2023 Porsche 911 Dakar teased, set to debut at LA show

The off-road-focused 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar will debut at next week’s Los Angeles Auto Show.

Following years of rumours and spy photos, Porsche has confirmed the first series-produced 911 built for rallying will be unveiled on November 17, at 2:00pm AEDT.

Previously expected to wear the Safari nameplate, it will officially carry the ‘Dakar’ suffix in reference to the brand’s victory at the 1984 and 1986 Paris-Dakar rallies in a specially-developed, all-wheel drive 911.

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Of course, all-wheel drive will be standard-fit on the latest 992-series 911 Dakar, joining raised suspension, all-terrain tyres, a recalibrated ABS system and unique styling, such as SUV-like plastic wheel cladding.

Porsche says it has conducted more than 500,000 kilometres of testing, including “more than 10,000 km off-road” in the United Arab Emirates and Morocco.

It follows spy photos in late 2021, with Porsche testing the capabilities of the 911 Dakar in Dubai’s steep 50-metre sand dunes, before testing shifted to the snow and ice on Sweden’s frozen lakes earlier this year.

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In addition, the vehicle was evaluated at the Château de Lastours test track in southern France to test its “handling on typical rally courses and [to] fine-tune the suspension”.

“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,” said Porsche works driver Romain Dumas.

It was also tested on road surfaces, including the Nürburgring Nordschleife, to ensure the typical handling characteristics of a Porsche 911 remain.

“I wouldn’t have thought that a vehicle with such ground clearance and all-terrain tyres would still feel like a Porsche 911 on asphalt,” said Porsche brand ambassador Jörg Bergmeister.

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The 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar will be followed by a facelift to the iconic sports car in the coming months, which is expected to gain a hybrid variant (code 994) in a step towards electrification.

It will remain powered by an internal-combustion engine until 2030, when the all-electric, 998-gen car is expected to debut, likely underpinned by the Volkswagen Group’s upcoming SSP platform.

On the topic of jacked-up vehicles from the Volkswagen Group, fellow brand Lamborghini will reveal the Huracan Sterrato in December as a rally-focused model and the final pure-ICE vehicle from the Italian brand, powered by a naturally-aspirated V10 with all-wheel drive.