Porsche’s Off-Road 911 Dakar Teased Before LA Debut – CNET [CNET]

The adventurous sports car has been tested across sand, snow and gravel.

The idea of an off-road-friendly Porsche 911 might seem like witchcraft, but the automaker has never been one to shy away from the dirt, whether it’s the 959 from Group B rally racing or the modified 911 that won the Paris-Dakar rally in 1984. However, those cars were purpose-built for competition, not for general consumption. This year, that’s about to change.

Porsche will debut the 911 Dakar at the Los Angeles Auto Show next week, and ahead of its official unveiling, the automaker sent out some teasers, showing a mildly camouflaged 911 Dakar undergoing testing in a variety of environments, including sand and snow.

According to Porsche’s release, the OEM has put the 911 Dakar through more than 300,000 miles’ worth of rough-environment testing. For gravel and loose surfaces, Porsche went to the Château de Lastours test track in southern France. For the chilly stuff, it went up to Arjeplog, Sweden. For sand, the automaker traveled to Dubai and Morocco, scaling 160-foot dunes and, as the pictures show, having an absolute blast.

While Porsche has not yet divulged any specific specs, we know the 911 Dakar will have additional ground clearance, all-terrain tires and a host of tweaks to stay controllable on loose surfaces. Something tells us there will be some additional underbody protection, seeing as how these cars will be kicking up rooster tails of gravel and compacted snow.

Porsche will give the 911 Dakar a full and proper introduction on Nov. 16 at 7:00pm PT, the evening before the LA Auto Show’s media day.