by Baron Wilton
posted on July 31, 2025
A trailblazing 911
The Porsche 911 is the sports car, with a silhouette and aura so recognizable and everlasting that it has one of the largest imprints on automotive history. But what happens when the paved road ends? The 911 Dakar answers the call, conquering the elements with extraordinary capability and, of course, heavy swagger. For those that feel like an all-terrain sports car makes as much sense as horseradish ice cream, this isn’t for you. For everyone else, buckle up for an unforgettable rocky road adventure in our July car of the month, Olux’s 2023 Porsche 911 Dakar.
2023 Porsche 911 Dakar
| ENGINE | HORSEPOWER | 0 to 60 MPH | TOP SPEED | MILEAGE | DAILY PRICE* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L Flat-6 | 473 hp | 3.4 sec | 149 mph | 19 mpg | $1,501 |
| ENGINE | HP | 0 to 60 MPH | TOP SPEED | MILEAGE | DAILY PRICE* |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.0L 6cyl | 473 hp | 3.4 sec | 149 mph | 19 mpg | $1,501 |
The 911 Dakar is an ultra-exclusive (limited to 2,500 units) overlanding-tuned trim of the Porsche 911 — first introduced for the 2023 model year. It’s proudly named after the 1984 Porsche that was the first sports car to win the famed Paris-Dakar Rally, an annual off-road endurance race that crossed through the dunes, rocks, and grass from France to Senegal. Yet as a production-ready model, the 911 Dakar hasn’t captured the hearts of auto enthusiasts for its absurdity, but rather for its convincing chops off the pavement while maintaining its beloved driver’s car charm (please keep in mind, driving off-road is prohibited with cars booked on Turo). Plus, the $28k, 34-hour paint job ensures it never flies incognito.
Montreal-based Turo host Olux Automobile chose the starting number “569” to proudly represent their pristine Porsche. Under the hood, the 911 Dakar shares its components with the 911 GTS and is tuned for 473 hp, 420 lb-ft of torque, and an eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission. This twin-turbo beast sprints off the line in all five driving modes regardless of the terrain, and it benefits from an all-wheel drive format, rear steering, and anti roll bars for traction and stability. Also, no need to warm up your glutes to lower into the car, as it can be raised with a push of a button to 7.5 inches above the ground. That’s only two inches less than the Jeep Wrangler.
Now while a good portion of the 2,500 examples are sitting in climate controlled garages, this 911 Dakar is ready to tackle any adventure. It’s outfitted with horizontal light bars, underbody cladding, and a storage roof rack (sorry stargazers) that houses Porsche-branded equipment for an all-day excursion that may or may not require a folding shovel to get the wheels back on the path. A fixed deck spoiler and matte white rims adorn this special model alongside custom Pirelli tires with a tread pattern designed to tackle loose surfaces. And in typical 911 fashion, the engine is in the back of the car, which makes room for an extra storage compartment in the front.
Jumping inside this unconventional rally car, you’ll find an enhanced and reinforced interior that favors resilient suede and muted white trim pieces over anything shiny. The 18-way seats prefer carbon fibre reinforcement instead of plushy support while the entire cabin is decorated in Shark Blue accents. The rest of the infotainment system is largely the same as the 911 GTS, including customizable digital gauges, a 10.9-inch wide touchscreen display, and the classic tachometer at the center of the dashboard. Audiophiles can rejoice: Burmester’s high-end surround system kicks up a sonic sandstorm, layering crystal clarity over the menacing engine growl.
Looking past its striking livery and quirky headgear, the 911 Dakar is much more than a rally driver’s dream come to life. Modern cars have increasingly taken on SUV-like traits — prioritizing utility and all-terrain capability — and now, brands are embracing the great outdoors with safari-ready models. The 911 Dakar joins the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato as extreme examples of this trend, but nearly every brand is injecting a dose of backcountry DNA into their cars. Just look at Subaru’s Wilderness, Lexus’s Overtrail, Kia’s X-Pro, or Volvo’s upcoming Cross Country trim.
The great off-road is the driver’s final frontier. And while the 911 Dakar can drift over sand dunes and through camel grass with ease, it is plenty fun to drive on twisty asphalt and urban commutes through Montreal.
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Baron Wilton
Baron is a walking encyclopedia of car facts. His favorite sport is behind the wheel of his Jaguar F-Type, which he drives more in the canyons of SoCal than on the streets.
