A road trip through the USA’s Southwest in a Porsche 911 Dakar

A USA road trip in a Porsche 911 Dakar with AHEAD

The AHEAD collection. Inspired by the journey. Designed for the road

July 1, 2025 | 10 min read

Porsche 911 Dakar in grey on desert road

From the sun-scorched valleys of Arizona to the surreal stillness of the New Mexico desert, the AHEAD road trip through America’s Southwest was a journey for the senses – and the soul

From skate parks and retro diners, through sacred lands and desert plains, the AHEAD road trip in the Porsche 911 Dakar is one that goes far beyond the ordinary. Travelling through Arizona and New Mexico, each stop reveals a different facet of the American Southwest, shaped by its bold characters, vast landscapes and open skies. A place that never fails to stir the soul. At the heart of it all is the AHEAD collection, designed for those who live to move forward.

Porsche 911 on desert road, cactus landscape — The AHEAD road trip was a fascinating voyage of discovery through the American Southwest, taking in breathtaking desert scenes and mountain roads, meeting plenty of fascinating people along the way Photo: Porsche

Taliesin West, Phoenix, Arizona

Under scorching desert sun, the road trip begins in Phoenix, Arizona at Taliesin West, the former winter residence of the visionary early 20th Century architect, Frank Lloyd Wright. Surrounded by desert terrain and towering saguaro cacti, the 911 Dakar crew meet the first guest of their Porsche road trip, Paulina Centeno, from the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation.

“People just assume that the desert is barren,” says Paulina, “but it blooms and comes alive every year.” That’s certainly true of the tree-like saguaro. A protected species, it’s a natural wonder in its own right, reaching heights of up to 12 metres in height.

Rear view of Porsche 911 Dakar driving on road at dusk — The 911 Dakar and its crew push on to Rockin’ S Art Ranch, where muralist La Morena pays homage to the vibrancy of the desert through art Photo: Porsche

Rockin’ S Art Ranch, Arizona

With the sun still low in the morning sky, the AHEAD team continues on to Rockin’ S Art Ranch, where muralist La Morena brings the landscape to life on three custom skateboards created for Porsche. “Arizona is special. Phoenix is home to 22 Native American tribes,” she explains. “I’m both Native American and Mexican American, but I identify as Chicana. Much of my inspiration comes from my culture, my background and the desert.”

At first glance, the vibrant colours in La Morena’s work seem exaggerated. “People don’t always believe it, but our sunsets really do look like that,” she says. “One of my favourite things is when someone sees those colours, connects with them and opens up to share their story.”

Artist Sean Wotherspoon, in baseball cap, next to Porsche 911 Dakar — Artist and designer Sean Wotherspoon, here with the 911 Dakar, knows a thing or two about art and Porsche – in 2022 he created a stunning Taycan art car Photo: Porsche

Also in Phoenix, Sean Wotherspoon, the top designer and an artist with a long-standing link with Porsche – he created an memorable Porsche art car in 2022 – caught up to talk about how creativity thrives on the unexpected. “I love not knowing what’s ahead, but preparing for it,” he says. This sense of open-ended possibility is central to Sean’s approach to design. Of feeling textures, collecting colours and soaking up the character of different places. “Even the leather on this chair and the way it’s faded from your hands – to me, this is a design element I would love to apply to something,” he explains.

He connects with the spirit of the AHEAD collection, describing it as a natural extension of how he moves through the world. “To me, AHEAD is a few different things,” says Sean. “It’s the road ahead. It’s being ahead of the curve or ahead of the game. Not everything has to be planned. Sometimes you just drive, and there’s beauty in the natural, organic discovery.”

Watch Episode 1 of the AHEAD Arizona road trip video

Pecos Skate Park, Arizona

It’s time to move on to Pecos Skate Park, where skater Andrew Cannon ditches his minivan to take the keys to the 911 Dakar. “Everything in my life is intense, and I’m definitely too much for a lot of people,” he says with a grin. Slipping behind the wheel of the Porsche, he can’t help but whoop as he picks up speed. “We’re on the highway, watching our speed climb yet it feels like we’re just cruising. This car feels wild.”

