Who would have thought that the crossover craze would hit a Porsche 911? A higher riding 911 Safari is in prototype mode, with some serious testing in motion. Familiar features from the recent 911 facelift combine with distinctive all-new design features. We take an exclusive look at the 2023 Porsche 911 Safari.
Dakar Inspiration
With hints at the name pointing towards the 911 Dakar, we have some history to cover. Back in the late 1970s, Porsche entered two of their cars in the Dakar Rally. The Dakar East African Safari Rally to be precise. Two Porsche 911 SC’s found their way into the desert for one of the world’s biggest rallies. The 911 SCs raced over 3,000 miles throughout Kenya. 94 hours or four days later, The German manufacturer was the only team to complete the event with both cars! With this heritage, we can expect the 911 Safari to provide more of that crossover thrill.
Crossover Rebooted
Porsche is up to something with a dramatically increased ride height. We’re not quite sure why, as the Safari isn’t going to go on any mountaineering endeavors, but it does add a bold appeal to the Porsche. Many of us have become accustomed to enjoying a higher ride height. Towering above other cars seems to give some of us a greater sense of security and importance. Just about every car manufacturer has a crossover on offer now. Perhaps Porsche has this psychology in mind.
All-Wheel-Drive
It’s anticipated that the 2023 Porsche 911 Safari will be kitted out with Porsche’s all-wheel-drive system. This will give it that sure-footed grip on the road. Although, we must keep in mind that the tires seen in test drives are road tires. The 911 Safari is still very much designed for road and street performance. The bold 911-wheel arches are characteristic of Porsche’s flair.
Performance Dynamics
The 911 Safari is expected to boast one of Porsche’s flagship engines. The 3.0-liter twin-turbo flat-six. This engine produces 443 horsepower and is capable of a lot more with the right tuning. The Flat Sixy engine has evolved to become a winning engine. A balance of performance, feel and reliability gives the Flat Sixy an unrivaled position. I mean, let’s be honest, who doesn’t enjoy a redline limit of 9000 rpm! We must keep in mind that this is no Porsche 911 GT3, but this isn’t Porsche’s intention with the Safari. We’ll have to wait and see if an electric version of the Safari is on the cards. An electric 911 crossover would be setting foot in completely new territory.
Evolving Body
The Safari boasts molded fenders. That’s right, no bolt-on flares. They also waved the Fuchs style wheels for a set of mesh wheels. These web-like details give a characteristic to an otherwise smooth-looking body. The 2023 concept has also done away with fender-top vents. The 2023 Porsche 911 seems to have a vertical lift in presentation. Even with this, the aerodynamics of the 911 look sound. Porsche wouldn’t compromise on performance when it comes to the 911.
Will Porsche Go All Out?
It’s hard to spot all the changes on a black finished test car. See it in a white finish and the changes will be less challenging to spot. The question is, has Porsche done enough to perk up the ears of adventure-loving Porsche 922 fans? On a dream version of the Safari, we could appreciate some bold styling. Picture the safari with scuff plates, roof rails and roof lights. Add some beefy all-terrain tires with bright rims and the Safari starts to sound enticing. Perhaps Porsche will release a later model offering some of these details.
Some of you may be wondering: Which Porsche should I buy? Should I wait for the safari, or divulge into a currently available model? And that’s completely up to you. At this point, we’ll need to wait a bit longer to see the final product. We’ve no doubt the 2023 Porsche 911 Safari will announce its arrival with various YouTube reviews and a solid marketing campaign. We look forward to seeing this exciting release, make sure to watch this space.