It’s been over a year since our spy photographers captured a high-riding Porsche 911 out testing for the first time. Since then, we’ve learned little about the new 911 variant, with scant information trickling out from the automaker. These new shots capture the new 911 back at the Nurburgring race track for additional testing ahead of a potential debut later this year.
Porsche has done little to hide the car, and that’s true again in these latest pics. It’s hard to hide the taller suspension, which increases the car’s wheel arch gap for longer suspension travel. That’s not to say Porsche isn’t trying to hide some of it, as there is odd black cladding covering the front and rear fascias. Big oval exhaust tips stick out the back. The coupe also sports chunkier fender flares to add to its off-road appeal.
Gallery: Fresh Porsche 911 Dakar Spy Shots
We still don’t know a lot about the car, like its name. We expect Porsche will call it the 911 Dakar when it debuts, though the 911 Safari is a, albeit dwindling, possibility. The powertrain is also a mystery. The base offering could be a Carrera 4S with all-wheel drive, but anything is possible. The current 4S packs a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-six engine making 443 horsepower (329 kilowatts) and 390 pound-feet (528 Newton-meters) of torque.
Porsche is in the process of updating the entire 911 lineup, so the new 911 Dakar could arrive with other changes Porsche is making across the lineup. We’ll see new fascias, powertrain tweaks, and other updates over the current models that could find their way into the new 911 model.
We also don’t know if Porsche will make this a limited-run model or make it a permanent offering in its portfolio for generations to come. We also don’t know how wild Porsche will get with its performance figures. Those are things we hope to learn at the car’s debut, which should happen sometime this year, though Porsche hasn’t made any official announcements about its reveal date.
