For many, the Porsche 911 is the ultimate sports car. Refined and versatile enough (in most of its variants) to be used on a daily basis, but also quick enough to put most exotic cars to shame. Every generation of the 911 gets its fair share of special editions. For the 992 generation, Porsche decided to bring back the Dakar monicker, originally used on the 1984 Porsche 953. That said, with only 2,500 examples of the modern-day Porsche 911 Dakar made, only the quickest and most resourceful of Porsche enthusiasts would have had the chance to get behind the wheel of the special 911 off-roader.

Moreover, with a starting price of $220,000 when new, the 992 Carrera 4 GTS-based Dakar is hardly a performance car bargain, especially considering the 992 Turbo starts at $199,195. But not all is lost for those looking to get an off-road-focused 911. Just recently, a modified Porsche 911 Carrera off-roader was auctioned off on Bring-a-Trailer, for a much more reasonable price than what Porsche would have charged you for a 992 Dakar. We decided to take a look and see how close it gets to Porsche’s own 911 Dakar.

The 911 Safari is built by Florida-based Five Nine Design

This particular white example, started life as a 2021 Porsche 911 Carrera, but was sent to Fine Nine Design, in Jacksonville, Florida to get a makeover. According to the Five Nine Design website, the team is working on the same treatment, but this time, on a 2022 Porsche 911 Carrera 2. Five Nine Design is no stranger to 911 Safari builds, and you can see a bunch of them on their website, including a few 991-based Safari builds. Like the 2021 example seen here, the second build will soon be found on Bring a Trailer.

The modifications

The mods done to this 992 Carrera may seem minor at first glance, but they make a world of difference, as they turn the rear-engine 911 into an all-terrain sports car, while still making it suitable for public roads. The exterior is finished in (C9A) – Pure White, but features custom graphics, among the other new features the company has added.

Aside from engine management software, air filters, and exhaust upgrades, the 3.0-liter, twin-turbo flat-six remains untouched, meaning it should make slightly over the official 380 horsepower and 332 pound-feet Porsche claims. Still, we know the stock 992 Carrera is severely underrated in terms of engine output, which begs the question, how much power will the 992.2 Carrera make, given it features the 992.1 GTS’ turbochargers?

In the case of this particular 911 Safari, power goes to the rear wheels through an eight-speed PDK automatic, unlike an AWD 911 Dakar. So expect it to be a lot more playful on loose surfaces. Five Nine Design also had to bypass Porsche’s Dynamic Chassis Control as it didn’t play nice with the new suspension system they fitted.

The Five Nine Design Porsche 911 Safari is a budget-friendly 992 Dakar

With a clean car fax and just 5,000 miles on the odometer, this Safari-style 992 Carrera (VIN WP0AA2A90MS206617), built by Five Nine Design ended on August 28, 2024, and sold for $138,000 – a hefty amount less than the $220,000 sticker price of the 992 Dakar.

Builds like these are a real bargain compared to something like the Porsche 911 Dakar or an equivalent from Singer or other boutique restomodder. That said, the 911 Dakar is now closing in on $400,000, which means whoever bought one made a good investment. That said, if you are looking to savor the Dakar driving experience for a lot less money, examples like this 992 Safari are thankfully out there.

GALLERY