Driving a Porsche 911 Dakar on snow and ice

Driving the Porsche 911 Dakar on snow on the Porsche Ice Experience

How one couple tested their 911 Dakar in extreme conditions, demonstrating the immense capabilities of a unique sportscar

25 July 2024

Man and woman stand next to 911 Dakar on snow

The 911 Dakar is named after the legendary race with its mighty desert stages. But how does it fare on snow and ice? Carmen and Mihai Zaman took an epic road trip from Romania to Finland to find out

When Carmen and Mihai Zaman bought their first Porsche, a Macan, nine years ago, they never imagined the incredible journey it would lead them to embark on. What began as admiration for Porsche as a brand turned into a passion, one which saw them soon expand their collection with three more Porsche cars: a Cayenne Coupe Hybrid, Taycan Turbo Cross Turismo and, most recently, a 911 Dakar. They are now eagerly awaiting the arrival of the new all-electric Macan to their very own Porsche family.

As active members of Porsche Club Romania, Carmen and Mihai are always on the go, attending community events and joining road trips with fellow Porsche enthusiasts. Perhaps their most epic adventure to date was a 20 day-long road trip to the icy north of Finland in the winter. There, the couple took part in the Porsche Ice Experience, pushing their 911 Dakar to the limit in snow, ice and sub-zero temperatures.

How Mihai and Carmen ignited their Porsche passion

“First and foremost the quality of the cars, the attitude of a job well done, the details and the perfection,” says Mihai about how he and Carmen fell in love with Porsche. “I found all these things in Porsche and decided, together with Porsche Club Romania, to share my adventures – both with our members and with other enthusiasts.”

“Our trip to Finland was the first step in my Instagram Porsche journey,” adds his wife Carmen. “I’ve been a Porsche fan since I was three years old. Back then, I was given a packet of chewing gum which had a picture of a Porsche 911 printed on the wrapper. I’ve been dreaming of driving a Porsche ever since. And I eventually did so for the first time at the age of 33.”

The couple has now set its sights on an even greater challenge – a Guinness World Record. “In August, we’re planning a trip to the Transfăgărășan Mountains,” Mihai says of their road trip to the famed Romanian uplands, home to one of the world’s truly great mountain passes and made famous from a Top Gear road trip. “We’re expecting around 100 cars to take part, so we’ve contacted the Guinness Book of Records in the hope of setting a world record for the most Porsche horsepower on a mountain road. That amounts to more than 30,000hp between all the participants.”

Porsche 911 Dakar with roof cage driving on snow — Carmen and Mihai Zaman had the trip of a lifetime in their Porsche 911 Dakar, driving from their mountain home in Romania to the Porsche Ice Experience in Finland and back Photo: Porsche Central and Eastern Europe/Radu Chindris

The story behind a very adventurous 911 Dakar

“Our Dakar has a very special number – it’s 1963 out of the 2500 examples made. A coincidence, yes, but 1963 is a memorable year in Porsche history,” says Mihai. “It’s such a great car for rough roads, but it also delivers fantastic performance on the track.”

Of course, 1963 was indeed a landmark for the brand, as it was the year that the manufacturer first revealed the Porsche 911 (then called the Porsche 901).

“Buying the 911 Dakar was a decision fuelled by our shared passion for performance and adventure,” adds Carmen. “The story behind it revolves around our love for Porsche heritage combined with our desire for a vehicle capable of handling both high-speed on-road driving and off-road challenges. Bear in mind that we moved to a mountain village in Romania in 2020, at an altitude of 1,200 metres, so the 911 Dakar was the perfect blend of sports car agility and off-road robustness that we needed for both our daily driving and all our adventures.”

Man and woman hold up Porsche Club Romania banner — Carmen and Mihai are very involved with the Porsche community as members of the Porsche Club Romania and always try to share their adventures with other members and fans Photo: Porsche Central and Eastern Europe/Radu Chindris

Taking part in the Porsche Ice Experience in Levi on a 911 Dakar adventure to Finland

“Any Porsche Experience is a challenge, but it also creates precious memories for everyone involved,” says Mihai. “This time, together with Porsche Romania, we wanted to show all 911 owners that any journey is possible for them – even in winter – over long distances and at extreme temperatures of -30 degrees Celsius.”

“Honestly, it was such a special trip for us,” says Carmen. “As you know, the 911 Dakar was made to commemorate Porsche achievements in the Paris Dakar Rally. Everybody is used to seeing this type of car performing in very hot climates, like Africa. But we wanted to show that the car is also made for ice.”

Close-up of Porsche 911 Dakar at dusk on snowy road — On their Porsche road trip from Romania to Finland, Carmen and Mihai crossed eight countries – as commemorated by the stickers on the side of their 911 Dakar Photo: Porsche Central and Eastern Europe/Radu Chindris

To get to Levi, where the Porsche Ice Experience took place, Mihai and Carmen crossed eight countries on the way from their hometown in Romania to Finland, which they did entirely by road. Then it was another eight on the way back on a route they partly covered by ferry.

“It was great because we met a lot of people who were surprised, but also happy for us for doing this,” says Mihai. “The whole trip took 20 days – five of which were spent on the Porsche Ice Experience.”

Selfie of man and woman smiling inside of Porsche 911 — Between their various Porsche cars, Carmen and Mihai have now driven more than 300,000km together Photo: Mihai and Carmen Zaman

What it’s like to drive a 911 Dakar – a car built for off-road experiences

“I could probably talk about it forever but, in a nutshell, if I had to do this kind of journey again, I would do it without a moment’s hesitation,” says Mihai.

“Driving the 911 Dakar – I was a co-driver, to be precise – was amazing,” adds Carmen. “To fully understand the experience, you have to consider both its on- and off-road performance – its power, agility and comfort, but also its durability.”

Thanks to the stiffer unit mounts of the 911 GT3, the 911 Dakar has improved driving dynamics, cleverly combined with rear-axle steering and active roll stabilisation, as well as raised suspension and all-terrain tyres. The result is a car that feels comfortable no matter what surface you’re driving on. With a 480PS turbocharged engine and 8-speed gearbox, it’s a unique sportscar. Add in impressive acceleration (0-100km/h in 3.4 seconds) and outstanding traction and you have a thrilling driving experience. For Mihai and Carmen, it created one that they will remember for a lifetime.

Consumption and emission information

911 Dakar (WLTP): Fuel consumption combined: 11.3 l/100 km; CO₂ emissions combined: 256 g/km; CO₂ class: G.

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