Watch: 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar spied snow testing, Safari name to be dropped

UPDATE, March 7, 2021: Porsche seems to be getting serious about bringing an overlanding, high-riding 911 to market as a black prototype has been spied again – this time in Scandinavia.

Testing in the cold weather and snow, this exact car wears the same registration as the one seen late last year being shaken down at the Nürburgring in Germany (see further below).

Captured by CarSpyMedia, the car in question features a noticeable ride height increase over the standard 992-generation 911, while watching it go over low-speed bumps shows off a considerably larger amount of suspension travel.

Although not yet officially confirmed by Porsche in any capacity, Motortrend has speculated the variant could be named 'Dakar' rather than 'Safari' as was previously anticipated, drawing inspiration from the marque's success in the 1984 and 1986 Paris-Dakar rallies.

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December 20, 2021: The 2023 Porsche 911 Safari has been spied again, this time testing its capabilities on the sand dunes of Dubai.

A photo of the raised 911 was posted on Instagram, but the quality of the image suggests it could have been taken from a video of the upcoming Porsche.

Given how deep in the sand the wheels area is, it appears as if the car may actually be bogged. Not impossible, given the prototype looks to be driving on high-performance road tyres.

The same account also has a short video of what appears to be a Porsche 911 GT2 RS with a missing front-end doing a 180-degree turn, spraying the camera-holder with dirt and rocks – perhaps to discourage any filming.

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Credit: CarSpyMedia

December 8, 2021: A rally-inspired version of the 911 is set to return for 2023, likely adopting the Safari name.

About half a century ago, Porsche created lifted rally-ready versions of the 911 to compete in off-road events, with the 911 SC notably winning the 5000km East African Safari Rally.

Thanks to the eagle-eyed videographers at CarSpyMedia, a near-production prototype of the Safari was recently spied testing on the Nürburgring, showcasing yet another variant for the latest 992 range – with the model set to join the Carrera, Targa, GTS, Turbo, Turbo S and GT3 in the 911 line-up.

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Credit: CarSpyMedia

The prototype seen here features a higher ground clearance, thanks to taller suspension, in addition to chunkier wheels and a likely all-wheel-drive system – presumably with selectable off-road driving modes, but without a differential lock (unlike the Cayenne). Active dampers and softer springs over the regular 911 are also expected.

There is also subtle wheel cladding to accentuate the rally appearance of the Safari, along with the addition of updated front and rear bumpers, side skirts and skid plates that work towards creating a look similar to the elevated Taycan Cross Turismo wagon.

Expected to be powered by the same 3.0-litre twin-turbocharged flat-six as the ‘normal’ 911, the Safari is tipped to feature an identical engine tune to the entry-level Carrera, with 283kW of power and 450Nm of torque on offer.

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Credit: CarSpyMedia

More powerful versions are also possible, such as the 331kW/530Nm tune of the same turbo-six from the Carrera S. No major changes are expected to the gearbox of the high-riding 911, meaning the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission is set to carryover largely untouched.

The 2023 911 Safari is expected to join the line-up in early 2022, likely in time for a mild facelift to the rear-engined sportscar – which is also slated to bring hybrid power to the iconic Porsche for the first time ever.