Take this 911 anywhere you want…
We tested the Porsche 911 Dakar, which has been tailored to be a “rally car” with its increased ride height and special suspension, over a long distance from Tokyo to Kyoto. With its high minimum ground clearance, it is easy to drive in town, and its driving performance is on par with the standard model.
Despite being a sports car, it doesn’t have to worry about bumps
The Porsche 911 Dakar has recently become a frequent sight on the streets. Some are in flashy livery, while others are clad in trendy 911 colors like crayons. The former is a very strong “Dakar” statement and can be easily distinguished from a distance, but the latter is a more subdued color that makes it hard to tell if it is a standard or a Dakar until it passes in front of you. The latter, however, is a sober color that it is hard to tell whether it is a standard or a Dakar until you pass by it. I think it is because the height of the car was raised and the width of the car was widened just right.
The car’s appearance also showed that it was an “ideal daily 911,” and as usual, I took it out for a long drive to Kyoto to further confirm this.
I had already driven the Dakar several times around town and on suburban roads and had already concluded to some extent that the Dakar was the ideal daily 911. It did not matter whether the 911 had undergone minor changes or not. It would be a different story if a Dakar version were to appear in a later model, but so far no official announcement has been made.
The reason why I thought this was the ideal 911 is quite simple. It was just so “easy to drive” in the city. I didn’t realize that having a high minimum ground clearance would make driving so mentally easy. Of course, I have experienced such a thing with SUVs, and it is natural because of the sufficient ground clearance, but I never imagined that the day would come when I could drive with such a feeling from the window of a 911. It’s not a level of having a high line of sight and a good vantage point. It is an unmatched sense of openness as if you don’t have to worry about bumps even though you are driving a sports car! And yet, except for the change in comfort (not bad) due to the tires, the ride itself is almost the same as the standard grade, which is nothing short of amazing.
It’s not just in town. Even on winding roads, the ride quality is on par with the standard grade. Of course, you can feel the tires twisting noticeably, but the legs move with a lot of energy, and even the somewhat poor grip feel is turned into enjoyment. It makes you feel like you are actively driving the car. It is more enjoyable than the usual flat and solid 911, which makes you feel like you are moving the steering wheel as hard as you can.
The power feel from the GTS engine is sufficient, and there is almost no sense of jealousy towards the role-playing flat-six. This is fun. It is also Porsche’s underlying strength that makes us think so.
Pushing forward from a good vantage point!
And a long drive. In conclusion, it was a well-built GT that I appreciated.
Except for the slight vibration and noise from the special tire pattern, the ride feel was quite good for a 911, and above all, I was impressed that the negatives caused by the raised ride height hardly showed up in the driving stability. Of course, in strong crosswinds, air flow under the floor could be felt compared to the normal 911, but this was well within the expected range of response. I would need to exercise restraint when driving on the Autobahn, but at highway speeds in Japan, there is no problem. More than that, the feeling of being able to push forward with a clear view is wonderful.
I have only one complaint: the two-seater plus roll cage completely killed the convenience of the +2 911’s ability to carry luggage. In any case, large suitcases would not fit in any way. It was a waste of rear space.
One thing that remains as an immediate impression after driving a 1,000 km round trip is the feeling of “a 911 that can be taken anywhere. What if the Dakar had been in my garage? If the Dakar were in my garage, the number on my odometer would grow by the day, to the point that the salesman at the dealership would scold me!
This is the ideal daily 911. I wouldn’t choose the roll cage spec and would drive the +2 spec.
