Porsche has sent a test car to see if it can handle high-riding 911s, which is perhaps the most telling sign that the crossover trend has gone too far.
Porsche hasn’t confirmed plans to launch a high-riding 911, though the automaker’s sales and marketing chief, Detlev von Platen, said in a 2018 interview that such a car “could be a good idea.” He even said such a car could be launched as a limited-edition model.
They are using a much higher suspension than usual. Some testers are equipped with wider wheel arches. A prominent rear spoiler is also included on some models. The thick foam that lines the wheel arches of some testers is a common feature when testing suspension systems. The foam helps engineers measure how close the wheels are to the car’s frame. The foam could also have been used to conceal any suspension configuration.
This is not the first time Porsche has traveled this route. In 1978, Porsche launched its 911 SC Safari rally car. Porsche built three 911-based rally cars 953 that it entered into the Dakar Rally. It eventually won the win.
This Porsche 911 was the first to have an all-wheel-drive system and won the 1984 Paris-Dakar Rally.
Many companies now offer Safari-style conversions to old 911s because of the success of early rally cars. Gemballa and Ruf, three of the most famous Porsche tuning companies, also offered modern versions.
Porsche was the one to investigate the concept of a modern 911 Safari, a secret design that was developed in 2012. This concept, known as 911 Vision Safari was built on the 991-generation 911 but never received the go ahead for production. The current 992-generation 911 is not expected to be this way.
Porsche 911 Vision Safari (2012)
911 Vision Safari featured a raised suspension and flared wheels arches. This is exactly what we can see in these test vehicles. The concept also featured underbody protection, roof-mounted lights and roof-mounted lighting.
The Porsche Safari-style 911 would be targeted at customers in China and Russia. These countries have poor roads that can make it hard to drive a sports car. This is why performance crossovers are so popular in these markets. We’re sure a few would turn up in the U.S., too, given the popularity of high-riding models here. It could be a hit in Porsche’s homeland of Germany, where two-wheel parking is common. We expect that the 2023 model will be released as a 2024 version.
