Porsche May Introduce More Off-Road And 70’s And 80’s Retro 911 Specials Says CEO

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Porsche has been expanding the 911 range for a long time, but last year it took a left turn off the road and introduced the 911 Dakar. The rally-inspired, lifted sports car was an odd, if not entirely unprecedented, move for the automaker, and it may be just the start.

Speaking to Car Magazine at the Los Angeles auto show, where the 911 Dakar was unveiled, Porsche’s chairman, Oliver Blume, explained the rationale behind the car, and suggested that more off-road-ready 911s could follow.

First, though, the executive talked about the long road that led to the creation of the rally-inspired 911 Dakar. In addition to the normal range of 911s and the sporty GT models, Porsche has been expanding its historically-inspired offerings, too, and inspiration for these models came from an unexpected source.

Read: 2023 Porsche Dakar Is The Slowest 911 Since The ’80s, But We Want One So Badly

“We saw the sports shoes from the 1970s and 80s and thought that could work for Porsche too, so we brought the 50th edition and the 60th edition with the Sport Classic,” said Blume. “We are considering bringing 1970s and 80s-inspired models, too.”

Special-edition models like the 911 Sport Classic were a hit with Porsche’s customers, thanks to the brand’s long history of motorsports and its ravenous fan base. So, it decided to see if there was another area that the model range could expand into.

“Very few global brands are able to bring these successful items from the past and connect them with modern technology. But Porsche can,” said Blume. “Then we thought, ‘Why not a third pillar, besides sporty GT and heritage models? Why not off-road, too?’ Now we will see how the market success of the Dakar pans out. And then maybe there will be more to come. The door is now open.”

Although the enthusiasm with which Porsche moves the 911 into the off-road space will depend on the response from buyers, Blume said that the brand is changing its business focus to offer “customers what they expect in different regions of the world.” The executive claimed that the mindset of clients, especially younger ones, is changing.

In the nearer future, meanwhile, Blume noted that in 2023 Porsche is celebrating the 60th anniversary of the 911, the 75th anniversary of the brand, and Wolfgang Porsche’s 80th birthday. Customers, then, can expect special products to celebrate these anniversaries.