Over the last decades we’ve had various versions of the 911 in safari and rally trim. However, none of these were never based on the 996. That changed when one South African enthusiast decided to build his own.
Words: Wilhelm Lutjeharms
Photos: Rob Till
It is always interesting to listen to an enthusiast’s path to Porsche. This is particularly the case if the path included some great Porsche 911 models, but even more so when they eventually end up building their own car.
“I’ve always been a car guy, from when I was a boy. The love for Porsche came later in my life, however. When I finally had some money to spend on a sports car, I bought a 997 Carrera S. I then realised I’d never again look to a BMW or Mercedes-Benz to give me my thrills’, says Johan de Bruyn, the creator of this 911 “Safari”.
Porsche journey
Johan then bought a couple of GT3s and RS products and subsequently got sucked into what Porsche offers and represents. He also raced with a classic 911 in the local Historics Class and topped it all off with a 997 Cup car.
During his racing excursions he met Phillip Visser. The latter has a long career as a race car builder and race technician, for privateers as well as OEMs like Volkswagen, and he works on several of Johan’s cars.
Johan explains when and how the idea originated to build this car. “It was during 2020 when I had two knee replacements that I had some time to read and I realised everyone was doing resto-mods, but no one was doing anything with the 996. Enthusiasts have been looking down on the 996 for a very long time, but personally I like the lights and overall design of the car. I started doing some research on the Internet. You can buy nearly any aftermarket off-road, rally-inspired part for most Porsche 911s by searching online. However, when I searched for parts for a 996, I discovered there was nothing.
“We searched some more and realised that no one had been through the design and development processes to build a Safari 996. We found one car in Russia, but that was more for racing and was not really road friendly. Then we decided to buy a 996 and develop it into a Safari car.”
First steps
“We first had to sit down and decide what the purpose of the car would be. We wanted the practicalities of a daily driver; it shouldn't be too loud, it should have a unique design, and then most importantly, you should be able to tackle gravel roads with your friends in their Ford Raptors. It should have improved suspension, but the airbags, air conditioning and radio should be functional. We decided on a Carrera 4S because the wider body, improved power delivery and improved brakes appealed to us.”
Such a project obviously has its challenges and Phillip eagerly shares these. “One of the first challenges was to fit the larger wheel and tyre combination, as the radiators and suspension cross members were in the way. Then, the front track is too narrow compared to that of the rear track for an off-road car. Here you want the rear tyres to follow in the tracks of the fronts.”
Upgraded suspension and engine
“So, we looked at the amount of space we had, what and how we could shift things around and what size tyres we could fit. We spoke to Reiger regarding the shock absorbers, discussing how much wheel travel we would like and how much space we have to work with. The result is that we now have close to 200 mm of wheel travel on each corner and an enormous 280 mm of ground clearance. The control arms at the front are 120 mm wider in total and at the rear around 60 mm. The top mounts for the McPherson struts I had to move outwards and the drive shafts are longer.
“The engine is mostly standard, although we replaced the IMS bearing, the catalytic converters have been removed and it was fitted with a set of performance headers. Local exhaust specialist Van der Linde Systems built the exhaust as a custom project. It’s a beautiful system, but unfortunately hidden behind the custom rear bumper.”
Further upgrades
“The entire bottom of the car has been covered, at the front by a 3 mm thick steel bash plate, and from the middle of the car rearwards a polyurethane-coated 5 mm aluminium plate does duty. This is, of course, to protect all the mechanicals underneath the car when taken off-road.”
Staying at the rear, a limited slip differential was fitted to put the torque down more effectively. The unique wheel arch extensions and rear wing are made from glass fibre, finished by hand after moulding. Parts like the metal bumper extensions were designed using CAD software, while other parts were 3D printed. Suspension parts, like the lower control arms, are made from 7075 aluminium, CNC machined and hot anodised thereafter.
Johan continues: “Phillip lives 250 km from me, so the design and build process took some time. Hundreds of pictures were shared backwards and forwards over the first year-and-half to make sure we were on the same page.”
