Sunday 9th April 2023

2023 Porsche 911 Dakar (992) | PH Video

Lydden Hill is a long, long way from Senegal, but it was perfect for the Dakar 911

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It’s good to plan a video shoot as much as possible. There will always be factors out of your control on the day - and hopefully some previously undiscovered revelations about the car - but knowing what you want to film and when makes the process a whole lot less stressful.

For an assortment of reasons, there wasn’t a chance to storyboard this vid as we might have liked. The flip side of that is what you’ll see here is the raw, unfiltered, and unscripted enjoyment (and fear) of driving a Porsche 911 Dakar for the first time on a very wet, extremely muddy rallycross track. Plus lots of awesome drone footage, for when the gurning and the yelping get too much.

As you’ll see, there’s a lot to like about this new Porsche. The Dakar is a more involving 911 to drive fast, a better sounding one, and, to these eyes, a cooler-looking one as well. Especially when it’s caked in mud, drawing attention away from that silly livery. While owners (there will be around 250 of them in the UK, out of 2,500 globally) should obviously endeavour to spend every possible moment pretending to be Jacky Ickx, it feels like the Dakar is going to prove adept in plenty of situations. It's still a 911 under the grime, after all. Cleaned up for a collection it’s still going to raise a smile, and that feels pretty important when dealing with expensive cars. They should be enjoyable in as many different situations as possible.

Now, 911s on empty tracks are what video dreams are made of, however little prep you’ve been able to put in - and never more so than when the circuit in question features both a jump and water splash. An automotive steeplechase if you will, one that this Porsche was ideally suited to. But you’ve read enough words about that - time for the vid!

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• 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar | UK Review
• 2023 Porsche 911 GT3 RS (992) | PH Review

[RSTurboPaul]

I predict that around 100% of these sold in the UK will never see the outside of a storage facility, other than to get an MOT, which seems somewhat of a waste.

[zorba_the_greek]

After watching this video of the Dakar it make perfect sense, just.

[CrispyRice]

I’m definitely going to use mine! In fact it’s not even getting a space in the garage! The Dakar is going to take over from my Turbo S

[GreatScott2016]

CrispyRice said:

I’m definitely going to use mine! In fact it’s not even getting a space in the garage! The Dakar is going to take over from my Turbo S

Lovely pic, I'd keep the Turbo S though. Gorgeous

[Slowlygettingit]

I like the livery - not sure £18k like it though.
Would just like to see Roughroads changed to Richmans

Guessing it would make a fantastic real world daily if you can live with 2 seats.

[Augustus Windsock]

Slowlygettingit said:

I like the livery - not sure £18k like it though.
Would just like to see Roughroads changed to Richmans

Guessing it would make a fantastic real world daily if you can live with 2 seats.

Not sure if you mean Richmonds, in which case why not go the whole hog (pardon the deliberate pun) and have Bratwurst sign written along the flanks instead...?

[rlw]

It's been done before though..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vhHcUuIaT0g

[Speedgirl]

What a great review!
I know that laugh, admittedly normally from inside a lid.
I now want one.
Agree don’t get the stickers, they will get scratched.
But get the roof tent.

[adamfawsitt]

Unbelievably the rough roads livery is unavailable for 992.1 orders - what car company on earth launches a car in an unavailable livery!!!!

Very much looking forward to the car though - mine arrives May!

[Slowlygettingit]

Augustus Windsock said:

Not sure if you mean Richmonds, in which case why not go the whole hog (pardon the deliberate pun) and have Bratwurst sign written along the flanks instead...?

No I meant rich man’s. As they are a rich man’s plaything

[beach kid]

I would love one of these, we took a C4S 10,000 miles around Europe in 2016, this Dakar would be ideal for an African adventure or global trip!

I’d delete the cage, add a roof tent and hit the road!

Be nice if Porsche offered a prize for most miles in a year like GMA!!

Shark blue, white wheels, yellow interior accents: smiles for miles!



https://configurator.porsche.com/en-WW/model/99246...

[nismo48]

CrispyRice said:

I’m definitely going to use mine! In fact it’s not even getting a space in the garage! The Dakar is going to take over from my Turbo S

Great stuff !!
Glad to see a car getting proper use, even on salty winter roads.

[Corkys]

Amazing car. Love it. They look so much better muddy. Maybe Porsche have missed a trick by not offering it as an option.

[RosscoPCole]

Why are many of the interesting 911s two seaters? The Dakar, GT3 Touring, T. Thank goodness for the Sport Classic.

[ducnick]

I can see a few orders getting cancelled now the new metro 6R4 order book is open. If you are going to have a rallycross capable machine, it might as well be a proper contender instead of a glammed up 911 with zero rally heritage.

[Baldchap]

ducnick said:

I can see a few orders getting cancelled now the new metro 6R4 order book is open. If you are going to have a rallycross capable machine, it might as well be a proper contender instead of a glammed up 911 with zero rally heritage.

Aside from the fact Porsche won the Paris-Dakar with a 911, you mean?

[LunarOne]

I love it. Including the livery. If I could afford one I'd get it without the livery and then have a custom wrap done to make it look like that. And then I'd pray for bad weather and mud!

[ducnick]

Baldchap said:

ducnick said:

I can see a few orders getting cancelled now the new metro 6R4 order book is open. If you are going to have a rallycross capable machine, it might as well be a proper contender instead of a glammed up 911 with zero rally heritage.

Aside from the fact Porsche won the Paris-Dakar with a 911, you mean?

Indeed and the 959 won too if memory serves. When this 992 Dakar wins the Dakar in customer spec trim or indeed any other event where off road prowess is required I will retract the zero heritage comment.

[cuda]

Nice except for the plank 'wing' / 'spoiler' whatever it is - shudda had a nice ducktail...

[MF35]

ducnick said:

Baldchap said:

ducnick said:

I can see a few orders getting cancelled now the new metro 6R4 order book is open. If you are going to have a rallycross capable machine, it might as well be a proper contender instead of a glammed up 911 with zero rally heritage.

Aside from the fact Porsche won the Paris-Dakar with a 911, you mean?

Indeed and the 959 won too if memory serves. When this 992 Dakar wins the Dakar in customer spec trim or indeed any other event where off road prowess is required I will retract the zero heritage comment.

I wonder though. First, only an aging cohort of Group B heads (of my vintage) will retain any fondness for cars of that era. Second, prices for the 6R4 rep will *start* at circa 80,000 North of the 911's price. Given how such bespoke / low production things go, you could end up with a 100% price difference. Third, while an effective car of course, the 6R4 was by far the ugliest of the Group B cars. If marketing a half a mill Group B rep, quattros, lancias or even fords will be on more shopping lists. Fourth, saying that this 911 merely has been "glammed up" permits an inference that it is a cynical marketing special edition. That is unfair. The car has been tested to destruction and has genuine engineering tweaks to give it an honest uprated ability. It’s a car that a serious company can stand over.

I'd de-sticker it and drive it as a normal road 911.

For the kind of back roads that I prefer, this thing kicks sand in the face of (theoretically quicker) standard 911s, most of which nowadays have become too fashionably track-biased to be much fun on real roads.