Porsche has unveiled an unlikely addition to its 911 lineup, the Porsche 911 Dakar.
According to the German automotive brand, the said vehicle is the first two-door sports car to offer “outstanding off-road capabilities,” thanks to an intensive test program that saw the Porsche 911 Dakar conquer rocky and sandy deserts as well as slippery snow and ice.
The development team working on the Porsche 911 Dakar tested the automobile under extreme conditions to the tune of more than half a million kilometers (km), around 10,000km of which, were on rough roads.
The Château de Lastours test track in southern France, for example, was used to test the car’s handling on typical rally courses and fine-tune the suspension.
“All Dakar teams come here to test their cars in Europe before the rally,” said Porsche Works Driver Romain Dumas.
“I knew what a 911 could do on the road… but I was absolutely stunned by how well the car performed here on the loose,” added the French driver.
Porsche also took the 911 Dakar to the extensive testing grounds in Arjeplog, Sweden. The thick ice of the frozen lakes offers Porsche test drivers the ideal basis for an approximately 90 percent closed compacted snow surface — a more realistic scenario than pure sheet ice.
“The car is incredibly fun to drive. Everything works so precisely and calmly. No Porsche customer will believe all the things you can do with this car before they’ve driven it themselves,” commented Two-time World Rally Champion Walter Röhrl.
Finally, the Porsche 911 Dakar was put through its paces on the fast sand tracks and high dunes of Dubai and Morocco. According to Porsche, test drivers mercilessly drove the off-road sports car up steep, 50-meter (m) dunes in temperatures of up to 45 degrees Celsius (C) — time and time again.
“The 911 Dakar delivered a commanding performance even in the desert,” says Vice President 911/718 Model Line Frank Moser.
“Especially here, the 911 Dakar can make the most of its conceptual advantages — the combination of low weight, higher ground clearance, a powerful rear-mounted engine, and the short wheelbase make for an exhilarating driving experience. I was able to experience it myself on test drives in the Sahara,” he added.
The model name, explained the Stuttgart-based brand, is a nod to the first overall victory by Porsche in the Paris-Dakar rally. The breakthrough triumph came in 1984 in a modified Porsche 911, which had been fitted with an all-wheel-drive system for the first time.
The Porsche 911 made its debut at the ongoing Los Angeles (LA) Auto Show.
Photos from Porsche
Also read:
Porsche expands 911 lineup with ‘Touring’ variant
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