Andrew’s ride in the 911 Dakar perfectly embodies the spirit of AHEAD – fuelled by adrenaline, spontaneous and authentic. All things, not coincidentally, that he loves about skateboarding, too. “Skateboarding used to be so prescribed,” he remembers. “You needed to dress and look a certain way and listen to a specific type of music. But now? You can go low impact, gnarly or weird and you’ll still find your place. It's the person who is inside.”

Porsche 911 Dakar driving through white desert sands — At White Sands National Park, the 911 Dakar kicks up clouds of desert dust as it makes its way across the otherworldly surface Photo: Porsche

Saguaro National Park, Tucson, Arizona

Further south, the Saguaro National Park sprawls out before the 911 Dakar, its towering century-old cacti standing like sentinels. This forest of spiky silhouettes against brilliant desert skies may be ancient but it also hums with energy.

Chef Janos Wilder, a Tucson local, describes this place as a culinary Eden. “When I first arrived in southern Arizona over 40 years ago, it seemed like the driest and hottest place I had ever been,” he says. “I couldn’t believe anything could grow here. But I’ve since realised that Tucson is home to both the sun and foods with a history spanning over 5,000 years. This bounty is unlike anything else in the world.”

Watch Episode 2 of the AHEAD Arizona road trip video

Pima Air & Space Museum, Tombstone and Willcox Playa, Arizona

At the Pima Air & Space Museum in Tucson, the team encounters rows of weathered jet engines and Cold War bombers that stretch far towards the horizon, their metallic shells faded by decades of exposure to the unforgiving Arizona sun. But even more fascinating locations are calling.

It’s a winding route into Tombstone – “the town too tough to die” – where, at the Old Tombstone Western Theme Park, dusty streets and wooden storefronts bring the legends of the Wild West to life. “It’s kind of cool,” says Bill Fortenberry, the park’s manager and a lifelong Porsche fan. “Two worlds meeting each other, with Porsche out here in Tombstone.”

And then… silence. Willcox Playa is a vast, dried-out lakebed, stretching like cracked leather across the horizon. This is where the 911 Dakar lets loose, kicking up clouds of brilliant white dust as this most adventurous of sportscars dances across the terrain. Amid its open spaces, AHEAD has certainly found its rhythm.

Porsche 911 Dakar at Old Tombstone Western Theme Park — At the Old Tombstone Western Theme Park, the echo of staged gunfights reverberates through its streets as actors in cowboy boots spin tall tales, bringing the region’s history to life Photo: Porsche

White Sands National Park, Dripping Springs Natural Area and Valley of Fires, New Mexico

On the 911 Dakar ventures, across the state border into New Mexico. At White Sands National Park, gypsum dunes ripple across the landscape like frozen waves on the surface of the moon. From there, the route takes a turn south to Las Cruces, where red rock ridges rise from the desert. In the nearby Dripping Springs Natural Area, rugged trails wind through volcanic terrain and desert blooms cling to the cracks, the canyon walls turning copper at sunset.

Here the road dips into the Valley of Fires, a stretch of hardened lava flows at the Carrizozo Volcanic Field. Black rock twists across the land like ink – stark, raw and endlessly photogenic. For the 911 Dakar, the valley is a playground of ridges and dips that demands both driving finesse and tapping into its considerable torque and horsepower.

Finally, rising out of the plains like something from a sci-fi film, the Very Large Array appears. This collection of dozens of massive radio telescopes turn their faces to the sky, listening for whispers from deep space.

Rear view of Porsche 911 Dakar at train track crossing — Imagine a place where silence reigns supreme and the landscape is impossibly vast. Time slows down and the tracks of the 911 Dakar wind their way through this surreal setting Photo: Porsche

Bonanza Creek Ranch, New Mexico

From Albuquerque, the team heads to Bonanza Creek Ranch, located just outside Santa Fe. This vast film set has provided the backdrop for Western movies since the 1950s. “We have seven different sets, so we can have multiple productions at once,” explains ranch manager Shannon Hughes. “I just love it when there’s activity and the town comes to life. Depending on the director or production team, this town can look so different.”

