The 2024 Porsche 911 Dakar Is the Best Kind of Revenge

Photos by Chris Smart

The 2024 Porsche 911 Dakar is a lifted, all-wheel-drive 911 built for gravel, sand and snow, and it's the most fun thing the brand has done in recent memory. It pairs a 473-hp twin-turbo flat-six with 50 mm of extra ground clearance, all-terrain tires, and two off-road driving modes.

Porsche built just 2,500 of them, and the 911 Dakar launched in Canada at $247,200 for the 2023 model year.

Key Takeaways

• The 911 Dakar sits 50 mm higher than a 911 Carrera with sport suspension, and its standard lift system adds another 30 mm at speeds up to 170 km/h.
• A 3.0 L twin-turbo flat-six makes 473 horsepower and 420 lb-ft through an eight-speed PDK (Porsche Doppelkupplung) and all-wheel drive; 0 to 100 km/h takes 3.4 seconds.
• Production was capped at 2,500 cars across the 2023 and 2024 model years, with Canadian pricing from $247,200 at launch.
• NRCan rates the 2024 911 Dakar at 12.5 L/100 km combined on premium fuel, about three per cent more than a 2024 911 Carrera 4 GTS with PDK.
• The standard all-terrain tires cap top speed at 240 km/h and, in the Dakar's sizes, aren't rated for severe snow, so Quebec drivers need winter tires with the mountain-snowflake symbol from Dec. 1 to March 15.

Use-Case Overview: A 911 Built for the Roads Porsche Usually Avoids

Porsche is a very serious automaker. It builds every sports car with surgical precision and isn't known for silliness. But stereotypes are meant to be broken, and that's why the 911 Dakar exists.

It's a jacked-up 911 for unpaved backroads, cottage lanes and frost-heaved city streets, not a rock crawler. If nothing else, it proves Porsche has a sense of humour.

The 1984 Paris-Dakar Rally Win Behind the Name

The Dakar Rally is one of the world's most gruelling off-road endurance races. In 1984, Porsche did something crazy and entered it with a 911. The idea came from Jacky Ickx after he saw a prototype being driven at Weissach. Its official name was the 911 Carrera 3.2 4x4 Paris-Dakar. Internally, everyone called it the 953.

Among the jacked-up SUVs it raced, the 953 must have looked ridiculous. The critics had a field day. It turned out to be a stroke of genius: the rear engine gave it huge traction, and René Metge and Dominique Lemoyne took overall victory. They won again in 1986, in a 959.

Porsche's Long Habit of Proving People Wrong

Purists said the 1996 Boxster would dilute the brand. Naysayers called the 2002 Cayenne, the first Porsche SUV, a flop; today there's a Cayenne Turbo GT. The 911 Dakar is the latest entry on that list.

Key Requirements: What Turns a 911 Into an Off-Road Car

Under the costume, this 992-generation Dakar is closely related to the 911 Carrera 4 GTS. What makes it different is height, tires, and armour, and it still weighs 1,605 kg, just 10 kg more than a Carrera 4 GTS with PDK. Porsche says its standard chassis hardware lets it move dynamically on sand and gravel as well as on the Nürburgring Nordschleife.

Ground Clearance and the Lift System

The standard lift system raises both axles by 30 mm on top of the Dakar's extra 50 mm. It works up to 170 km/h. Porsche Canada lists 161 mm of ground clearance and a 16.2-degree ramp angle on steel suspension.

Rear-axle steering and the 911 GT3's engine mounts are standard, too.

All-Terrain Tires, Armour and Lightweight Parts

The details that matter most off the pavement:

• Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus tires on 19-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels, with 9 mm of tread and two carcass plies for cut resistance
• Stainless steel protection on the front, rear and side sills, plus bright red aluminum tow hooks at both ends
• A carbon fibre hood with air vents taken from the 911 GT3, and a fixed carbon fibre rear spoiler
• Full bucket seats, no rear seats, lightweight glass, and a lightweight battery

Those tires cap top speed at 240 km/h. I can live with that.

Best Options or Setup: Rallye Design Package and Accessories

It came in one trim, so the choices are about how loud it looks.

Rallye Design Package and the Roughroads Livery

The 1984 953 wore Rothmans tobacco colours. Today's version wears the same livery, but since cigarettes aren't as cool as they once were thought to be, Porsche swapped the name for "Roughroads." What's this? Is Porsche being cute?

