Cross your fingers that this isn’t another one-off concept that we don’t see for the next 10 years
by Kirby Garlitos, onA high-riding Porsche 911 prototype was recently seen gallivanting around the streets of Germany, adding fuel to the fire that the German automaker might offer a 911 Safari. In 2012, Porsche discreetly built a 911 Safari, but it was a one-off prototype that the public didn’t know about until it was featured in the Porsche Unseen web series back in November 2020. Is this our first look at a road-going Porsche 911 Safari?
What’s the history behind the Porsche 911 Safari?
The Porsche 911 Safari traces its roots back to the late 1970s. At that time, Porsche was a juggernaut in the world of motor racing, and the 911 was one of the most successful racing cars in history. The 911 was particularly dominant in rally racing. It won the Monte Carlo Rally three years in a row from 1968 to 1970, and it also took home the bacon in the 1970 International Champion of Makes, the precursor to what would become the World Rally Championship. Then everything changed. Porsche pulled out of the WRC in the early 70s, and it wouldn’t be until later in the decade when the automaker would return with arguably one of the most unusual 911s ever built. For some people, the 911 Safari was a novelty that didn’t reach its full potential. For others, it was a hellacious rally car that wasn’t given enough chances to succeed. Whichever side of the fence you’re on, one thing was clear: the 911 Safari left an impression in a lot of people’s minds.
The Porsche 911 Safari was powered by an air-cooled flat-six engine. It also came with a raised suspension, an extra set of headlights, body protection, a roll cage, and off-road tires. The raised Porsche competed in some of the toughest rally races in the world, most notably in the 3,100-mile East Africa Safari Rally where it finished a disappointing second place after leading for much of the race until its rear suspension was damaged when the car hit a rock while crossing a river. The 911 Safari never raced after the 1978 East Africa Safari Rally; Porsche actually sent the car to its museum after the race, and it has remained there to this day.
Is Porsche really developing a new 911 Safari?
It does appear that Porsche is working on a new 911 Safari as shown by this 911 prototype’s higher ground clearance. It even has fender flares, which hints that the 911 proto is sitting on a set of wider tires. Even the under part of the front bumper looks different.
That said, Porsche hasn’t given any indication that it plans to release a new 911 Safari, and this prototype could amount to nothing.
The German automaker did develop a concept version of the 911 Safari nine years ago. It never unveiled the concept to the public until a few months ago when it was featured in the Porsche Unseen web series. However, it’s not like there isn’t any interest or demand for a high-riding 911 Turbo. The aftermarket world is ripe with different Safari-like modified 911s.
Kelly Moss Motorsports used an all-wheel-drive, 964-generation Porsche Carrera 4 to build its own version of a 911 Safari. That build included wider track suspension upgrades, massively flared wheel arches, and about ten rally-style lights at the front. Professional race driver Leh Keen also built a 911 Safari through the Keen Project, an initiative started that recreates classic Porsche models from yesteryear. He even used his own 1981 911 SC for the project. Tuthill Porsche, considered as the world’s leading Porsche 911 rally workshop, also built a version of the 911 Safari. It used a 911 SC as the base model.
Then there’s Singer. The company is known for its Porsche builds, and just last month, it unveiled the Singer All-terrain Competition Study (ACS), a car so beautiful it defies explanation. Ironically, Singer worked with Richard Tuthill to build the ACS.
