Porsche 911 Dakar Off-Roader May Come With Adjustable Suspension From GT3 RS

Nov. 02, 2022 2:50 PM ET by Sebastian Cenizo Spy Shots / 1 Comment

We can't help but wonder if the 911 Dakar will feature a revised version of the GT3 RS model's remotely adjustable suspension.

You wait generations for an off-road-biased supercar, and then two come along at once. Lamborghini is currently developing a rally-like variant of the Huracan that will be called Sterrato, and Porsche is working on a rugged version of the 911 that we thought would be dubbed Safari but have since learned will be called Dakar. For the Stuttgart-based offering, the 911 Dakar is expected to be revealed this month, and ahead of that momentous occasion, our spies have spotted a test vehicle. As before, the car is finished in black and reveals little, but our photographers report that the car's ride height changed throughout the day.

As with previous test vehicles, we see arch cladding at each corner, with these housing what appear to be a new set of wheels based on the design of the classic Fuchs wheels. We also see the vented front hood once again, which suggests that the 911 Dakar will have a revised version of the GT3's front lid with its radiator nostrils.

But the big news here is that the prototype spent its time on the track with one lap at a certain height and the following lap at a higher level. This suggests that the Dakar will have adjustable air suspension, making it easy to switch between full-attack off-roading and comfortable highway cruising.

The GT3 RS debuted with suspension whose dampers can be individually adjusted from the steering wheel, and it's not unreasonable to wonder if the 911 Dakar will have a similarly easy-to-adjust suspension system. It would also make sense for the Dakar to have differential adjustment modules on the steering wheel, but then again, this is the first attempt at an off-road-focused 911, so it remains to be seen how much money Porsche will spend on developing the car. Whatever the case, we can't wait to see the finished product later this month and hope to pit it against the Huracan Sterrato sometime in 2023.