Classic Porsche 911 Gets Wild Off-Road Makeover For Dakar Rally

Of all the street-focused sports cars and supercars in the world, the Porsche 911 is truly unique. Aside from its long-standing reputation as the everyday supercar, can you name another such vehicle that doesn’t look out of place riding on long-travel suspension with beefy off-road tires? You’ve seen many safari-themed 911s over the years, as have we and you know what? We never, ever get tired of seeing another one.

That brings us to this gloriously lifted 964-era Carrera 4, built to race in the 2022 Dakar Classic. Specifically, it’s a 1991 model that retains its original flat-six engine and five-speed manual, though those are the only original components left in this classic Porsche. The air-cooled engine is modified to around 300 horsepower (224 kilowatts), and it obviously gets to the ground through a very non-stock suspension setup.

You’ll find double wishbones with adjustable shocks and 35-inch tires, ready to soak up the jumps beneath modified bodywork. A 42-gallon (160-liter) fuel cell keeps the 911 on boil for extended sprints in the desert. Inside is all business with racing seats and a full cage for protection.

The other custom aspect of this Dakar-bound 911 is the paint job. A better description might be its graffiti job, as words and designs in red spray paint cover the classic car from front to back. This is no accident – it’s an ode to graffiti artists of the ’80s and ’90s, which morphed into street art. It’s not something often seen on race cars, but for this particular vehicle, the graffiti treatment is only a temporary measure to promote the race team. Expect something different come race day.

If this safari-ready 964 reminds you of the legendary Porsche 953 that conquered the 1984 Paris-Dakar Rally, it’s not a coincidence. Both the 953 and 959 served as inspiration for this project, built by Agostino and Alberto Vassallo of Car&vintage, in collaboration with CountrysideWay and TAG Heuer. We can’t wait to see this classic slicing through the sand in the Dakar Classic.