The cabin
The seats are light and quite unique, as they are made from carbon-fibre… and have an interesting story behind them. Phillip explains: “At some stage in my working life I managed to get a hold of these two Mercedes-McLaren SLR carbon-fibre shells. I’ve had these seat bases for probably around 15 years knowing that somewhere along the line I’d find a use for them. When we started this project, I decided that these seats would be a perfect fit. Cushions were made for the bases and the seat backs were painted in the same colour as the car.”
Additional details
On the luggage lid a set of four IPF spotlights have been fitted. Phillip designed and made the mould for the cover himself. It is arguably, along with the Thule Canyon XT roof rack carrying a spare wheel, the main exterior features that clearly show off this 996’s true intent. As with some of the suspension parts, Phillip himself had to design the brackets to make the roof rack fit.
From the day Phillip opened his toolbox to start stripping the 996 Carrera 4S until final project completion was around 18 months, with designing and discussion happening on the trot all along during this time. Needless to say, the second car took much less time.
Behind the wheel
Parked outside Pretoria on a dark gravel road, sitting on raised suspension, off-road tyres and with solid metal bumpers, this particular 996 oozes intent, much more so than the arguably anodyne look of a standard 996.
As I get into the car, some tasteful exterior colour coordinating touches are immediately obvious. Parts around the infotainment system and ventilation controls, as well as the transmission tunnel and handbrake lever have been painted the same hue as the car’s exterior; the latter being a slight variation on Porsche’s Olive Green.
Today, on this Highveld gravel road with tall grass borders, the car fits right in: It may as well be competing in the East African Safari... The seats feel solid and sturdy – race car like – and I initially think they may be lacking in sufficient padding. But this is not the case and I settle in easily. I reckon even larger figures will get comfy without much trouble. The rest of cabin is pure 996 with the carpet trim on the lower areas of the doors still in place as well as the small seats in the back. With the fixed front seats (although still fitted to their rails), the rear seats are best used as luggage space.
Even though the car is two decades old, the rest of the cabin is in a relatively good condition offering the straightforward instrumentation and button layout of the 996 generation. The view over the bonnet is unlike any other 911 I’ve driven. The rear of the spotlight cover is clearly visible and it immediately makes you think you’re Björn Waldegård. Although you might sit higher off the ground thanks to the raised body, the seat is still close to the floor, so the driving position remains very much that of a sports car.
Driving the car at speed on gravel surfaces varying from smooth to heavily and irregularly pockmarked, the pliancy and breadth of ability provided by the suspension and tyre combination is impressive. It requires a bit of a mind shift to adapt to the fact that you don’t need to swerve for the slightest pothole or bump in the road.
Even though the Safari weighs more than the standard car, offering 235 kW is more than enough to make things exciting on a gravel road – it again confirms that you need less power on a gravel road than on tarmac to have fun. Even though being all-wheel drive, and still offering a small percentage of the torque to the front axle, when you apply enough throttle the rear will easily step out on gravel surfaces, still giving you that rear-wheel drive experience.
The car feels confident in its new role and there is nothing actually stopping you, once you have loaded a few tools and equipment, from tackling the gravel roads strewn throughout Southern Africa for a very pleasant multiple-week road trip.
Back on the road the capabilities of a 911 are immediately apparent. The car still pulls strongly right around the dial to just over 7 000 rpm, while the slick shifting gearbox is in line with the shift quality I’ve experienced on other 996s I’ve driven, including GT3s. It is only during heavy cornering and under braking that you realise there is more body roll and dipping from the body and suspension. It is to be expected, of course, but overall the true 911 sports car driving experience is still very evident here.
As Johan jokingly mentions, the aim of this Safari is to be able to tow other 4x4s out of tricky situations when they get stuck, while still offering that typical 911 experience. There are already a number of buyers that are agreeing with him.
Specifications
Model: 2003 996-generation Porsche Carrera 4S “Safari”
Engine: 3.6-litre, flat-six cylinder
Power: 235 kW at 6 800 rpm
Torque: 370 N.m at 4 250 rpm
Transmission: 6-speed manual
Wheels & tyres front and rear: 235/55 R18 tyres, OZ Racing 18-Inch, 8J wheels
0-100 km/h: >5.1 seconds
Top speed: <280 km/h