Porsche 911 Dakar 2023 Review

Priced at a hefty $491,400 plus on-road costs, the 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar instantly becomes the fourth-most-expensive 911 in the Australian range, sitting just beneath none other than the 911 Turbo S Cabriolet (from $527,500), the 911 Turbo S Coupe ($506,200) and the hard-core 911 GT3 RS ($500,200).

That’s some punchy pricing, but at least there’s nothing else like the new Porsche 911 Dakar out there – until the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato rocks up, that is, which is expected to cost at least another six-figure sum on top of what Porsche charges, especially since it’s being limited to just 1499 cars.

Like other Porsche 911s, the 911 Dakar will be protected by a three-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty in Australia. Servicing intervals, meanwhile, are spaced every 12 months/15,000km.

And in case you’re wondering, no towing figures have been provided for the 911 Dakar, which is available for order now ahead of first deliveries in the second half of this year.

Show some level of restraint and you could probably take home the 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar just as it is without spending a cent on added extras.

In reality, expect every single one of the 911 Dakars that will make it Down Under to be personalised within an inch of their life.

As standard, buyers have the choice of no-cost white, black and GT silver exterior paint options, but most will splash out on one of Porsche’s ‘special’ colours ($5700) or go wild and colour-match their car to whatever they desire ($20,740).

Luckily, the cool Fuchs alloy wheels are standard, painted in satin black wrapped in trick new Pirelli Scorpion tyres. You can have them painted white for no extra cost, but if you fancy a grey finish it will add an extra $1150.

Inside, the standard spec is for most of the cabin to be wrapped in faux suede Race-Tex, including the cool full carbon-fibre bucket seats. If you can’t live with the lack of an adjustable backrest or struggle to clamber in or out, an 18-way electric comfort seat with memory is also available at no charge.

Porsche then offers plenty of ways to tart up the cabin. These include contrasting stitching ($6500), a Porsche Design clock ($2110), silly belts in either yellow, red or grey ($930), and the opportunity for a different-coloured tacho ($720) that can come with a matching Sport Chrono dial ($720).

You can also throw in some extra leather ($2400) and spend a ludicrous $2870 on illuminated carbon-fibre kick plates.

That said, we would consider the powerful Burmester sound system ($6700), cabin ioniser ($600) and the Rallye Sport Pack ($7350) that adds a rear half roll-cage, six-point harness and fire extinguisher if you plan on off-roading.

Standard equipment includes LED headlights, full-width LED rear light bar, keyless go, a 360-degree camera, cruise control, two-zone climate control, twin 7.0-inch displays for the instrumentation and a central 10.9-inch infotainment system that works with wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

In the centre console there’s two USB-C ports and a 12-volt socket in the passenger foot well.

Irritatingly, the pair of occasional rear seats have been deleted in a bid to save weight and make room for the optional rear roll cage.

Porsche is unlikely to ever volunteer its 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar for full Euro NCAP crash testing, but thanks to its heavy involvement in motorsport the high-riding sports car should provide plenty of occupant protection in the event of a crash.

The 911 Dakar offers the driver and passenger two-stage full-size frontal airbags, curtain airbags and thorax airbags.

As standard, the Porsche 911 Dakar is sold with all-terrain tyres, but for those who need more grip in hot or cold conditions, summer and winter tyre options have also been specially developed.

Since the 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar is based heavily on the 911 Carrera 4 GTS, it shares its latest iteration of the Porsche Communication Management (PCM) system that comes pre-loaded with better traffic information capability and natural voice instructions.

If you want to raise the heat, all you need to do is bark, “Hey Porsche, I’m cold”.

The same system also asks if you’d like to save the nose-lift, or raise the body, when you reach a steep driveway or rocky path, saving you time and a nasty scrape if you forget to manually activate it next time.

As you would expect, PCM comes with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

Ahead of the driver, Porsche’s twin 7.0-inch digital screens are configurable and flank the analogue tachometer.

Powering the 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar is the same 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged flat-six as the 911 Carrera 4 GTS, with the mud-loving version pumping out the same 353kW and 570Nm.

Despite its extra off-road hardware, Porsche says the 911 Dakar tips the scales at a commendable 1605kg – just 10kg heavier than a C4 GTS.

Combined with an eight-speed dual-clutch PDK transmission and all-wheel drive, the 911 Dakar can accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 3.4 seconds (0.1sec off the C4 GTS) and reach 200km/h in 12.0sec, although top speed is tyre-limited to 240km/h.

Those figures are highly competitive next to its closest rival, the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato that can also manage a 3.4sec 0-100km/h, although the 455kW Lambo tops out at a higher 260km/h.

It’s also worth mentioning that the Italian supercar’s bloated brother, the 2150kg Urus Performante, somehow defies its mass to haul itself to 100km/h in just 3.3 seconds, hits 200km/h in a very respectable 11.5sec and tops out at 306km/h (on summer tyres).

The 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar averages 11.3L/100km on the European WLTP test regime while emitting 256g/km of CO2.

Lamborghini has yet to declare efficiency figures for either the Urus Performante or Huracan Sterrato, but we expect Porsche to comprehensively beat both.

For extra context, another near-supercar-quick SUV, the Aston Martin DBX707, can only manage 14.2L/100km and 323g/km (WLTP).

Despite standing 80mm taller than the 911 C4 GTS, you still have to lower yourself into the 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar. But once you’ve managed to settle into its carbon-fibre bucket seats, the view ahead is pure 911.

From the bark of the twin-turbo flat-six to the instant response of the direct and accurate steering, it takes the driver some time to recalibrate because initially it feels like business as usual from the high-riding Porsche.

But nothing could be further from the truth.

The mechanical changes involved are huge, the engineering labour-intensive, but the result well worth it.

