Porsche 911 Dakar Returns : The Porsche 911 Dakar was a limited-run version of the iconic sports car that could hold its own off-road at a good pace without giving up anything on road. The 911 Dakar was available in other markets for 2022 through the 2024 model years, which is when production of the off-road-ready 911 came to an end. Now, the German performance brand is reportedly in the works to offer the 911 Dakar with the current 992.2 era of the model as well.
The limited-production Porsche 911 Dakar will be sold in limited numbers
It will be powered by the 911 GTS’ T-Hybrid powertrain
To have a dual-clutch auto and 4WD
Our sister publication, Autocar UK, quotes senior sources that the refreshed 911 Dakar is in development at Porsche’s Weissach engineering centre. It will form part of the German carmaker’s facelifted 992-series (992.2) 911 line-up to be complete by the end of this year, at least abroad. The updated 911 Dakar will also have a limited production run, just like its predecessor that capped production at 2,500 units.
And while the facelifted 911 Dakar will carry over its predecessor’s rugged styling and jacked-up design, it will replace the flat-six hybrid powertrain of the 911 Carrera GTS. Dubbed T-Hybrid by Porsche, this powertrain consists of the aforementioned 485hp, flat-six paired with an electric forced-induction, and a 56hp electric motor positioned on the output of the 8-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. The system also utilizes heat transfer tech originally developed for Porsche’s Le Mans-winning 919 to charge the 1.9kWh battery. 911 GTS gives 541hp and 680Nm.
Porsche 911 Dakar badge
Given the now Fonzie-moustachioed twin-turbocharged 3.0-litre flat six in the former 911 Dakar produced 480hp at 6,500rpm and 570Nm around 2,300rpm, expect its replacement to better that model’s 0-100kph time of 3.4-seconds. In addition to enhancing performance, the hybrid powertrain is also expected to enhance fuel economy. Like the GTS, the updated 911 Dakar will feature an 8-speed dual-clutch gearbox and four-wheel drive.
Alongside this, Porsche is creating a host of new exterior paint colours and other options that will be made available through its customisation arm Sonderwunsch (Special Wish) for the new-generation model.
Porsche has not yet confirmed if the updated 911 Dakar will come to India. The outgoing Dakar was not launched here, although the992.2 series 911s have been on sale in Carrera (Rs 1.99 crore) and Carrera 4 GTS (Rs 2.75 crore) guise