Back in 1984, Porsche->ke1 looked to be a key part of Group B racing in an effort to develop and explore technology for it's road-going cars. After a weak start and two years of lackluster performance though, the Rally 959 in 1986 went on to achieve a 1-2 finish at the Paris-Dakar. However with the cost involved with motorsports, the viability of the project, along with the knowledge gained in racing decreasing, the Rally 959's days of driving over rough dusty terrain came to an end.

Today, almost 30 years later though, with all the speculations about Porsche's return to rallying->ke191 with a possible rally version of the 911 to be unveiled at the Beijing Motor Show. it seems we could soon see some new Porsche's swapping asphalt with rough terrain.

So to visualize what the rumored rally car - dubbed the 911->ke282 Safari, could look like, we at TopSpeed decided to prepare a set of renderings for you.

Click past the jump for the complete set of renderings of the 911 Safari

Design Analysis - In Detail

To start off our renderings, we decided to borrow design cues and elements from the 1986 Paris-Dakar Rally-winning, Porsche 959. The prussian-blue and white combination of the iconic Rothmans livery, which is same as the one used in the award winning rally car back in 1986, as well as various other Porsche's in endurance races over the years as well, serve a reminder of the somewhat forgotten rallying history of the brand as well as Porsche's own racing DNA.

To start the transition of the 911 from a slick 190+ mph sports car to a rallying beast, we raise the low slung suspension of the car for a better drive in the deserts and the rough dusty tracks.The front bumper features a redesigned lower section with shorter overhangs - suited for rally conditions.

For better driving stability, control and to reduce body roll, the car has wider tracks at both front and rear. Wider and slightly squarish wheel arches are added for better free movement of the new wheels and exude a muscular look and stance to the rally car.

The standard headlamps are modified with reinforced ones with optional add on headlamps located on the bonnet for the long distance rallies. For the engine's requirement, a large air scoop is added on the roof of the vehicle which adds a bit of flair to the design too.

The standard rims of the 911 are dropped in favor of more durable, functional although a bit boring looking rims. To accommodate the new tires, the wheel wells are enlarged with more buffer space for free movement of wheels while racing through rough terrain.

For weight reduction, the standard side glass windows are replaced with motorsports-spec, permanent plastic windows. along with removal of all creature comforts. Metallic rear view mirror casings are replaced by plastic ones.

The underside of the car is protected from the flying gravel particles from the wheels by reinforced plastic, as well as from the large mudflaps located behind each wheel.

On the rear, the bumper is modified with smaller overhang and more angular lower section. The exhaust is raised up to a steep angle, with it's lower section protected from gravel and tiny stones with plastic casings at the bottom.

The standard rear spoiler of the 911 is modified with openings in the center for better air flow and cooling of the rear-engine car during very hot climate -- generally associated with rally events.

Additionally, a large wing is added on the rear to help improve aerodynamics of the car and increase downforce.To finish up the renderings, we added the 'Rally' badge at the back.