Rally cars

Porsche revived its rally-dominating and iconic Dakar nameplate of the 1980s, as a limited-run model with the (992.1) 911 Dakar back in 2022. Now after 2,500 units, the final example has rolled off the production line as a Sonderwunsh model, which if you are unaware is Porsche’s special wishes program. Now, beyond the highlights of what makes this one-off Dakar so special, I also wanted to touch upon some of the highs and lows as we say goodbye to this modern-day rally-inspired 911.

Back in 2020 RUF Automobiles introduced us to the Rodeo concept, an off-road project that looked like a beefed-up old-school 911. At the time it was just an idea that the company wanted to test the waters with. We finally got the real deal - a Signal Orange Rodeo that debuted at this year’s Monterey Car Week. We have already seen Singer’s off-road-centric Porsche restomod they named the ACS (All-Terrain Competition Study), and this is RUF’s take on the same idea.

Currently, only two carmakers produce boxer engines – Porsche and Subaru. Normally, when you hear a six-cylinder boxer engine, the first to come to mind is the German automaker, famous for being the last brand to put an air-cooled engine in a high-performance sports car. Subaru is still sticking to flat-four engines for its models, but back in the golden era of Japanese sports cars, it introduced a six-cylinder boxer engine that could rival what Porsche had. The EG33 was the only flat-six Subaru engine to feature in a two-door coupe. It also served as a basis for future Subaru flat-six engines. In 2020, Subaru produced its last flat-six engine, but before that happened Subaru almost redefined the GT segment altogether, with a Porsche-sounding Subaru, powered by a flat-six.

Porsche has no shortage of iconic race cars that have dominated in motorsports, and one very race 911 model is about to be the main star at the upcoming, Monterey Auction (August 14 and 15). We are referring to the only mid-engine Porsche 911 in existence – the GT1. The low-slung supercar was developed by Porsche for endurance racing like the 24 Hours of Le Mans. What’s special about this particular 911 GT1 is that, unlike, most cars that were used in endurance racing, this mid-engine Porsche was kept in surprisingly good condition, even after scoring many racing wins. The Porsche race car was freshly listed (on July 16, 2024) on Broad Arrow Auctions, and judging by the car’s estimated value, this 911 GT1 has the potential to become one of the most expensive Porsches ever sold, at an auction.