SPY PICS: Porsche 911 Dakar goes on safari

Porsche is readying a new crossover version of its 911, and the off-road iteration of the German brand’s iconic sports car – spotted here in fresh spy pics undergoing its latest round of alpine testing – will also bring a new name.

The Stuttgart manufacturer will reportedly ditch its long-running Porsche 911 Safari nomenclature and instead opt for Dakar as the name of its high-riding 992-series 911 derivative.

The Safari nameplate first appeared on a 911 in the early 1970s, when off-road rallies such as the East African Safari were headline events.

With the annual Dakar Rally now considered the world’s pre-eminent off-road event, Porsche reportedly wants to honour this by using the name for its mould-breaking 911 on stilts.

The original Porsche 959 Safari of the late 1980s was never offered in Australia and it’s not yet known whether its spiritual successor will appear on roads and trails Down Under.

Pictured here with German plates, the 911 Dakar clearly sports a raised ride height, immediately setting it apart from other 911 models, together with a unique front bumper, bonnet-mounted air intakes and plastic wheel-arch extensions.

Keen observers will note the wider side sills, while at the rear a redesigned bumper, wing and new exhaust outlets are other tell-tale differentiators.

The first Porsche 911 Dakar is set to feature an all-wheel drive system lifted from the 911 Carrera 4S, together with mechanical updates destined to be shared across the growing 911 arsenal.

Expect the Dakar to appear in showrooms around 2023, potentially coinciding with the 992-generation 911’s mid-life refresh.

Could the name change preview a fresh 911-based tilt from Porsche at next year’s Dakar event? We’ll have to wait and see.

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