Dakar first drive
Apparently, the idea for an off-road 911 was first explored with the 991. Development reached the point of running prototypes, but the management got cold feet and the project stalled. It’s me who’s got the cold feet today, though. That’s because I’m standing on the ice track at the Winter Fahr Training centre in Muhr, Austria. It’s evident that the management’s concerns were finally overcome. The 911 Dakar is a production reality – albeit one that’s limited to a run of just 2,500 cars – because there are several of them in front of me. Total 911 has been referring to it for some time as the Safari, and the low-down is that Porsche had intended on calling its new all-terrain 911 exactly that. And this was the case until Indian automobile manufacturer TATA objected, stating that it had the rights to the name for one of its SUVs.
Dakar it is, then, and it’s apt, given Porsche’s history at the famous rallying event. You’ll likely know that the 911 Dakar is based on a Carrera 4 GTS Coupe, although the specification sheet reveals details that you won’t find among any other 911 technical data. There’s talk of ramp angles and ground clearance – 16.1 degrees and 161mm (191mm raised) for the number crunchers among you – as well as the breakover angle of 19 degrees, which is in the realm of SUV rather than sports car. Thank the raised suspension for that. The PASM gains 50mm in height under
