By Dean Larson

Photos: Seller, BringaTrailer.com

There are fewer hotter rides on the market right now than a safari-style Porsche 911, and for good reason. Beyond the fascinating aesthetic of a lifted sports car, safari 911s trace their roots through significant Porsche race cars of the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s. But all that means that bagging one can be difficult these days thanks to high demand and the cost of converting one. This 1983 Porsche 911 SC up for auction on BringaTrailer.com brings its own unique style to the safari scene, and is ready to make a splash at any motorsports event or cars and coffee near you.

The first instance of a safari-modified Porsche dates back to the 1965 Monte Carlo Rally, in which Porsche’s racing manager Huschke von Hanstein expected more PR opportunities than success on the grid. “It’s okay if you finish last” Hanstein allegedly told Herbert Linge and test engineer Peter Falk, and that’s not surprising given the snowy track conditions, but Linge and Falk soldiered on to a class win and fifth overall. Next came European Rally Championships in 1966, ’67 and ’68, along with a fifth place finish in the East African Safari Rally in 1971. The 1980s would bring notable rally victories such as the FIA Middle East Rally Championship, along with the iconic four-wheel-drive 959s and their one-two finish in the 1986 Paris-Dakar Rally. While we’re definitely paraphrasing decades of race history here, it’s not hard to see why enthusiasts drool over safari-style Porsches.

The formula for this car starts with a 1983 Porsche 911 SC (Super Carrera), equipped with an aluminum 3.0-liter M930/16 flat-six engine. Fed by Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection and shifted through a 915 five-speed transmission, the SC model served up 172 hp in federalized spec and was much more reliable than earlier 2.7-liter cars. This car’s covered 132,000 miles in its life, and breaths through a modified intake and an upgraded Dansk stainless steel bypass pipe and a stainless M&K muffler.

Of course the meat of the modifications come down to the suspension, which comes courtesy of Elephant Racing. This firm is located in Santa Clara, California, and specializes in chassis, suspension and braking upgrades for many Porsche models. Their safari conversion kits have become very popular with the recent explosion of the safari trend, and this car is fit with Elephant’s Torsion Bar Safari Stage 1 kit — a $10,000-plus upgrade without installation. This kit includes a host of rubber bushings, de-cambered ball joints, front-end reinforcement components, Von shocks, hardware and more.

But of course it’s more than just the extra 2 inches of lift that makes these cars cool, and this car fills that extra space with 15-inch phone-dial wheels and General Grabber AT² tires, sized 205/75R15. Further modifications in the rally spirit include a TRE Motorsports rally light kit and a stainless steel roof rack from CarBone of Lodz, Poland.

Like any good Porsche, there are a few items that require attention, like the A/C and stereo volume knob, and there are a few small blemishes on the exterior, but I’d say that’s just enough to remind you that you’re driving a 38-year-old car, and enough to encourage you to have a little fun. Looking at the values of safari-style Porsche 911s, it’s nothing to see these cars reach well over $100,000, while milder builds range from $50,000 to $70,000.

Currently sitting at just $20,000 with three days left in the auction, I think this is one to watch. Find it here on BringaTrailer.com.