The biggest changes include the adoption of long-travel struts, the addition of 50 per cent softer springs, the inclusion of standard rear-wheel steering and, not least of all, a set of active anti-roll bars that curb body roll when you’re in a rush on-road.

Other changes include adding a rear-axle lift that, in addition to the front system, elevates the body a further 30mm to achieve its maximum 80mm increase over the standard car.

To prepare the 911 for a battering off-road there’s a revised cold air intake with better filtration to cope with dust, dirt and sand. The vulnerable central radiator has also been deleted and replaced with two rads that live in the outermost corners of the front bumper.

Oh, and to cope with frequent jumping there’s also engine mounts lifted from the GT3 that are twice as stiff, plus stainless-steel front bash plates and extra side sill protection.

The result is a 911 coupe that features 191mm of ground clearance, a 19-degree breakover angle, 16.1-degree approach angle and 18.2-degree departure angle – figures that come close to matching the Porsche Cayenne.

Close, but we’d wager in reality the 911 Dakar stands a chance of embarrassing many would-be off-roaders thanks to its light weight and its bespoke Pirelli Scorpion all-terrain tyres – 245-section on 19-inch rims at the front axle, and wide 295-section rubber on large 20-inch wheels at the rear.

What’s missing is a proper terrain response system and even hill descent control. Both were considered but rally legend Walter Rohrl and Porsche factory racer Romain Dumas ruled they didn’t need it.

Instead, both drivers helped develop new Rallye and Offroad modes. Rallye mode pre-arms the all-wheel drive system for gravel and dirt and directs the majority of torque on tap to the rear wheels. Offroad mode employs more differential lock to maximise traction on rocky surfaces or on sand dunes.

Which is where we happen to find ourselves today.

It’s in these conditions, with the burden of expectation resting heavily on a car that follows in the tyre tracks of its ancestor that won Paris-Dakar back in 1984, we switch off all safety nets and go for broke.

Sending 10-metre rooster tails of sand skywards, the 911 Dakar launches with conviction and attacks the towering golden pyramids with confidence that comes from an off-roader with plenty of torque, a relatively low centre of gravity and lack of weight.

It’s in these sandy conditions you also benefit from the 911’s traditional rear-engine traction, plus its incredible agility and trick all-wheel drive.

On slower, rockier climbs, the 911 Dakar proved to be no less impressive – albeit with a painful-sounding underbody scrape in the process.

Again, its weight distribution and lack of mass are key, plus a low first gear in its PDK tranny, all of which bestow it with remarkable abilities that are somewhat hard to comprehend.

Back on normal roads where, let’s face it, most of the 2500 jacked-up Porsche coupes will spend most of their time, the Dakar additions don’t detract from the driving experience.

Speed bumps, potholes, a sunken manhole cover, steep driveways and poor road surfaces are all shrugged off.

Better still, rejoice! Porsche has made a sports car that’s near impossible to ‘kerb’!

We’ll only whisper this, too: With a little more body roll, the 911 Dakar might even be a tiny bit more fun for some drivers compared to its stiffly-sprung siblings.

Throw in the extra ride comfort, and sprinkle in the strong straight-line performance, and you might just have one of the most formidable SUV alternatives we’ve ever driven, this side of a full WRC car.

Then there’s the heroic looks, which can’t help but raise a smile from even the biggest cynic.

Criticisms? The ride can get choppy without the dampers in Sport on bumpy roads, and the eight-speed PDK on the cars we drove seemed to suffer from some extra clunkiness.

It’s a crying shame that Porsche has deleted the pair of rear seats as it blunts the appeal of the 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar, especially for parents who may be eying up one as a cramped-but-incredibly-cool SUV replacement.

Some less-limber folk will also struggle to climb in and out of the ultra-cool-looking full carbon-fibre bucket seats, but once you’re in the support they offer when driving flat-out across a desert are worth it.

From then on, the cabin of the rough-and-ready 911 is as familiar as any other 992-series coupe.

Beyond the great driving position, the PCM is both simple and intuitive to use, all controls are in easy reach and there’s a solid feeling of quality that helps justify the asking price.

We’ve already mentioned the decent ride but have to also praise the lack of excessive tyre noise.

Despite being wide and grippy, the roar normally associated with all-terrain tyres is almost absent thanks to plenty of wind-tunnel testing and clever rubber construction and compound work by Pirelli.

The limited 132-litre front boot remains, but the removal of the rear seats has liberated a surprising amount of storage space.

It took 10 long years of lobbying hard to get the 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar into production, and even once the program was green-lit some senior execs voiced concerns that there still might not be any actual buyers out there for an all-terrain sports car.

But there’s always been a thin line separating madness and genius.

Fast forward to today and the 911 Dakar definitely feels like it’s closer to the latter.

Cementing its status as a masterstroke of product planning is the fact the 911 Dakar is no half-hearted measure from the famous Stuttgart brand.

Designers and engineers have thrown everything they could at the limited-run model to ensure it is as good as it can be both on- and off-road.

The result is an instant classic, a genre-blending off-road sports car that will no doubt fuel other car-makers to go out and create their own urban-proof anti-SUV – and that can only be a good thing for car enthusiasts.

Behind the scenes, Porsche has already judged the 911 Dakar to be a success and is plotting a much faster version, possibly 911 Turbo S-powered.

But even as it is in its most basic and purest form, we’re sure many will find the 911 Dakar pretty much perfect as is.

2023 Porsche 911 Dakar at a glance:
Price: $491,400 (plus on-road costs)
Available: Second half of 2023
Engine: 3.0-litre twin-turbo flat six-cylinder
Output: 353kW/570Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed dual-clutch automatic
Fuel: 11.3L/100km (WLTP Combined)
CO2: 256g/km (WLTP Combined)
Safety rating: Not tested