Porsche 911 Dakar two-tone paint job takes 34 hours to complete

The Porsche 911 Dakar is a tribute to its rallying heritage, with a two-tone paint scheme that replicates the classic Rothmans livery worn by the 1980s Dakar Rally cars that inspired the car. Painting a car is quite a task.

It takes about 34 hours to apply the two-tone paint, a Porsche representative told Motor1 in an interview at the 2022 Los Angeles Auto Show in November, when the 911 Dakar was unveiled.

The paint is part of an optional rally design package, and part of the application process is handled by Porsche Exclusive, which handles low-volume production and occasional one-off builds such as the Tribute to Carrera RS package for the 911 GT3 RS The Sibu Manufaktur personalization department will be in charge of the process.

The process begins with the 911 body painted white, which is sprayed with a clear coat, sanded, masked, and prepared for a second color in a two-tone combination, in this case Gentian Blue Metallic. This color is applied by hand, after which the masking is removed and two more layers of clear coat are sprayed on. According to Porsche, this step alone takes 7.5 hours.

Once the paint and clear coat are dry, the body is sent to the production line for assembly. The finished car is then sent to Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur, where it is given the red and gold stripes that complete the Rothmans livery. This process requires partial disassembly and will take 8.5 hours to complete. The car will then be reassembled, inspected, and shipped to the dealership.

Painting, striping, and the actual assembly together is almost a day and a half's work.

The retro livery is a key feature of the Rally Design Package, which adds $28,470 to the Dakar's base price of $223,450. This package also includes black seats with shark blue seatbelts and Ceramica trim.

On the mechanical side, the Dakar will feature a 2.0-inch suspension lift over the base 911 Carrera, as well as a hydraulic lift system that can raise ride height by 1.2 inches. A fixed rear spoiler, flared wheel arches, and all-terrain tires complete the rally car look, and power is provided by a twin-turbo 3.0-liter flat-6 from the 911 Carrera 4 GTS. Maximum output of 473 hp and maximum torque of 420 lb-ft are transmitted to all four wheels via an eight-speed dual-clutch transmission.

Production will be limited to 2,500 units worldwide. It will be interesting to see how many of this iconic and complex livery will be produced.