Woman with back turned to camera, wearing loose-fitting AHEAD T-shirt — The AHEAD range offers plenty of road trip essentials, including T-shirts, hoodies and thermo mugs. You can even buy model cars of the vehicles on this very road trip Photo: Porsche

Taos, Rio Grande, Monument Valley, New Mexico

From Santa Fe, the 911 Dakar climbs the High Road to Taos – a scenic byway that stitches together remote villages, pine-covered ridges and views that stretch as far as the eye can see. Just outside Taos, the road dips into Taos Pueblo, a UNESCO World Heritage Site which has been inhabited continuously for over 1,000 years.

Its sun-baked adobe houses are layered like cakes against the backdrop of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains. From there, it’s a short drive to the Rio Grande Gorge Bridge, one of the highest in the US. Further west, the land sharpens. Shiprock, or Tsé Bitʼaʼí (“rock with wings” in Navajo), rises out of the desert like a myth made real.

Sacred to the Navajo Nation, its dark, jagged spine draws the eye up, then inwards. In Monument Valley, a place synonymous with the Southwest, red stone buttes cast long shadows. And, through it all, the 911 Dakar keeps moving, with dust trailing behind it and freedom ahead.

Woman holding thermos cup, leaning on Porsche car — Keeping hydrated on long desert road trips is a must Photo: Porsche

Hunts Mesa, Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, New Mexico

In Hunts Mesa, tucked deep within the Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park, the AHEAD team meets Garry Holiday Jr. of Navajo Spirit Tours. He reminds them that the road is sacred.

“The Earth is a living female entity,” he says. “The way you respect your mother is the way we respect the Earth.” For his people, the land is alive and deserving of reverence. Here, driving becomes a ritual – one of presence, gratitude and connection to something deeper.

Woman with head covered by a scarf, leaning against car — The AHEAD collection is perfect for all those who love to travel far and are ready for adventure Photo: Porsche

Antelope Slot Canyons and Marble Canyon, Flagstaff, Arizona

The AHEAD road trip nears its end by passing through some of the most iconic and surreal landscapes in the Southwest. Take the famous slot canyons of Antelope Canyon near Page, for example – a natural cathedral of sculpted sandstone where light filters in like liquid gold. From there, the road leads across the dizzying heights of the Navajo Bridge in Marble Canyon. Suspended above one of the narrowest points of the Colorado River, the bridge provides dramatic views of the deep gorge below.

Then it’s on to Flagstaff, the largest city in northern Arizona, where the cool mountain air provides a welcome relief from the heat of the desert plain. Surrounded by pine forests and framed by the San Francisco Peaks, Flagstaff provides a striking contrast.

Woman in sunglasses in front of Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet — Staying cool with AHEAD apparel under a blazing Arizona sun Photo: Porsche

Sedona, Arizona

In Sedona, the tarmac gives way to rocky trails and descents that get the adrenaline pumping – the perfect location to meet up with professional mountain biker, Heather Munive. Testing the Porsche eBike Cross Performance, she discovers that it offers more than just performance. “When I’m on my bike, it’s honestly one of the most therapeutic experiences ever,” Heather says. “I forget about all my worries and stresses.”

Conquering new obstacles and overcoming challenges is what keeps her grounded, she says. “The satisfaction of achieving something is one of the greatest feelings in the world.”

Mountain biker on Porsche eBike Cross Performance in Arizonan desert — Pro mountain biker, Heather Munive, gives the Porsche eBike Cross Performance a workout over some typically red-coloured Arizonan terrain Photo: Porsche

AHEAD, in every sense of the word

More than just a road trip, AHEAD is a state of mind – one that is grounded in freedom, curiosity and the desire to forge connections. Every dusty mile, every bend in the road, every unexpected encounter becomes part of a larger story.

The AHEAD Collection brings this journey off the road and into everyday life. Drawing inspiration from the raw landscapes and diverse characters encountered along the way, the pieces embody the spirit of motion and discovery – rugged outerwear for chilly desert mornings, vibrant colours reminiscent of sunset skies and technical materials designed for movement.

Whether it’s a windbreaker or a hoodie that still holds the warmth of an Arizona road trip, the AHEAD Collection is a wearable reminder that life’s best stories are written along the way.

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