Safari all of the issues! The sports-car-to-rally-car motion has reached its peak as large automakers like Lamborghini and Porsche launch off-road supercars. First up is the 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar.
Let’s get proper to the purpose. It’s superior {that a} mainstream firm like Porsche is bringing a manufacturing car like this to market. Make no mistake, the 911 Dakar is a plaything/flex for the rich.
Sure it is going to clean out the potholes in LA site visitors, however for the daring, it is going to even be good enjoyable on again roads and within the dunes. Will it ever actually go additional off-road than a forest service highway or sandy seashore? Doubtful, however Porsche’s volcano-climbing antics may lead some to assume so. Do observe that the automobile that drove up the volcano was a full-on race automobile and never very like the manufacturing 911 Dakar in any respect.
Let’s dive into what’s to love and never like concerning the Porsche 911 Dakar. Oh, and dive into why if I used to be on the lookout for an off-road sports activities automobile and had cash to burn it in all probability wouldn’t go in the direction of considered one of these.
2023 Porsche 911 Dakar
Impressed
Let’s first discuss all that’s proper with the 2023 911 Dakar.
First up is spectacular energy — 473 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque — and velocity — 3.2 seconds from 0-60 and a prime velocity of 149 mph. Sure many different Porsche 911 variants are sooner, however none will likely be sooner off-pavement.
That energy is put in verify with some cool new driver help tech oriented in the direction of off-pavement adventures. First up is 2 new driving modes — Rallye Mode and Off-Road Mode. Rallye Mode is rear axle biased and for free quick surfaces whereas Off-Road Mode is all about traction and tackling tough terrain.
No trendy sports activities automobile can be full with out launch management both, and the 911 Dakar presents “Rallye Launch Control.” Whether the proper rally stage begins or simply impressing your folks this pc support helps you get fast acceleration off the road whereas on free surfaces, permitting as much as 20% wheelspin.
Handling on and off highway needs to be fairly spectacular with the 911 Dakar’s pedigree, AWD, rear-axle steering, and specifically formulated tires (Pirelli Scorpion A/T Plus).
The ride-height carry system/floor clearance of the 911 Dakar has its professionals and cons. First, it’s spectacular to see a manufacturing facility sports activities automobile get a 2- to 3-inch carry. It’s additionally spectacular that it could actually keep at its tallest setting — it’s adjustable — at as much as 105 mph. What’s not so nice is that it solely has a floor clearance vary of two.75 to three.930 inches — think about a traditional crossover has 7-10 inches of floor clearance.
Because of that better-than-sports-car, worse-than-SUV floor clearance the 911 Dakar has spectacular underbody armor. Full stomach skid plates will certainly be used usually. The stainless-steel entrance lip skid and facet skirt safety pates may also possible get used quite a bit. Most spectacular to us is the facet skirt safety, which is mainly rock rails. Have you ever seen a manufacturing facility sports activities automobile include rock rails?!
We can also’t overlook the cool equipment Porsche has on supply for the 911 Dakar. The roof even has a 12v outlet in order that roof-mounted equipment will be simply powered, together with the superior roof basket with built-in lights — which is rated to hold as much as 92 kilos of substances. While all isn’t nice with the basket filled with equipment — extra on that later — the Porsche-branded MAXTRAX Minis are fairly superior.
Not Impressed
OK, now that we’ve talked concerning the bling and why the 911 Dakar is an superior machine that’s extremely uncommon to be constructed by an enormous producer, let’s dive into the issues we’re not so impressed by with Porsche’s creation.
First up, no three-pedal choice. That’s proper, the world’s first manufacturing facility off-road Porsche sports activities automobile has a flappy paddle gearbox solely. A automobile like this needs to be about driver engagement and the driving expertise. A handbook transmission helps on these fronts however isn’t out there on the 911 Dakar. This simply goes to indicate that this automobile will largely be about displaying off round locations like Beverly Hills in stop-and-go site visitors, not truly hooning round on again roads. Yes, I do know, the PDK transmission is approach sooner at shifting gears than any human with a handbook gearbox, however on this automobile, for its designed use case, it doesn’t make sense to me to don’t have any handbook choice.
