If you have ever played a racing video game, you have at least considered cutting the corners on a race track to make up time running through grass. Usually, the general combination of uneven terrain off the track and a serious performance car unprepared to drive on anything but pavement have made this an unrealistic dream for real-world drivers. That finally changes with cars like the new Porsche 911 Dakar, which is equally suited for both the track surface and the grassy areas in between. Equipped with a capable car, Germany's Sport Auto took an example to the Nürburgring to see how fast a 911 ignoring a few corners can go.
While the Nordscheliefe's layout left few opportunities to cut corners, driver Christian Gebhardt took every chance to go off track with full confidence. The Dakar seemed to have no issue on either pavement or grass, seamlessly transitioning between the two while Gebhardt continued on an actual timed lap of both the track and its runoff areas conducted with the full permission of the Nürburgring.
The final lap time of 7:39.40 is not in any way representative of the car's normal performance, but it does contextualize just how fast a professional can go in a car ready for professional-level horsing around. The time is on par with more traditional laps of the circuit run by the Lexus LF-A, Porsche Carrera GT, and Bugatti Veyron.
The Sport Auto team celebrated the finished run by attaching a functional roof tent to the 911, then setting up camp on a hill overlooking the circuit. In addition to its speed and serious off-road capability, the 911 Dakar is one of the few cars that make for good lodging at the 'Ring after a timed lap in the same car.
