Spy photos of a high-riding Porsche 911 add fuel to Safari rumors

Spy photos of a new 911 prototype boasting a good start and a new spoiler design are re-igniting rumors that Porsche is focusing on a brand new rally-inspired Safari model. 

We don’t know much relating to this prototype in addition to the fact that it boasts both an obvious lift and tires with conspicuously thick sidewalls. It’s also wearing another unique spoiler design in a year already saturated with 911 prototypes defined by them. This new design seems to split the main difference between your classic ducktail and whale tail spoilers which have adorned the rear-engined coupe within the decades. 

It would be simple to dismiss a high-riding 911 prototype as a testbed for many to many other, not-yet-known model if it weren’t for a couple of news items we previously mentioned in the year. For starters, renowned German tuner Gemballa is focusing on an overland-inspired 911, therefore the perception of a lifted variant of Porsche’s icon is certainly on peoples’ minds. 

Second and much more significant, Porsche teased the idea just a month ago when it unleashed a torrent of information about previous prototypes and style studies, including 2012’s 911 Vision Safari. 

That 991-based prototype allegedly reached a comparatively advanced stage of development and stays fully drivable. It received a lifted suspension, off-road tires tucked under flared wheel arches, beefier bumpers on both ends, and a stripped-down cabin with bucket seats, a full roll cage, and little when it comes to creature comforts. This prototype was tested on a single gravel roads Porsche uses to place the Cayenne and the Macan through their paces.

We imagine a full-blown factory Safari model will be a much more road-friendly guise, especially if Porsche wants to attract buyers who desire a rugged look with good road manners, but a hardcore enthusiast variant built in the spirit of the track-oriented GT3 wouldn’t be completely unthinkable.