakar is.
When designing and building the 911 Dakar, Porsche intended it to be more than a commemorative piece as it's purposely built for off-road adventures. However, being built from the 911 Carrera GTS, Porsche had to do more upgrades than just adding a lift kit, enabling the 911 Dakar to ride 50mm to 80mm higher than the Carrera. Underneath that stunning body, Porsche reinforced the chassis, added rear axle steering, and a locking center differential for those gnarly mud and gravel situations. Also added is the Porsche Dynamic Chassis Control System that enhances the 911 Dakar's high-performance driving on any surface, including paved roads. The 911 Dakar sill retains the 3.0-liter twin-turbocharged flat 6-engine from the Carrera GTS, driving all wheels via the magnificent 8-speed Porsche PDK dual-clutch transmission. A manual transmission option would be nice, but we'll take it since the Huracan Sterrato also doesn't have one. Porsche retains that the engine has been tuned to suit the 911 Dakar better, but power output remains unchanged at 473 horsepower. 0-60 takes approximately 3.4 seconds, and the top speed maxes out at 149mph, which is not a lot, but it's almost impossible to hit such speeds in most off-roading conditions.
Looking at the 911 Dakar, you can tell it's a recreation of the 953 911 Dakar, and it's not only in the paint. The exterior still exemplifies the beauty that the 992 911 generation is, but Porsche took it up a notch with the extra aggressive styling. The front and rear quarter panels are curvier, and the plastic wheel arch covers add that rugged off-roading look we love on the 2023 911 Dakar. The same thing applies to the plastic trims on the front bumper and side skirts meant to protect the body and paint from scratches, but they also make the 911 Dakar look more rugged. At the rear, the plastic body cladding continues, but the wing, similar to the one in the 953 911 Dakar, gives the rear fascia a pleasing appeal. To appreciate the 911 Dakar's looks better, you need to view one from its side profile. It looks sleek but also mean due to the smooth flowing body lines, raised off-road suspension, and meaty Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain tires.
There's nothing much going on in the 911 Dakar's interior, as it pretty much looks like any other 992 911. However, we still emphasize that a manual transmission shifter would be a welcome sighting. Porsche installed a steel roll cage bolted into the body shell behind the front seats for extra body rigidity and safety. Sadly, this means no rear seats, and even though the roll cage is optional, there is no option to add rear seats. Other off-road oriented features in the interior include non-slip Race-Tex on the steering wheel, and six-point seat belts to hold occupants in those possible neck-breaking gravel turns. Carbon-fiber reinforced plastic bucket seats covered with leather are standard, and they're not only comfortable but also help reduce the 911 Dakar's weight. But if you prefer more comfort, the electric adjustable adaptive sports seats plus would suit you better. These have heating and cooling functionalities in addition to the 18-way electric adjustability.
The 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar retains similar tech features to other 911s but with added goodies befitting its intended purpose. Through the new variable four-wheel-drive system, 100% of the engine's power is sent to the front or rear wheels, depending on the traction needs. But that's not all. The 911 Dakar also gets improved Porsche Traction Management (PTM) and Porsche Traction Vectoring Plus (PTV Plus), which monitors traction variation on each wheel independently, depending on the driving conditions.
How many driving modes does the 911 Dakar have? The 911 Dakar has four driving modes, normal and sport, and the Sport Chrono package adds Rallye mode for gravel roads, muddy tracks, and wet grass and Off-Road mode for tackling dunes and rocky passages. In all modes, you can activate launch control, which works on the road and loose surfaces. On the interior, you get an analog tachometer for that race car feel, and configurable digital displays flank it. The digital displays show various vehicle information such as fuel tank capacity and range, speed, time, and temperature. A 10.9-inch LED PCM display serves as the 911 Dakar's infotainment display and can also be used to view surrounding driving areas through the standard 360-degree camera.
It might have taken Porsche nearly forever to bring back the 911 Dakar, but it's among the few cars that meet enthusiastic drivers' expectations. From the ability to be used as a grocery getter in the morning and hitting a farm road on the way home from work, the 911 Dakar is not limited to any terrain. By the time you're finishing reading this, you probably want one, so how much does a 911 Dakar cost? The initial selling price at launch was around $250,000, but prices have since shot up and are blowing through the roof. It's almost impossible to find one listed at or near MSRP since most 2023 911 Dakars are selling for figures above $300,000, especially fully-specced units. Considering production is limited to 2500 units, its expected prices will go up even more as demand multiplies, making the 911 Dakar one of the most desired cars of 2023. What are you waiting for? Buy a 2023 911 Dakar through us! Also, if you have one for sale, you can list it through us, and you're guaranteed to find the right home for it.
With its fusion of exceptional performance capabilities and an unmistakable design paying homage to the Porsche Dakar Rally heritage, the 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar is one of the best cars we've seen recently. Its versatility makes any driver covet it despite the constantly increasing prices. But for what the 911 Dakar offers, there's nothing else that comes close... Or is there?
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