Porsche 911 Dakar: The Off-Road 911 that Actually Means It

October 10, 2025

From Desert Dunes to Alpine Trails — Porsche’s Boldest 911 Yet

You know how most “off-road packages” are decals and hope? This one isn’t. The 911 Dakar is the rare sports car that looks you in the eye and says, “Let’s go get dirty,” then actually does it. Limited in number, loaded with hardware, and engineered with a straight face for gravel, sand, and sketchy two-tracks, it’s a rally-bred 911 with real ground clearance, real tire, and real attitude.

What it is, and how many exist

The 911 Dakar is a factory-built, off-road-focused variant of the current 992-generation 911. It debuted at the Los Angeles Auto Show with a global production limited to 2,500 units. That’s total, not per year, and Porsche hasn’t publicly broken out allocations by market or model year. First U.S. deliveries were slated for spring 2023 with a base price just over $222K.

Bottom line on the buyer pool: this is a niche, enthusiast market—collectors, rally tragics, and folks who will actually point a six-figure sports car at a dirt road. The cap of 2,500 units and the price point make it a narrow slice by design. That scarcity is a feature: it protects values and keeps the Dakar’s mystique intact.

The powertrain and driveline: rally grunt, 911 polish

Under the rear decklid sits the familiar and fabulous 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six: 473 hp and 420 lb-ft, paired exclusively with an 8-speed PDK and all-wheel drive (PTM). Launches are unruly in the best way: 0–60 mph in 3.2 seconds, with top speed limited to ~150 mph thanks to the all-terrain rubber’s taller cross-section. Rear-axle steering, GT3-spec engine mounts, and PDCC roll control are standard to keep the tall-ish 911 honest when the surface goes loose.

If you’re wondering where the character comes from, the engine’s closely related to the Carrera GTS tune—only here it’s wrapped in software and hardware built for rally stages, not apex curbing. Porsche also added Rallye and Off-Road drive modes plus a Rallye Launch Control that allows controlled wheelspin for gravel starts. That’s not gimmickry; it’s how you build momentum on marbly surfaces without bogging the drivetrain.

The chassis: lift it, send it, smile

The Dakar sits 50 mm higher than a Sport-suspended 911 Carrera, and that’s before the trick front-and-rear lift adds another 30 mm. Use the “High Level” setting up to roughly 105 mph—yes, triple digits—then it automatically lowers again. This is how you get approach angles, belly clearance, and shock travel without building a monster truck. It’s also why the Dakar can clatter over whoops in the morning and feel like a tight GT car on tarmac that afternoon.

Tires are the secret sauce. Porsche and Pirelli co-developed Scorpion All Terrain Plus rubber in 245/45 R19 (front) and 295/40 R20 (rear) with dual-carcass construction, 9-mm tread depth, and reinforced sidewalls. They’re standard; P Zero summer and snow options exist with similar reinforcement. Pirelli’s Dakar-specific AT pattern was tuned to be shockingly capable on dry pavement for a knobby tire—track-day plausible in a pinch, dune-day excellent by design.

For the stat heads: Porsche’s own testing notes the Dakar can match a 996 GT3 lap time despite chunky tires and a speed limiter—context for just how sorted the chassis is.

Exterior hardware: form that follows flying gravel

It’s not just a stance and a stripe. The Dakar wears forged-aluminum red tow hooks, flared arch cladding, and stainless-steel guards on the front/rear fascias and side sills. The front air inlets get stainless mesh to fend off rocks. The hood is CFRP, borrowed straight from the track-rat in the family, with gaping extractor vents to keep temps in check on long climbs. Out back, there’s a fixed rear spoiler to keep airflow predictable in crosswinds and over crests.

The roof prep is clever: a 12-volt socket awaits the lights on the optional roof basket (rated at 92 lb for jerrycans, boards, and a shovel). There’s also a roof tent if you plan your life around sunrise stages. None of this is cosplay: it’s built to be used.

And yes, there’s the Rallye Design Package—a two-tone White/Gentian Blue homage to the 1984 desert winner—complete with door numbers and era-correct swagger. It’s the first time the brand combined two-tone paint and factory livery on a modern 911.

Interior: rally calm, road-trip ready

Inside, the Dakar ditches rear seats and installs full bucket fronts as standard. It uses lightweight glass and Race-Tex upholstery with contrast stitching (and a shade-green theme available outside), trimming curb weight to 3,552 lb—only 16 lb more than a 911 Carrera 4 GTS with the same gearbox. That’s a neat trick given the taller suspension, extra underbody protection, and rugged tires. The result is a cockpit that feels purposeful, not spartan; it’s a place to focus, but it still plays nicely with a long highway run home.

