The Safari name has a rich legacy in Porsche’s history. As any die-hard aficionado of the German marque will tell you that it is a name that is of significant importance, given the pedigree it earned during its stint in rallying.
Fast forward to today and it looks like Porsche is working on a high riding 911, as a test mule of a Safari was spotted earlier this year in February. Now, fresh Spy shots of the Safari have been spotted yet again and it looks like Porsche hasn’t abandoned the idea after all.
The 911 Safari Isn’t Dead Just Yet
From initial impressions, it doesn’t look like much has changed since then. This Porsche has the same increased ride height, sitting on higher-profile tires. What looks like extended fender flares seen on the Vision Safari Concept from 2012, or body cladding as some of you may like to call it, is still present.
However, on closer inspection, one thing that has changed from the last sighting is the five-spoke rims on the rear tire. They’ve been replaced by the same rims upfront. Maybe Porsche is testing a range of tire compounds that will better suit the Safari? Well, time will tell. Apart from that, there really isn’t much to report. This is still the same non-turbo 911 with the rear wing and reworked front and rear bumpers.
Apart from the raised ride height, it really is difficult to distinguish and highlight the subtle changes done to this example finished in black, as is the case with any other Porsche. Imagine the same car in silver or white and the differences would be a little easier to spot.
The Ideal Porsche 911 Safari
However, what I’d really like Porsche to do is to go all out on this one and give us a proper rally-bred Safari with roof lights, roof rails, scuff plates, beefy body cladding, and proper high profile all-terrain tires with white rims. A 911 Safari would be a re-incarnation of an icon. Maybe even reinstate and re-enter the world of rallying to carry on the legacy in motorsport? Well, time will tell.
Why is now the ideal time to bring back the 911 Safari?
While the idea of a 911 on stilts baffled Porsche loyalists back in the day, they really did have to re-think their initial impressions of the car considering how it dominated the world of motorsports. Considering how it's raining SUVs these days, now would be the right time for Porsche to debut a 911 Safari, and those purists may be far more accepting of the car, this time around.
While countless Resto-Modders like Singer with the ACS and Porsche loyalist have had their go at building out a 911 Safari, it looks like the folks from Zuffenhausen will be playing catch up here as they now seek to capture a slice of that market and get in on the action themselves. Our sources tell us that the Porsche 911 Safari should hit the market around 2023.