As a popular high-performance SUV, you’ve probably seen plenty of Cayennes in your lifetime. You’ve probably even seen plenty of tuned Cayennes. But have you ever seen one with a 911 face, built by RUF Automobile GmbH? Probably not, and that’s exactly why the RUF Dakara is such a fascinating under-the-radar collectible today.
Think about the state of the super-SUV market these days. You’ve got high-performance luxury models like the Aston Martin DBX, Bentley Bentayga and Rolls-Royce Cullinan Black Badge, and even within the Cayenne universe, you have tuners from the likes of Techart, ABT, Mansory, and Gemballa who have worked their magic on Porsche’s flagship SUV.
So for buyers with deep pockets and a need for speed, these high-riding machines are practically an off-the-shelf purchase. However, if you trace the lineage of the segment back to one of its most significant turning points, you arrive at the original Porsche Cayenne from the early 2000s. Exclude the “Rambo Lambo” LM002, and the Cayenne was the volume seller that, alongside the Boxster sports car, played a crucial role in keeping the Porsche brand afloat and popularizing the performance SUV format.
The RUF Dakara took that first-gen Cayenne blueprint and pushed it into uncharted territory. Built at RUF’s Pfaffenhausen HQ in Southern Bavaria, this was a ground-up transformation from one of Germany’s most respected boutique automakers (as they carry unique VINs), a build designed for a tiny group of mostly RUF’s customers who wanted Cayenne utility, but with 911 styling cues, and performance that could quietly humble sports cars.
Although the Dakara is a road-biased SUV, there’s no shortage of performance off-road models within Porsche’s lineage. You had the Porsche 911 SC Safari, the 959 Paris-Dakar Rally Cars, the Cayenne Transsyberia, and more recently, the 992, which revived the Dakar nameplate.
As for RUF, it predominantly stuck with sports cars like the Yellowbird. At last year’s Monterey Car Week, they showcased the off-road-friendly Rodeo. But the Dakara predates it by more than a decade, debuting at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show alongside a 997-based soft-window Targa.
By that time, Alois Ruf was no stranger to radical ideas, but entering the SUV space was a calculated risk. Porsche had already proven the Cayenne could sell in big numbers by ‘09. But there was an audience looking for something more powerful, exclusivity, and more of that distinctive RUF character. If you were a Cayenne Turbo S owner in 2008 and wanted to make a statement beyond the factory’s limits, the Dakara was the answer.
The most striking element of the Dakara was undoubtedly its front fascia. RUF swapped the Cayenne’s headlights for units from the 997-generation 911, completely changing the SUV’s face. If you disliked the “fried egg” units of the 996-generation-inspired headlights, the Dakara’s more traditional, rounded lights were a welcome improvement.
Stock exterior colors were vibrant blue, black, and silver. The base aerodynamic composite body kit was designed to fit any Cayenne, not just the facelifted 957. The rest of this kit significantly beefed up the Cayenne’s proportions. Pronounced and wide flared arches made room for 22-inch five-spoke alloy wheels wrapped in 295/30 ZR22 rubber. Side skirts visually lowered the Dakara’s stance, while a sculpted rear diffuser looked like it belonged on a track-focused sports car. The RUF Dakara was also available with several notable optional extras that enhanced both its performance and luxury.
Inside, bespoke leather options extended beyond the standard white, allowing you to customize upholstery and trim. But RUF and its Swiss development partner Platune went far beyond, with a completely redesigned dashboard, sport seats styled like you’d find in a 911, LED mood lighting including a “starry sky” effect, and front and rear cameras. The multimedia system included TV reception, internet access, a CD/DVD changer that could be controlled via a built-in notebook or even an iPhone supplied with the car. This wasn’t a gaudy interior dripping in carbon fiber for the sake of it; it was bespoke and driver-focused.
Under the hood, the Dakara retained the 957 Cayenne Turbo S’s twin-turbocharged 4.5-liter V8 with some noteworthy performance upgrades. The result was 591 horsepower and 659 pound-feet of torque, which was achieved through extensive ECU remapping, upgraded turbochargers, and optimized engine management. It was 50 horsepower more than stock. 0–60 mph: 4.8 seconds and a 180 mph top speed are still impressive figures by modern standards and power was sent to all four wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.
Remember that this was still 2009, when most SUVs were lumbering family haulers. The Dakara could outrun many sports cars while carrying four passengers and luggage. But RUF’s upgrades didn’t stop at the engine. The chassis was stiffened, the suspension electronically lowered, and optional carbon-ceramic brakes could be specified for serious stopping power. It is also worth noting that, for earlier first-gen Cayennes (the 955 chassis), RUF also offered Dakara 550 and 570 horsepower packages before the full body kit you see here was eventually developed.
If you’re looking at the Dakara, its appeal mainly comes down to a few key factors. First, exclusivity, though no confirmed production figure has ever been released, only a dozen or so were built and it was only offered for a single year. Second is pedigree, as it was built by RUF, a manufacturer officially recognized in Germany (not just a tuner), and finally, styling: polarizing and subjective, yes, but in the collector world, that often means unforgettable.
As for price, the Dakara when new, carried a base price north of €230,000 (~$330,000). That was more than twice the cost of a brand-new Cayenne Turbo S at the time, but obviously, you were paying for the aforementioned rarity. If you look at other collector off-roaders or SUVs today, the Lamborghini LM002 has gone from oddball to six-figure icon. Certain Mercedes G-Wagen specials and convertibles models in particular command huge premiums, and yet, the Dakara hasn’t quite hit that same collector hype, at least not yet.
For some context as to where values are these days, a black example was reportedly offered for sale in Germany at just under €90,000 (around $100,000). For something this rare and this well-engineered, that figure is arguably undervalued. Meanwhile, a stock Cayenne Turbo S of the same era can be had for anywhere between $30,000 $40,000.
The biggest hurdle, though, is finding one, as most Dakaras stayed in Europe. Importing to the United States would require careful navigation of DOT and EPA rules, unless you wait for the 25-year exemption. However, online sources suggest that up to five examples made it Stateside. Maintenance is also something you want to consider. While RUF’s mechanical upgrades are top-tier, sourcing certain body or interior parts could be tricky. On the flip side, Cayenne drivetrains are robust, and RUF’s work generally improves durability rather than compromising it.
The Dakara sits at an interesting crossroads in SUV history. It was built before the current high-performance luxury SUV boom went mainstream, and long before every other luxury brand had a 600-horsepower rig in its lineup. It represents a moment when one of the most respected Porsche builders took a gamble on something unconventional.
Today, it’s a sleeper in the collector market, overshadowed by flashier and much newer metal. So, if you have the opportunity to buy one, the Dakara offers something truly exclusive and sits in a strange gap that is attainable enough to tempt you, rare enough to justify the buy, and unique enough to stand out at Porsche events like Luftgekühlt, or even your local Cars & Coffee.
