Porsche 911 Dakar In-Depth Review [Part 2]: Highway Capabilities and General Comments

Release date: Nov. 30, 2023

Porsche 911 Dakar
Porsche Attraction

Part I ArticlesI would like to write the second part of this article following the first.

Highway ability: Stability and power

When I got on the highway and stepped out of the toll booth to drive a little bit since I was in the middle of a test drive, I found that the GTS engine was indeed the base of the car. I felt that the Carrera was rather more agile and faster in the low rpm range,The extension and torque boost from a certain rpm range is great.

And although the 911 Dakar does not have rear seats to begin with, it is at this moment that its charm can be felt.The interior of the 911, which has no rear seats for sound insulation, is truly a 3D sound space.The deep, three-dimensional exhaust, intake, and mechanical noises resonate, giving a very racy feeling. This experience will bring a smile to anyone's face.

Porsche 911 Dakar meters

Dakar will not have a Sport Plus mode, but instead will have a Rally mode.

Porsche 911 Dakar being driven on the highway.

It is very stable on the highway.At highway speeds in Japan, it is clearly more stable than the Carrera with the PASM sports chassis.It is as stable as or more stable than the normal PASM.

The road noise from the all-terrain tires is hardly noticeable. You would be forgiven for thinking that it is not much different from the Carrera.

Matrix LED headlights for high-speed winding and nighttime

Speeding along the Chugoku Expressway with its continuous ups and downs and high-speed corners. Even in the midst of such a situation,911 Dakar has plenty of time to spare.I was concerned that the car might feel a little unstable since the ride height is 5 cm higher than the Carrera. I feared that it might feel a little unstable, but that was not the case at all. Well, as it should be, the Cayenne, also a Porsche, has a much higher ride height, yet it is extremely stable at high speeds, so there was no reason why the 911 Dakar could not do the same.

911 LED matrix light intensity

Porsche 911 Dakar

My brother and I were impressed as we drove through the night on the highway.

By the way.This 911 Dakar is equipped with matrix LED headlights.Although the amount of light is not that much different from the normal PDLS+ headlights, they are very useful when driving in the dark on the Chugoku Expressway, for example at night, as they are able to illuminate only oncoming traffic and cars in front of them. I would recommend this equipment to anyone who drives on these really dark roads.

911 The True Value of Dakar

The day of the delivery of the car, which covered more than 900 km in a single day, was over in a blink of an eye. My brother is a Ferrari lover to the core and rather hates Porsche, but he later told me that he had been told that theI've always wanted to drive a Dakar. But it would be a shame to waste it on a limited edition car... could you bring out a regular Dakar?"They say.

I know the feeling too.

If in the future there is a 911 like the regular model Dakar, I would certainly buy one. That's how much the 911 Dakar is a "usable" 911, and the "Enjoyable on public roadsI think it's the most racy 911 out there.

Porsche 911 Dakar

Porsche 911 Dakar

This trip has completely changed my image of the 911 Dakar. If you are fortunate enough to have one, I hope you will enjoy driving it as much as possible. Otherwise, you will not be able to enjoy the value of this car, which is a waste of money, I assure you. It is such a "fun" Porsche to drive.

Mina.

Mina.

Mother of three children, and the owner of the Porsche blog "A Porsche Came to Our House". Until a few years ago, I was not interested in cars at all, but when my husband bought a Porsche, I became...

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  1. tk

    Hello.
    Dakar, I enjoyed reading this very much as I was very interested in it. Thank you very much.

    How does it compare to the 911GTS?

    For example,
    If you only use your car for city driving, mountain passes, and high speed, and no circuit or off-road, which would you choose between the GTS and the Dakar?

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    • HiroHiro

      Hello, tk.

      Dakar and GTS are quite different.
      Speaking of similarities, the torque characteristics of the engines are similar,
      The slow pickup of torque at low rpm is the same, but other than that, they are different.

      Dakar wins hands down, especially in terms of PDK control, sound, blipping, and ride quality.
      If those were the conditions, I would definitely choose Dakar.

  2. hs

    Hello.

    Dakar article. I read it with great interest. And I learned a lot.

    I have a question, if you changed the tires from all-terrain to normal and drove the winding road,
    Do you think the Dakar will be sportier in terms of athletic performance?

    The suspension stroke will be longer than that of a regular 911 and the tire grip will be increased compared to an all-terrain vehicle.
    What do you think of the relationship between the two?

    The Cayenne, also a Porsche, has a much higher ride height, yet it's so stable at high speeds, there's no reason the 911 Dakar can't do that."
    In relation to the "What is the driving style of the 911?", can you drive a 911 instead of an SUV on a winding road with tight corners, let alone at high speeds?

    I would be very happy if you could give me your opinion, Hiro, as far as your imagination is concerned.
    Best regards.

    • HiroHiro

      Hi, hs.

      Thank you for reading our blog.
      As for your question about running on normal tires, I can only imagine,
      Obviously it will be sporty. If it were a circuit, I'm sure my times would be better.

      However, I don't think that is the best balance with the height of the car in Dakar.
      The more grip you get with normal tires, the more lateral Gs you will have to deal with,
      Even though it has PDCC, I think the higher height of the vehicle may increase the sense of insecurity. (Just a comparative argument)
      All-terrain grips well enough, but there is a certain amount of force "escape" that feels just right.

      I think the best is all-terrain, because that suspension set-up is made to fit the special all-terrain tires.
      Although a sporty 911-like driving experience is possible even with normal tires, there is a difference when compared to a regular 911.

      The above is for your information.

      1
  3. hs

    Dear Hiro. Thank you for your reply.

    Yes, I guess it is "in balance with the height of the car in Dakar". It's just that,

    It does not seem to have a higher ride height than the Macan or Cayenne, so sports car-like,
    In other words, if you're trying to give it the kind of severe driving that is possible with a regular 911, "it's going to make you feel more insecure."
    I interpreted this as your point of view (lol).

    Even if it is a suspension setting for all-terrain tires,
    How does it really work with normal or winter tires? Ha,
    The Dakar is a great opportunity to broaden the appeal of the car on Japanese public roads, where snow and rain are also expected.
    I feel it is important.

    We look forward to further reports from Mr. Hiro when the opportunity arises.
    Thank you very much.

    • HiroHiro

      Hi, hs.

      Winter tires or so may fit just fine.
      It seems to me that some flexibility in the block would be a better fit.

      By the way, my brother went to the snowy mountains the other day with all-terrain,
      When I asked him what he thought, he said it was totally drivable, but compared to Japanese studless tires,
      He said they have less ability to grab snow and less traction.