Since its debut in November of last year, the Rally-ready Porsche 911 Dakar has caused quite a stir. There are some fascinating tales regarding the car’s creation, in addition to how wonderful it looks and what it can do off-road.
Numerous difficulties were encountered during the development of the Porsche 911 Dakar, including within team opposition. Thomas Krickelberg, the program’s director, has finally revealed the complete history of how the Porsche 911 Dakar came to be.
Safari nameplate 911
Porsche chose the name 911 Safari for the previous-generation 911 during development. Given that safari-styled cars are all about being tough and equipped to handle any terrain, it was one of the most fitting titles. These often have better suspension, bigger tyres, and several other attributes that make them a competent off-roader. Even a prototype, the 911 Vision Safari, had been created by Porsche as a teaser for the final product.
Due to Tata Motors‘ ownership of the name’s trademarks, the car’s suffix of “Safari” could not be utilised. Tata Safari, which had been introduced in 1998, had been a well-liked option in India. It was reintroduced in 2021 and is now offered in a few international areas. Krickelberg said that they had asked Tata Motors for permission to use the term “Safari.” It was, however, rejected. The group then made the decision to employ the 911 Dakar moniker.
The Amaury Sport Organization, or ASO, owns the property to the Dakar name in the car industry, therefore acquiring it was a different difficulty. The Dakar Rally is organised by this organisation. Porsche anticipated that they would be able to utilise Dakar as it is also a city. Porsche had to finally request approval from ASO owing to copyright difficulties though. As ASO is not a car manufacturer like Tata and thus not a competitor, this request was granted. Porsche, however, was required to pay the necessary cost for using the Dakar brand.
Internal Porsche 911 issues
While the design and development teams were optimistic about the Porsche 911 Dakar’s success, the company’s sales and marketing staff felt quite the contrary. The latter were less optimistic about the prospects of an off-road 911 and said it would probably not turn a profit. Internal difficulties caused the car’s development to slacken.
The Dakar concept had to undergo significant adjustments when the new 911 generation was introduced in 2020. Additionally, internal issues began to be handled at that time. The manufacturing goal was raised from 2,000 to 2,500 units in order to make it commercially feasible. Cost-saving measures for development were also taken. $223,450 was set as the starting price, including destination. Additionally, a Rallye Design Package with artwork inspired by vintage racing was launched and costs $28,470.
When the sales and marketing teams got a chance to drive a Porsche 911 Dakar, the last obstacle was cleared. It didn’t take them long to comprehend the car’s potential once they were in the driver’s seat. Later, the proposal was authorised. Sales of the 911 Dakar may determine if the Dakar template is added to other Porsche vehicles. Taycan EV, Cayenne, and the Macan are other potential choices. However, since only 911 is permitted to use the Dakar name, copyright issues will once again arise.
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