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Rally-spec supercars have existed before, albeit as a specific subset of racing cars, designed to dominate races like the Dakar Rally, as Porsche did in 1984 with its adapted 911. cars They look just like their road-going brethren, but come equipped with all-wheel drive, beefy suspension, reinforced undercarriages, and thick all-terrain tires to survive thousands of mile runs over tough terrain and unforgiving conditions. While these qualities are rarely necessary for daily driving, an increasing number of manufacturers are creating mutant “Mad Max” versions of their best-selling sports cars for private owners.
“Owners don’t want to worry as much about potholes, shoulders, curbs, speed bumps and punctures – essentially it all comes down to usability,” says Henry Siebert-Saunders, managing director of the Somerset-based sports car maker. Ariel Motor Company. “Things like Lamborghinis, Paganis and Ferraris can be used in fairly limited scenarios – the off-road supercar increases usability and reduces the ‘supercar concern’.”
The practical factor is undeniable, with LamborghiniHurricane Sterrato and porscheIt’s a dream to drive the 911 Dakar on bad roads that are quickly becoming an everyday hazard. But there is also the fun factor. With their strange, raised stance and comically thick tires, they arouse a childlike curiosity in onlookers. Drive any of the current crops through a populated area and heads will turn.
Based in Somerset, Ariel was one of the first companies to explore the idea of a go-anywhere sports car when it launched the Nomad in 2015 as a more rugged sibling to its track-focused Atom. “We envisioned a cross between an Atom and a Land Rover Defender, something that would be fun on the road and could handle the challenges of having rocks and mud thrown at it,” says Siebert-Saunders. With prices starting at £45,000 on-roads, the Nomad has up to 300PS from a 2.4-litre supercharged Honda engine and can be fitted with optional winches, spotlights and reinforcement panels for added strength.
Lamborghini and Porsche entered the fray with the Huracán Sterrato and the 911 Dakar respectively in 2023. As expected, especially given that it is said to be Lamborghini’s last car with a fully combustion engine, the Sterrato is so crazy inside (and off-road) like aspect. It comes complete with all the equipment, including nose-mounted spotlights, thick cladding over the wheel arches that house heavy all-terrain tires, a roof-mounted luggage rack and a pipe to feed air to its 5.2 V10 engine. liters in the rear. . Priced at £243,000, the Sterrato is almost £20,000 more than the current Huracán Tecnica model.
Meanwhile, the Dakar 911 takes its name from Porsche’s outright victory in the 1984 race, in which its heavily modified 911 traveled 7,500 grueling miles between Paris and Dakar in Senegal. It is based on the latest version of the 911 Carrera 4 GTS and has a starting price of £173,000. However, because the list of optional extras includes everything from carbon fiber trim and a roof-mounted tent to additional light bars and even a Porsche-branded folding scoop to get you out of trouble, the price of the Dakar can quickly rise to over £. 200,000 marks. Complete with chunky styling, knobby tires and a raised, sturdy suspension, it’s a more refined, restrained and practical version of its like-minded Lamborghini cousin.
For those looking for something classic and with a little more character – without forgetting a more affordable price – sets like the one from the Estonian company Kalmar beyond adventure Offers adventure-ready versions of classic Porsche 911s. Customized and capable of tackling everything from the sands of the Sahara to the snowdrifts of the frozen Arctic, Kalmar’s RS-6 conversions start at €45,000. While that excludes the cost of a reasonably priced early 2000s 911 donor car and taxes, it’s still a significant saving compared to the modern equivalent.
Over the years, supercar makers have squeezed every last drop of performance out of the cars they make, and most models are now too fast to approach their limits on the road. With this in mind, the last area left to develop and enjoy is the off-road experience. For many who are put off by leviathan-like SUVs, the mutant supercar is here to save the day.