The Porsche 911 Dakar was unveiled last year. But this off-road oriented 911 was initially supposed to be called the 911 Safari, remembering the 1970s car which took place in off-road races like the East African Safari. However, it has been revealed that Tata owns the brand Safari and didn’t allow Porsche to use the moniker for their off-road tuned 911.
Acquiring the Dakar name too wasn’t easy
Program Director for the 911 Dakar, Thomas Krickelberg also revealed that getting hold of the Dakar name was equally challenging. Infact, the German carmaker had to pay an undisclosed sum to the Amaury Sport Organisation (ASO). ASO organises the Dakar Rally.
Off-road Porsche could have been ready by 2016
It is also said that the concept version of this off-road 911 was ready back in 2012 itself. It would have been possible to get the car in stores by 2016, but internally, it was delayed. So when the 992-generation car came out in 2020, the Dakar version got the go-ahead as well.
Details of the Porsche 911 Dakar
The Porsche 911 Dakar is a significantly reworked version of the Porsche 911. It gets a higher ground clearance, a lift-system that can raise the suspension and special off-road tyres. It also gets a choice of a roof tent or a roof basket.
The 911 Dakar pays homage to the first overall victory of Porsche in the 1984 Paris-Dakar Rally. It was also the year when the Porsche 911 got an all-wheel-drive system. This is also one of the reasons why the 911 Dakar is offered with the Rallye Design Package.
Other additions on the 911 Dakar include the lightweight rear spoiler made of CFRP and the CFRP front luggage compartment lid, red aluminium towing lugs at both ends, widened wheel wells and sills, as well as the stainless steel protective elements on the front, rear and side sills. The side air intakes get steel mesh to protect them from flying debris like rocks.
Also Read – Porsche reveals 911 Dakar limited to 2,500 units.
