It’s clear that Porsche engineers spend a lot of time sitting around thinking how they can make the 911 even better, as well as more unique. After all, they’ve been doing just that for over 60 years now. Well, their latest brainstorming session has resulted in this jacked-up all-terrain brute, the 911 Dakar, a 911 whose performance begins when the pavement ends.

If you think the idea of a Porsche 911 suited for desert racing sounds silly, you should know that 911s competed in the Paris-Dakar rally for years, and Porsche actually won it back in 1984 when they were developing the all-wheel-drive system we all now enjoy in the Carrera 4. And it is that car on which this very limited-edition Porsche 911 Dakar is based.

Not only has it been raised by more than 2 inches, but its hydraulic lift system has also been enhanced to get to its max 7.5 inches of ground clearance in just 9 seconds. It has a modified dual radiator setup to improve approach angles, unique front and rear fascias, stainless steel rocker panels, fender flares, and special Pirelli Scorpion dual carcass all-terrain tires on 19- and 20-inch wheels.

There wasn’t much to challenge this thing in our neck of the woods, so Porsche actually flew us to Africa to get a taste of its capabilities.

DAVE SCRIVENER: “In 35 years of doing this business, I never thought I’d see myself off-roading a 911, yet here I am, traversing the sandy paths and dunes of Morocco in a 911 Dakar. This is not just a trim package, this car actually has some off-road chops for, you know, soft roads, sand dunes, things like that. This thing is very well equipped to handle this kind of terrain.”

Now, you don’t have to go to the African desert to enjoy it, but it sure helps, as carving fresh lines through sand dunes is pure thrill. The Carrera 4’s all-wheel-drive system has gotten significantly reworked with added Rallye and Off-Road modes, and the 911’s heavyweight rear seems to be a real benefit here rather than a hinderance as it can be on pavement.

Amazingly, it still feels like a 911, though it is a bit of a unique driving experience as there’s no cringing whenever you see rough pavement or speed bumps coming your way. It’s also one of those cars that has you thinking about all the cool places you could be driving it when you’re stuck in traffic, and it’s one 911 that looks better dirty than clean.

The rear-mounted 3.0-liter flat-six turbo engine gets a unique air filter housing, and outputs 473 horsepower and 420 lb-ft of torque. It works exclusively through an eight-speed PDK which gets a new Rallye Launch Control feature for making fast getaways on loose surfaces. Our Mason Dixon test track offers plenty of traction, so we stuck with traditional PDK launch control and it continues to impress.

We hit 60 in 3.0 seconds and finished out the quarter in 11.3 seconds at 125 mph. There was maybe a little less pavement grip from the tires, but otherwise, the handling experience was amazingly 911-like. The same could be said for braking. Stops of just 93 feet from 60 mph.

There’s much familiarity inside the Dakar’s cabin, perhaps too much if you’re looking for a totally different 911 experience. Priced at $225,100, the 911 Dakar is a massive investment, but it’s also limited to just 2,500 units, so you’ll have the coolest 911 in your neighborhood for years to come

Turns out conquering pavement was not enough for Porsche engineers, so they created something unique and amazing that somehow still feels just like every other Porsche. 911s have always made you feel like you can go just about anywhere and do just about anything; now with the 911 Dakar, they’ve delivered one that actually can.

With Hyundai expanding their fantastic lineup of IONIQ EVs, it’s easy to forget about the Kona, which has been available in all-electric form since 2019. In fact, this second-gen Kona was designed as an EV from the get-go and adapted to employ ICE powertrains for those who are either not ready or not willing to go down the full EV path. It’s a great strategy, one we’re about to dive further into.

As we nudge closer to the theoretical end of the internal-combustion engine for our personal transportation, it’s vehicles like this 2024 Hyundai Kona, available with both ICE and electric powertrains, as in this Kona Electric, that are best equipped for this transition, allowing consumer demand to be the sales driver.

All Kona Electrics are front-wheel drive, available in SE, SEL, and Limited trims. The base SE gets a 133-horsepower motor and a range of 200 miles from its 48.6-kWh battery. SEL and Limited get a larger 64.8-kWh battery, and a bigger 150-kW motor producing 201 horsepower and 188 lb-ft of torque. This Limited is rated for 261 miles, but based on our highway-heavy driving loop, we’d put the actual range closer to an impressive 290 miles. With DC Fast charging, the Kona Electric can get to 80 percent in 43 minutes, and with the charge port mounted right up front, we like the convenience of being able to just pull right up to the charger without worrying about which side the port is on.

Now, this is not the kind of EV that feels crazy fast wherever you go, but like most EVs it clearly has an edge over gas-fueled competitors. And it was plenty quick at our test track, where despite a hesitation to deliver full power immediately off the line, 60 mph arrived in just 7.1 seconds; plenty quick for a commuter car and half a second quicker than its turbocharged ICE counterpart. Power did seem to taper off towards the end of the track, but we still managed to clear the quarter in a decent 15.6 seconds at 92 mph. Stops from 60 were well-controlled and consistent, averaging 110 feet with good initial bite, and an acceptable amount of nosedive.

Carrying its powertrain weight down low instead of over the front axle, the Kona EV felt even more stable in our handling course. The front end will start to slide as you reach its limits, but we’ll chalk that up to the hard, eco-minded tires as much as the chassis. The steering feel tightens up quite nicely in Sport Mode.

This second-generation Kona is much roomier inside than the first gen, and while there are some EV-oriented aspects to the new design, the overall layout appears fairly traditional, and it shares everything with the ICE version. Front seats are firm but supportive, and covered in H-Tex simulated leather, helping top Limited feel a tad more lavish than it should at its price point. The large horizontal 12.3-inch touchscreen display with navigation sits more in front of the dash than on top of it, and merges directly with the 12.3-inch digital driver’s display; both are standard.

Using 29-kWh of electricity per 100 miles, the Kona Electric is quite efficient. Pricing starts at $34,070; that’s about eight-grand over a base ICE Kona, but certainly at the low end when it comes to battery electric vehicles. Top Limited comes in at $42,440. A sportier N Line version is set to arrive next year.

The Kona design is a great package, made even better with the option to go Electric. And even with all the push to go full EV, there are still relatively few inexpensive options for buyers to choose from. This 2024 Hyundai Kona Electric is one of the best yet, making it one of the easiest ways to join the EV lifestyle.