Performance numbers, in the real world

On paper: 0–60 in 3.2 s, 150 mph limited. On the Autobahn: testers have nudged the needle past the stated limit (manufacturers build in tolerances), but the point isn’t Vmax; it’s the Dakar’s ability to rip across broken surfaces at speed without shaking itself—or you—apart. Think rally special stage tempo, not runway bravado.

What it borrows, and what’s bespoke

Borrowed (smartly):

CFRP hood and engine mounts from the track-focused sibling (for rigidity and response).
Rear-axle steering and PDCC from the upper-shelf 911 parts bin.
3.0-liter TT flat-six/PDK/AWD foundations from the 911 Carrera GTS.

Bespoke (or re-engineered):

Raised and liftable suspension, Dakar-specific dampers/geometry, and software.
Pirelli Scorpion AT+ tires with dual carcass and tailored tread.
Rallye / Off-Road modes and Rallye Launch Control.
Underbody and intake protection, arch cladding, tow hooks, roof power socket.

Year-by-year production

This is where the mystique meets pragmatism. The 911 Dakar is limited to 2,500 units overall. Porsche announced the cap at launch but has not publicly detailed per-year splits. Production began late 2022 for 2023 model-year deliveries and continued through the allocation window. If you’re shopping, assume scarcity across 2023–2024 rather than an open-ended run.

Why it’s unique in today’s market

Plenty of brands have flirted with lifted, rally-ish specials; few commit. The Dakar’s uniqueness comes down to three things:

It’s factory, not tuner. This isn’t a lift-kit catalog car. The dynamics team did the work in Weissach, validating the chassis so it still feels like a 911 at nine-tenths—just on gravel.
It’s tire-first engineering. Co-developed AT rubber with circuit credibility is a unicorn; here, it’s standard.
It’s limited. Scarcity matters. It ensures demand outpaces supply and that the Dakar keeps an identity separate from the broader lineup.

The buyer: big tent or small camp?

Let’s be honest: the Dakar addresses a small but passionate camp:

Collectors who appreciate homologation vibes and limited runs.
Adventure-minded owners who actually take cars off pavement and want a cohesive package, not a compromise.
911 faithful who love the lineage back to the 1984 desert win and want the modern expression of that ethos. It’s not a mass-market crossover alternative; it’s a specialty sports car that happens to shrug off washboard and ruts.

Living with it: the two-garage car that moonlights as both

Daily usability? Surprisingly good. The cabin is quiet enough on highway slab, the PDK/AWD pairing is unfussy in traffic, and the raised ride height loves city curbs as much as cow paths. On a backroad—paved or not—you get the same steering purity and throttle fidelity you expect from a 911, just with more compliance and a little extra tire talk. Flip to Rallye, find a dirt road, and the car feels unburstable—generated grip plus the confidence to let it dance.

Track day? Believe it or not, the Dakar’s lap pace rivals an old GT3 in the right hands. You’ll still lean on the sidewalls and feel the yaw, but the chassis discipline makes it fun, not frightening. Swap to the optional summer P Zeros and the effect sharpens further.

Interior and exterior details that matter

Seats & trim: standard full buckets in Race-Tex keep you planted; the deleted rear seat isn’t a gimmick—it keeps weight in check and leaves room for spares or gear.
Weight discipline: 3,552 lb curb with protection and lift hardware is impressive; the lightweight glass helps.
Skid and spray protection: stainless plates and mesh aren’t jewelry—they save radiators and condensers from rock rash.
Wheels/tires: 19/20-inch stagger with 245/45 and 295/40 AT sizing looks right and works right; the footprint plus sidewall height gives compliance where a normal 911 would smack bump stops.

Numbers at a glance

Engine: 3.0-L twin-turbo flat-six, 473 hp / 420 lb-ft.
Driveline: 8-speed PDK, AWD (PTM) with Rallye/Off-Road modes, rear-axle steering, PDCC.
0–60 mph: 3.2 s; top speed ~150 mph (tire-limited).
Ride height: +50 mm vs. Sport-susp 911 + 30 mm via lift (usable to ~105 mph).
Tires: Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus, dual-carcass, Dakar-specific compound/tread.
Curb weight: 3,552 lb.
Production: 2,500 units total.

Why it matters

In a world where most “special editions” are paint codes and a wing, this one brings engineering choices that change how and where you drive the car. It’s a love letter to the original rally adventure ethos—but modernized with electronics that help instead of hinder, and hardware that’s more than skin-deep.

And yes, the market is narrow. That’s exactly why it exists. Not every 911 has to be a Nürburgring time-attack weapon. Some should chase horizons you can’t see from a pit wall.

If you ever find yourself at the end of the pavement with a 911 key in your hand and a dirt road ahead, you’ll understand the Dakar instantly. It’s a sports car that swaps curbs for crests without losing its soul—and there’s nothing else quite like it.