petrolhedonist

Forget spending half a million on a Porsche 911 Dakar. A combination of South African know-how and British craftsmanship has got just what you need.

When Porsche dropped the 911 Dakar, the internet lost its collective mind. Here was Stuttgart’s answer to everyone who’d ever wondered what a rear-engined sports car would look like tackling the outback. At $491,400 before on-roads, it was expensive. With just a handful of units available in Australia, it was unobtainable. And now? They’re all gone.

Every single one.

So what’s a lifted-Porsche-obsessed enthusiast to do?

Enter SafariProjek – and its UK partner, Rough Roads Engineering.

Born during the 2020 lockdowns in South Africa (where, let’s be honest, they know a thing or two about roads that’ll shake your fillings loose), SafariProjek is the brainchild of Johan de Bruyn and Phillip Visser. De Bruyn races Porsches on track and in rally-raid events. Visser is a mechanical engineer with over a decade of experience building rally cars and running race teams.

What happens when you lock two blokes like that in a garage with too much time and a couple of 911s? Exactly what you’d hope.

These aren’t your typical “stick a lift kit on it and call it a day” builds. Using 996 and 997 Series 911s as donor cars, the team completely redesigned the suspension, widening the front track by 120mm and altering the rear geometry to improve weight transfer under braking on loose surfaces.

Bespoke components are machined from 7075 aircraft-grade aluminium – the good stuff – fitted with chromoly rod end bearings. The shocks come from Reiger, the same German outfit that supplies actual Dakar Rally teams. All up, you’re looking at roughly 200mm of wheel travel front and rear.

Ground clearance? A frankly absurd 280mm. That’s more than a HiLux. In a 911. Let that sink in.

The underside gets polyurethane-coated aluminium protection plates covering basically everything necessary, because these things are built to actually be used, not just looked at in a climate-controlled garage.

The bodywork cops the complete treatment too: custom widebody kit with fibreglass overfenders, bespoke bumpers front and rear, and your choice of 17 or 18-inch rally wheels from OZ Racing or Evo Corse wrapped in chunky BFGoodrich all-terrains.

Want a roof rack with a spare mounted up top? Done.

Quad rally lights on the bonnet like you’re about to tackle the East African Safari? Absolutely.

Insiders tell us these things are an absolute hoot to drive. Turn off the tarmac onto rough dirt at 100… You won’t even flinch… The suspension just gobbles it up. Which is precisely the point.

And the even better bit… Despite all these modifications, the drivetrain, brakes, and critical running gear remain factory Porsche. Any dealer can still service it without needing specialist knowledge.

The operation has now completed about a dozen builds with plenty more on the books.

Pricing varies with specification, but you’re starting with a used water-cooled 911 – not a brand-new 992. Even fully loaded, you’d likely come out well under the Dakar’s half-million asking price. And you can actually get a manual gearbox.

For anyone who looked at the 911 Dakar and thought “that’s the one” before checking the price tag and availability, SafariProjek might be precisely what you’re after.

Proper rally pedigree, genuine outback capability, and unlike Porsche’s factory effort… You can actually put your name on one.

PS: if you do, give us a go…