$222K Porsche 911 Dakar can go from sports car to off-road desert-racer
If you ever wanted to jump a $222,000 sports car off a sand dune, then sleep in a tent on its roof — good news.
Starting next spring, a few lucky buyers will get the Porsche 911 Dakar, a limited-edition 473-hp dynamo boasting a lifted ride, 3.2-second 0-60 mph time and more. The tent’s extra, btw.
The new car pays homage to the first all-wheel-drive 911, which surprised the world when it won the grueling 1984 Paris-Dakar Rally, a legendary multiday race across Europe and North Africa. That race helped establish AWD in leading performance and luxury cars.
The 911 Dakar features a 2-inch lifted ride and a suspension that can raise it another 1.1 inch at speeds up to 105 mph during what Porsche describes as “spirited off road driving.”
The 911 Dakar can be seen at the Los Angeles auto show, which runs through Nov. 27.
When wheel-spin is good
The extra height isn’t just handy when blasting over rock and desert scrub. It promises to make the Dakar the most comfortable and practical 911 for occupant entry and exit, not to mention less prone to expensive trim damage from parking blocks and speed bumps.
Top speed is limited to 150 mph by Pirelli Scorpion all-terrain tires — 19 inches front, 20 rear. The tires have 9mm deep tread, reinforced sidewalls and dual carcasses to help the them survive off road.
Summer and winter Scorpion tires are also available.
Other key features include four-wheel steering, eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, a twin-turbo 3.0L horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine and off-road driving modes that allow more wheel slip for radical driving on sand and loose rock.
Options for car and driver
In addition to the rooftop tent, options include a roof basket with built-in LED lights. The basket can hold up to 92 pounds of fuel cans, shovels and miscellaneous survival tools.
A two-tone blue and white paint scheme with red and yellow stripes recalls the 1984 Dakar winner. Customers can order any number from 1 to 999 on the sides.
A $14,500 Dakar version of Porsche Design’s Chronograph 1 wristwatch is available for owners who want to accessorize.
Porsche plans to build a total of 2,500 911 Dakars.
Contact Mark Phelan: mmphelan@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @mark_phelan. Read more on autos and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: $222K Porsche 911 Dakar brilliantly melds sports car and desert racer
