AT THE LAUNCH OF A SPECIAL PORSCHE, BILLIONAIRE RAMON ANG MAKES AN APPEARANCE

On Sunday (May 5), Porsche Philippines unveiled its fabled Porsche 911 Dakar, an exclusive 911 model that has a limited production run of just 2,500 units worldwide. What’s special about this sports car is that not only is it a serious performer on the road, it’s also just as comfortable off-road.

This isn’t the first time a 911 sports car can go off-roading. In 1984, Porsche won its first overall victory in that year’s Paris-Dakar Rally. This milestone victory also gave birth to all-wheel drive in the rear-engined Porsche 911. The new 911 Dakar comes with an optional Rallye Design Package, reminiscent of that iconic winning car complete with racing liveries.

The 911 Dakar and the 1984 911 Porsche that raced in Paris Dakar

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The optional Rallye Design Package is a Porsche Exclusive Manufaktur that comes with a two-tone paint finish in White/Enzian and Blue Metallic, which hearken to the Rothmans racing colors. This is also the first time that Porsche has ever used a combination of bi-color paint and decorative foiling in series production. Customers can choose the numbering on its door panels between numbers zero to 999.

The 911 Dakar is fitted with special Pirelli all-terrain Scorpion tires and white painted wheels.

Aside from the rally stripes in red and gold and numbering, the Rallye Design Package’s door panels bear the word "Roughroads" lettering instead of the classic "Rothmans" name. "Roughroads" is a registered trademark and shows the purposeful intent of the model. It also comes also in white-painted rims and the red taillight strip.

Ground clearance has been raised 50mm higher than that of a standard 911 Carrera with sports suspension, and the standard lift system can raise the front and rear ends an additional 30mm. This kind of ground clearance and ramp angle rivals even some conventional SUVs, but the 911 Dakar can run up to speeds of up to 170 kph. Another special feature is its specially developed Pirelli Scorpion All Terrain Plus tires with a thread pattern about 9mm deep and reinforced sidewalls, making it arguably the best tires for rally or off-road driving and are highly cut-resistant. 

Powering the 911 Dakar is a three-liter biturbo six-cylinder engine rated at 480 PS and has a maximum torque of 570 Newton meters that can sprint from zero to 100 kph in just 3.4 seconds. Top speed is limited to 240 kph only if fitted with the special tires that came with the car. The engine has an eight-speed PDK transmission and an all-wheel drive platform. The standard features also include rear-axle steering, the engine mounts from the 911 GT3, and PDCC anti-roll stabilization.

At the launch last Sunday, PGA Cars, which exclusively imports Porsche in the country, also welcomed the newly elected officers of the Porsche Club of the Philippines, with billionaire businessman and arguably the country’s foremost car enthusiast and collector, Ramon S. Ang as the club president. Also present were Architect Manny Dimaculangan as executive director, Edgardo Asuncion as treasurer, PR officer Alfredo "Atom" Henares and treasurer Mario Rossi.

From left: PCP Treasurer Edgardo Asuncion, PCP Executive Director Architect Manuel Dimaculangan, PCP President Ramon S. Ang, PGA Cars Principal and Founder Robert Coyiuto, Jr., PCP Public Relations Officer Alfredo "Atom" Henares, PCP Treasurer Mario Rossi and PGA Cars Chairman Roberto Coyiuto III.

Ang, who is often referred to by his initials RSA, is the ultimate automotive diplomat, who shows his passion for cars that transcends corporate boundaries. Ang is not just the CEO, president and vice chairman of San Miguel Corporation, which also owns Petron, but also the chairman and president of Ferrari Philippines under Velocita Motors Inc. and chairman and CEO of BMW Philippines under SMC Asia Car Distributors Corporation.

Aside from the 911 Dakar on display, the multi-awarded modified classic Porsche 911 G-Series Safari of Architect Dimaculangan was also showcased during the event. His classic 911 Safari won several awards including Best Retro Car at the Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) 2020 and, more recently, Fan Favorite Award vying for top honors at last year’s Hot Wheels Legends regional competition.

Arch Manny Dimaculangan's 911 Porsche Safari

It was a fitting tribute display for the event. In a previous interview, Dimaculangan said that this 1974 Porsche 911 G-series Safari was inspired by the Porsche 911s that raced in one of Africa’s toughest endurance races.

"Everything done was period-correct since all cars should be pre-1985 and only major suspension upgrades are allowed and gearbox and engine should be tuned within manufacturer’s specifications and no major upgrades are allowed," Dimaculangan said. "I have always loved Porsches. I had this car custom built as a tribute to one of Africa’s toughest races, the East African Safari Classic, which is also Kenya’s longest race. This is where man and machine go through a gauntlet of fast, wet and dry and very extreme weather and off-road conditions. That is why I have equipped this car with proper safety, recovery and high-performance suspension and engine upgrades and is fully road and off-road worthy. 

(from left) PCP Treasurer Edgardo Asuncion, PCP Executive Director Architect Manuel Dimaculangan, PCP President Ramon S. Ang, PGA Cars Principal and Founder Robert Coyiuto, Jr., PCP Public Relations Officer Alfredo "Atom" Henares, PCP Treasurer Mario Rossi and PGA Cars Chairman Roberto Coyiuto III.

2024-05-06T20:20:16Z dg43tfdfdgfd