The Final Edition of the Porsche 911 Dakar

Porsche has unveiled the final edition of the 911 Dakar.
This model is a custom one-off inspired by the rally that gave the car its name.

Speaking of the 911 Dakar, my younger brother bought one, and right after delivery, we took a long 900 km tour together, driving it to our heart’s content. It’s a Porsche very close to my heart.

ポルシェ911 ダカール徹底レビュー【前編】：900kmのグランドツーリングで体験したその実力

ポルシェ911 ダカール徹底レビュー【後編】：高速道路での実力と総評

This time, Porsche announced the 2,500th and final model of the off-road sports car, the 911 Dakar. This car is a Sonderwunsch (special order) special edition paying homage to the modified 911 that won the 1984 Paris-Dakar Rally.

Significance of the 1984 Paris-Dakar Rally Winner

The winner of the 1984 Paris-Dakar Rally was a 953-generation 911 driven by René Metge and Dominique Lemoyne. This car was the first Porsche to win the world’s most grueling off-road race.

At that time, the rally course passed through Côte d’Ivoire, Guinea, Sierra Leone, and Mauritania, with over 400 competitors participating. Porsche entered three 911s, all of which finished the course and placed within the top 30—a remarkable achievement.

Features of the Final Edition

This final edition of the 911 Dakar was reportedly ordered by an unnamed Italian collector. While it is not an exact replica of the winning car driven by Metge and Lemoyne, its three-color livery evokes the victorious vehicle’s design.

The lower body and racing stripes are painted in Gentian Blue Metallic, while the upper part is Signal Yellow. Between these two main colors flows a stripe in Lampedusa Blue. Remarkably, all three colors were hand-painted.

This beautiful color scheme extends to the wheels, finished in Signal Yellow and Lampedusa Blue. The interior also features all three colors, with the Signal Yellow accents inside the cabin especially eye-catching. The contrast stitching and the embroidered “911 Dakar” on the sports seat headrests are particularly striking.

Powertrain and Performance

The powertrain remains untouched, and there’s a reason for that.

The 911 Dakar is equipped with the twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-six engine found in the GTS. This engine produces 480 horsepower, delivering power to all four wheels through an 8-speed PDK gearbox.

Thanks to this performance, it accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.4 seconds and reaches a top speed of around 270 km/h. It also features a recalibrated suspension, including a lift system that raises the ride height by about 8 cm compared to a standard 911.

This final edition will be displayed at Porsche’s Stuttgart Museum before being handed over to its owner. Considering that the production run of 2,500 units was quickly filled, there is a good chance the model might return in the future.

The 911 Dakar is a car so fun to drive that even my brother, who dislikes Porsche and is a Ferrari fan, didn’t want to let it go. I also believe this is truly one of the most enjoyable 911s to drive.

If it does make a comeback, I hope it will be as a regular production model.