Porsche 911 Dakar at the 2022 LA Auto Show

Porsche will unveil the newest member of the 911 family, the 911 Dakar, at the 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show this month.

The car is believed to be an off-road version of the 911 that has been undergoing testing since last year and was previously called the 911 Safari.

The new name is a reference to the grueling Dakar Rally, which Porsche first attempted and won in 1984 with a 911-based 953 rally car; this was the first time the 911 was equipped with all-wheel drive.

Porsche is holding off on details of the 911 Dakar until it is released, but the position of the prototype's rear vents suggests that it will be powered by the same twin-turbo 3.0-liter flat-six that is shared by each Carrera model; in the 911 Carrera GTS, this engine produces 473 hp.

It is also suggested that it will be used in the 911 Carrera GTS.

The prototype also has wider wheel arches, higher ground clearance, and all-terrain tires. It will almost certainly be fitted with a sturdy suspension for high-speed driving over rough surfaces.

The famous Chateau de Lastour test track in the south of France was used to test the performance of the car in rally conditions, with successful racing driver and Porsche tester Romain Dumas at the wheel. It is also where most of the teams competing in the Dakar Rally test their vehicles.

"I knew what the 911 could do on public roads, but I was absolutely stunned by how well the car performed here in loose," Dumas said in a statement.

Porsche said it had tested more than 6,000 miles in such adverse conditions, including 160-foot-high dunes in the deserts of Dubai and Morocco, where temperatures reach 113 degrees Fahrenheit, and frozen lakes in northern Sweden in the winter. On the slippery surfaces, rally legend Walter Rohr took the steering wheel.

"This car is incredibly fun to drive. Everything works precisely and calmly."

The 911 Dakar will debut on November 16. Sales are scheduled to begin in the first half of 2023.

Lamborghini, another Volkswagen Group brand, will also soon unveil an off-road version of the Uracan. The high-riding supercar is confirmed to debut in early December during the 2022 Art Basel Miami.