The Rallye Design Package cost $32,490 at launch: White/Gentian Blue Metallic paint, red and gold stripes, white wheels, and a race number from 0 to 999. Standard cars get Race-Tex trim with Shade Green stitching; Rallye Design cars switch to Shark Blue accents.

This whole car looks like a toy. Its stance is positively cartoonish, and it's obvious Porsche tapped into its collective inner child.

Roof Rack, Roof Tent and Rallye Sport Package

The optional roof rack carries up to 42 kg and plugs its lights into a 12-volt roof outlet. Porsche also sold a roof tent, and the Rallye Sport Package adds a roll-over bar, six-point belts, and a fire extinguisher.

Capability and Practicality: Twin-Turbo Torque on Loose Terrain

The 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged flat-six makes 473 hp at 6,500 rpm and 420 lb-ft of torque from 2,300 to 5,000 rpm. Porsche Canada quotes 7.8 seconds from 0 to 160 km/h.

Rallye Mode, Offroad Mode and Rallye Launch Control

A rotary switch on the steering wheel adds two modes. Rallye mode, for loose surfaces, sends more drive to the rear axle. Offroad mode raises the car automatically for sand and rough terrain. Both include Rallye Launch Control, which allows about 20 per cent wheel slip.

On a quiet unpaved backroad in early autumn, with fallen leaves swirling as you swoosh by, it's easy to slide around a corner and feel like a celebrated rally driver. Here, the 911 Dakar comes alive.

What Daily Driving the Porsche Dakar Is Like

Even mundane errands feel like an occasion. With the light bar shining and red tow hooks poking out, passersby can barely comprehend what they're seeing, but they smile and sneak photos anyway. Cargo space is a 132 L front trunk.

Compare the 911 Dakar With Other Porsche 911 Models

Line up specs side by side. See how the Dakar stacks up against other 911s.

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Costs and Ownership: Price, Fuel and Warranty

A Porsche Dakar was never a value play.

What the 911 Dakar Cost in Canada

At the 911 Dakar's Los Angeles Auto Show debut on Nov. 16, 2022, Canadian MSRP for the 2023 model started at $247,200, before the $32,490 Rallye Design Package.

Fuel Consumption and Running Costs

Natural Resources Canada's Fuel Consumption Ratings put the 2024 911 Dakar at 14.7 L/100 km city, 9.8 highway, and 12.5 combined on premium fuel. The 2024 Carrera 4 GTS with PDK rates 12.1 combined.

Porsche Canada lists a four-year/80,000-km warranty and a 15,000-km or one-year service interval.

Shop Used Porsche 911 Listings on AutoTrader.ca

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Tips: Buying or Driving a 911 Dakar Today

Before you buy one:

1. Confirm which options it has: Rallye Design Package, Rallye Sport Package, or roof rack.
2. Ask whether a second set of wheels with winter tires comes with the car.
3. Inspect the stainless underbody plates and tire sidewalls for off-road damage.
4. Check the service records against the 15,000-km or one-year interval.

Learn a 911's limits at Canada's first Porsche Experience Centre. The regular 911 is AutoTrader's 2026 Best Premium Performance Car.

Final Thoughts

When the 2024 Porsche 911 Dakar debuted, I didn't think I'd ever see one in person, let alone drive one. I've written about how the 911 has been the car I've wanted since I was a kid, and every time I drive one, I feel like I'm flipping the bird to everyone who insinuated I'd never be here.

This 911 Dakar holds a special place in my hypothetical garage, because Porsche and I share something: we both know that living joyfully and proving people wrong is truly the best revenge.

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Sources

Accessed October 8, 2026

• Porsche Canada: 911 Dakar
• Porsche Newsroom: The New Porsche 911 Dakar
• Porsche Newsroom: 911 Dakar Press Kit: The History
• Natural Resources Canada: Fuel Consumption Ratings
• Pirelli: Scorpion All Terrain Plus
• Gouvernement du Québec: Requirements for Winter Tires
• AutoTrader editorial:
  • Rally-Bred Porsches Have a Long and Fascinating Origin Story
  • 2022 Porsche Cayenne Turbo GT Review and Video
  • 2022 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 GTS Cabriolet Review
  • First Look: Everything About the 2023/24 Porsche 911 Dakar is Ridiculous and Fun
  • Canada's First Porsche Experience Centre Unlocks Your 911's Potential
  • 2026 Best Premium Performance Car: Porsche 911
  • The Porsche 911 GT3 Touring Literally Made Me Cry