This Porsche 964 Carrera 4 Safari RS Build Redefines the Category

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When the 964 Carrera 4 launched in 1989, it was a revolution. For a short time the nearly-all-new Carrera 4 sold alongside the outgoing Carrera 3.2 and the 930. Where the older cars clung to tradition, the 964 Carrera 4 pushed bravely into the future; a future KMR Racing is helping to realize. Torsion bars gave way to Macpherson struts and coilovers. The body was more aerodynamic. Most importantly, the classic rear engine, rear drive layout gave way to a radical four-wheel drive system; a first on a production 911.

The Carrera 4 was fast, capable, and unflinchingly stable. The four-wheel drive system is coupled to a stability control system known as PDAS, which was derived from systems developed for the 959. Many of the ingredients which made the stock 964 so good made it more difficult than past 911s to modify. This did not deter Kelly Moss Racing (KMR). KMR’s latest creation is known as the "Safari 2.0." Radically flared, lifted, and beefed up, this go-anywhere 911 looks ready to conquer the world.

Compared to this steroidal beast, Leh Keen’s Safari 911s almost seem simple. The list of modifications on the KMR car is extensive. The bodywork bulges out dramatically thanks to custom bolt-on overfenders, measuring some 11" at the front and 14" at the rear. The flares are fitted with custom fender liners to help protect the bodywork from errant debris. The overfenders are blended in to the bodywork with modified stock 964 rocker covers.

Custom Braid wheels wrapped in Pirelli PZero rally tires should give the car exceptional traction, especially coupled to the stock all wheel drive system. The AWD system used in the 964 has long proved problematic for enthusiasts wanting to modify their cars, as it couples the ABS and traction control together using an ultra-high pressure Hydroboost system. KMR retained the system for this build, and it remains fully functional.

Where most builders would be content with a beefy skidplate, KMR’s go-anywhere approach demanded a more radical solution. The aerodynamic stock bumpers are long gone, replaced by custom 3/16" aluminum items that would look at home on a Moab-bound Jeep. The front bumper houses a quartet of LED lighting clusters, and the rear houses no fewer than six. A Rothmans-style light cluster is mounted to the hood. Did we mention the winch yet? We’ve never seen a 911 with a Warn Winch, but given the nature of this build it looks right at home.

Triple adjustable Kelly Moss spec coilovers are fitted at all four corners, and KMR has aligned the car for offroad use. The oil cooler has been relocated and fitted with an auxilliary fan to keep cool on the hottest days. The brakes are stock, but should prove effective given the size constraints from the custom wheels and the car’s newfound offroad duties.

A surprising number of stock interior elements remain, including stock instrumentation, climate control, power windows, and even the stock center console with the original traction control and diff-lock switches. The stock seats have given way to adjustable Recaros, and the stock handbrake has been augmented by a tall hydraulic unit affixed to the side of the center console.

Backdates and S/T style 911s are all well and good, but we need to applaud Kelly Moss Motorsports’ creativity. This Monocrhome Martini 911 dares to go where few have ever gone before; including devoted 911 rallyists. With a build like this we have just one question: When is our turn?

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