The Porsche 911 Dakar Will Finally Show Itself in LA

Porsche 911s built out for off-roading is something of a passion for writers around here, but such exuberant machines are usually a cobbled-together vehicle for off-road enthusiasts or tuners. Now, the automaker is getting in on the action and, after years of development, it’s bringing the Porsche 911 Dakar to the LA Auto Show next week.

The raised, off-road 911 was originally rumored to be called Safari, but Dakar was being tossed around as well. Porsche went with Dakar to honor the 1984 victory of a modified 911 during the Paris-Dakar rally—a 953 with all-wheel drive capabilities. Porsche says this production 911 Dakar will be the “…first two-door sports car to offer outstanding off-road capabilities.” That’s probably true, because who would desire such a car besides crazies like ourselves?

Porsche put in the work. It says its team put in over 500,000 kilometers of testing on various prototypes, with 10,000 kilometers worth of testing done on rocky roads, sandy soil, and snowy conditions to ensure a 911 that can play just as well in the dirt alongside bigger, beefier vehicles. The automaker even ran the 911 up the world’s tallest volcano to test its durability and ability to operate at high altitudes and in thin air.

There aren’t a ton of details yet, as Porsche will release those during its November 16 presentation at the upcoming LA Auto Show. But we expect bigger tires, stronger, taller suspension and tires, and likely a catalog full of bolt-on accessories to make off-roading easier. They did give us some sweet images on the 911 getting dirty, which I suspect you’re going to enjoy thoroughly.

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