While the three,552-pound curb weight is spectacular when you think about it’s lower than 100 kilos greater than a 911 Carrera, it’s nonetheless a considerable determine. Performance and sturdiness on the observe and within the desert depend on a mixture of sunshine weight, energy, and powerful elements. The 911 Dakar is simply lacking the actually light-weight a part of that equation.
One approach Porsche already saved weight on the 911 Dakar is to strip it of again seats. Yep, it is a two-seater, so no bringing the youngsters in your spirited off-road romps.
Styling of the 911 Dakar is one thing that may take a while to get used to for a lot of, like myself. The black plastic wheel arch cladding specifically actually cheapens the look of the automobile for my part. The peak of the entrance and rear ends can be a bit distracting from the basic strains and proportions of the 911, and are tremendous busy.
The Rallye Design Package is what Porsche expects about 80% of consumers to decide on, versus a single-color painted automobile. The livery actually does make the automobile look extra rally automobile and fewer lifted highway automobile with all-terrain tires. The “Roughroads Porsche” graphics are a bizarre method to get round paying royalties to Rothsport Racing, which the livery is a homage too, and really feel compelled.
Both full bucket seats and adaptive sports activities seats plus are on supply, each give nice help and look superb, however sadly the headrest stitching simply says “911,” with no reference to the particular “Dakar” mannequin they’re being fitted into.
The 19- and 20-inch wheels are little doubt wanted to clear the large brakes and suspension elements. The subject is that they’re terrible for off-road use. Oh, and the automobile would look so significantly better if it had smaller wheels and extra tire sidewall.
The Porsche branded gas and water cans in a customized holder on the roof whereas cool to have, look tremendous low cost. The uncovered {hardware} on the mounting system is the alternative of what you’d anticipate out of a Porsche Design product — they in all probability didn’t design it. Also, the dry bag within the basket appears kinda compelled and thrown in there. Why wasn’t a glossy designed exhausting case customized match to the basket designed? Details matter on a $250,000 car.
911 Dakar: Availablity & Pricing
The 911 Dakar is predicted to start out hitting dealerships in Spring 2023, though most/all will possible be presold. Porsche has already introduced that manufacturing will likely be “limited to 2,500 units globally.”
Listed beginning value for the Porsche 911 Dakar is $222,000. That is earlier than choices — you’ll possible need a bunch of them. Oh, and earlier than supplier markups/”market changes” — which can little doubt be sizable.
Should You Buy a 911 Dakar?
If I had $300,000 to $500,000 — an actually applicable vary for what these vehicles will truly promote for in the marketplace — for an off-road rally/safari model sports activities automobile, I wouldn’t purchase considered one of these. While the 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar is a formidable providing from a significant producer, there are simply higher choices in the marketplace already for participating off-pavement driving experiences.
While a manufacturing facility guarantee can be good, you probably have this sort of cash and really need to use considered one of these vehicles off-road, you’re not going to be overly involved with that. You’ll additionally possible have your personal mechanic, or at the very least one on name, to repair this machine while you discover that one G-out that snuck up on you or the tree that leapt out into the highway.
I’d first dive into designing my very own construct with Russell Built (@Baja911 on IG). A Safari Sportsman construct, which might be comparatively equal in off-road functionality to the Porsche 911 Dakar, will be had for underneath $200,000. I’d go additional although, with a full loopy Baja 911 construct with 365 horsepower with 310 foot-pounds of torque, a 2,800-pound curb weight, 13.5″ of wheel journey, and a handbook transmission. Is there a extra participating off-road drive this facet of a trophy truck?
Another nice choice are the Keen Project vehicles, which run typically between $120,000 and $200,000. Leh Keen for certain was instrumental in popularizing the 911 Safari in trendy occasions together with his colourful builds and prospects who truly use the vehicles to tear up gravel and dust again roads.
Porsche 911 Safari
The 911 Safari market has loads of gamers as of late, which is why Porsche itself has jumped into the market with their very own product. It’s a pattern that the model simply couldn’t ignore, as there’s large cash to be made.
Do I need a go in a 911 Dakar? Yes, sure I do. How enjoyable would this machine be this winter on a set of snow tires?! Is there a greater winter climate commuter — value and availability however?
