The family resemblance to the classic Porsche 911 is immediately obvious, but it soon becomes evident that there's something extra special to this particular silhouette. With the new 911 Dakar, Porsche pays homage to the experience it gained on the legendary Paris-Dakar Rally throughout the 1970s and 1980s: especially its first win on the event in 1984 with a modified 911. This latest road car is reminiscent of that famous victory, with the Porsche 911 Dakar adapted to all the demands of off-road driving. The additional equipment includes bespoke tyres: the only point of contact between the car and the ground. Sixty years on from when the model was launched, a Porsche 911 now comes with Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus as original equipment for the first time: a tyre specifically created for the most extreme off-road conditions. P Zero and P Zero Winter tyres are also available, making Pirelli the exclusive original equipment on this Porsche in all seasons and conditions.
DEDICATED DEVELOPMENT FOR THE NEW SCORPION ALL TERRAIN PLUS
To combine the versatility of an off-roader with the high performance that has always epitomised this sporting icon, Porsche entrusted Pirelli with the task of creating bespoke tyres for it. The choice was made to go for the Scorpion All Terrain Plus, the tyre from the Scorpion range that has been specifically developed for the most demanding roads.
Pirelli's research and development department has given a new family of compounds their debut with this product, which are able to handle the performance of this car both on loose surfaces and asphalt. Furthermore, the tyre structure has been strengthened – especially at the rear – and optimised to improve the contact patch. Compared to the traditional Scorpion All Terrain Plus, the new tyre for the Porsche 911 Dakar features a tread pattern that equally delivers competitive performance in the dry, making it as effective on a circuit as in the desert. All this is achieved without compromising the fundamental aspects that a tyre needs for everyday use, such as stability, safety and comfort. Throughout the outdoor testing schedule for this tyre, Pirelli drove the 911 Dakar on all the main proving grounds in Europe, as well as on variety of tracks representative of a wide range of conditions.
After testing the car, Porsche's brand ambassador Jörg Bergmeister said: “I wouldn't have thought that a vehicle with such ground clearance and all-terrain tyres would still feel like a Porsche 911 on asphalt.”
Renowned Porsche racing driver Lars Kern said: “It's amazing how much traction the off-road tyres deliver. The car is a blast to drive.”
PIRELLI TYRES EXCLUSIVELY: FOR SUMMER AND WINTER TOO
As well as the Scorpion All Terrain Plus, the other tyre available for the Porsche 911 Dakar is the P Zero: Pirelli's iconic ultra high performance product that's already homologated as original equipment on a number of different Porsche models. This P Zero, in both summer and winter versions, has also been specifically developed for the unique characteristics of the latest Porsche with a split personality.
PIRELLI'S ‘PERFECT FIT' STRATEGY: BORN WITH PORSCHE
Pirelli and Porsche enjoy a long history of collaboration, with the Porsche 911 being the very first car to receive a marked Pirelli tyre (in this case, with the ‘N' symbol) back in 1982. As a result, Pirelli's ‘perfect fit' strategy was born with Porsche: denoting tyres developed in parallel with the world's most prestigious carmakers, which are specifically made to measure for cars with the highest levels of performance.
