Porsche 911 Dakar set to return with GTS hybrid powertrain

Porsche is set to bring back the 911 Dakar with hybrid power and the promise of even greater on- and off-road performance.

Senior sources have told Autocar that the upgraded model is under development at the firm’s Weissach engineering centre and it is planned to form part of the German car maker’s facelifted 992-series 911 line-up.

Although a spokesperson said that “Porsche does not comment on speculation on its products”, Autocar understands officials have pencilled in a launch for the end of 2025. It will once again be sold in limited numbers. It was previously restricted to just 2500 examples and production ended in November 2024.

Featuring the same rugged and jacked-up design as its predecessor, the new 911 Dakar will be powered by Porsche’s innovative new T-Hybrid powerplant, already used by the facelifted 911 GTS.

This combines a turbocharged 3.6-litre flat-six engine that develops 478bhp and 420lb ft with a gearbox-mounted electric motor that provides an additional 53bhp and up to 111lb ft. The set-up also uses heat transfer technology pioneered by Porsche’s Le Mans-winning 919 to charge the 1.9kWh battery.

In the 911 GTS, the T–Hybrid develops a combined 534bhp and 450lb ft. For comparison, the previous 911 Dakar’s turbocharged 3.0-litre flat six, which it shared with the previous-generation GTS, made 473bhp and 420lb ft. The increase in power from the hybrid set-up is expected to trim the previous Dakar’s 0-62mph time of 3.4sec.

The addition of electric power also promises improved fuel economy. The 911 GTS, for example, has a combined average of 25.7-26.9mpg.

Further details remain under wraps, although, as with the first 911 Dakar, the follow-up model is expected to be sold exclusively with an eight-speed dual-clutch gearbox and four-wheel drive.

Porsche is also developing a new range of paint schemes and other options to be offered through its Sonderwunsch (Special Wish) scheme for the new model.

The pricing of the new model is expected to rise above that of its predecessor, which was £173,000 in the UK.