Porsche 911 Dakar set for 2022 LA auto present

Porsche will use this month’s 2022 Los Angeles auto present to debut a brand new member of its 911 household, the 911 Dakar.

The automobile is the off-road-ready 911 variant noticed testing over the previous 12 months and beforehand considered referred to as a 911 Safari.

The brand new identify is a nod to the gruelling Dakar Rally, wherein Porsche took a victory in its first try again in 1984 utilizing a 911-based 953 rally automobile. It was the primary time a 911 had been fitted with all-wheel drive.

Porsche is saving particulars on the 911 Dakar till the reveal however the positioning of the vents on the rear of the prototypes suggests the mannequin is working the twin-turbo 3.0-liter flat-6 shared with the varied Carrera fashions. Within the 911 Carrera GTS, the engine delivers a stout 473 hp.

The prototypes additionally function widened wheel arches, elevated floor clearance, and all-terrain tires. A rugged suspension will nearly actually be fitted to make sure the automobile can deal with tough surfaces at velocity.

The well-known Château de Lastours check observe in southern France was used to check the automobile’s efficiency in rally circumstances, with profitable racing driver and Porsche tester Romain Dumas taking time behind the wheel. The location is the place most groups that compete within the Dakar Rally additionally check their automobiles.

“I knew what a 911 might do on the highway however I used to be completely shocked by how nicely the automobile carried out right here on the free,” Dumas stated in an announcement.

Porsche stated it carried out greater than 6,000 miles of testing in such tough circumstances, together with up 160-foot dunes within the deserts of Dubai and Morocco, the place temperatures reached 113 levels F, in addition to on frozen lakes in northern Sweden throughout the winter. On the slippery surfaces, rally legend Walter Röhrl hopped behind the wheel.

“The automobile is extremely enjoyable to drive,” Röhrl stated. “Every part works so exactly and calmly.

The 911 Dakar will make its debut on Nov. 16. Anticipate gross sales to begin within the first half of 2023.

Fellow Volkswagen Group model Lamborghini can also be set to unveil an off-road-ready Huracán shortly. The high-riding supercar is confirmed to debut in early December throughout 2022 Artwork Basel Miami.