The new 911 Dakar is a tuned and modified 911 Carrera, which comes in the livery of the 1984 Dakar-Winning Porsche 953. It marked the birth of Porsche's 911 all-wheel-drive system and its manually controlled four-wheel drive transmission would later find its way into the famed 959.
The 1984 Porsche 953 was a heavily modified variant of the 911, designed and built specifically to compete in the Paris–Dakar Rally. It was a short-lived model, as it was replaced in 1985 by the 959. Nevertheless, the 953 was hugely successful with one of the three entered cars taking overall first place.
Porsches modern iteration of the 911 Dakar is limited to just 2,500 examples and it is based on the 911 Carrera 4 GTS. One of the major modifications is the suspension. The car has been raised by 50 millimetres compared to the 911 Carrera in order to increase ground clearance. In addition, the variable suspension can raise the front and rear ends by a further 30 millimetres. The specially developed Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus tyres complete the rally package.
The Carrera’s 3.0L Biturbo 6-cylinder boxer with 480 hp delivers the performance and acceleration to 100 km/h in 3.4 seconds with a capped top speed of 240 km/h. The engine is mated to a double-clutch (PDK) system and Porsches all-wheel drive transmission. In addition, the rear axle steering, the engine mounts from the 911 GT3 and the roll stabilization PDCC give flexibility on all terrains.
The new Porsche 911 Dakar can be ordered now and will hit dealerships in March 2023. Prices for the 911 Dakar edition start at €198.000. Only the 911 GT3 RS, Turbo S Cabriolet and Sport Classic come in at a higher price.
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