Total 911

History of the Porsche 911 in rallying

-

Porsche has a long-standing associatio­n with competitiv­e racing. Indeed, the company was entering events shortly after it was founded.

Only three months after production started of the 911 2.0-litre, a car was entered into its first internatio­nal rally: Herbert Linge and Peter Falk took part in the 1965 Monte Carlo Rally, with Vic Elford winning the race in 1968. in 1968 Porsche also prepared three 911s for customers to take part in the 10,000-mile London–sydney Marathon. Two of the cars finished, while the third dropped out in Afghanista­n owing to brake problems.

Success on dirt continued with Björn Waldegård and Lars Helmer winning the Swedish Rally (1969) as well as Austria’s Alpine Rally (1970). Then in 1974, three Carrera 2.7 ‘Safaris’ were entered in the East African Safari. Based on the Carrera RS, Björn Waldegård and Hans Thorzelius brought one of these home in second place. In 1978 two 911

SC 3.0 Safaris were entered by the factory in the 26th Safari Rally Kenya.

Another name that’s synonymous with Porsche and rallying is Walter Röhrl. He signed with Porsche in 1981 and entered the San Remo Rally with a 911 SC, but sadly on this excursion a half shaft broke.

Porsche’s success with the 959 in the 1986 Paris–dakar Rally is well documented, but the lead-up to that event came with the success of René Metge behind the wheel of a 911 Carrera

4x4 (also called the 953) with a massive 27cm of ground clearance. This laid the foundation for the upcoming rally success of the 959.

“Apply enough throttle and the rear will easily step out on gravel surfaces”

Model 996 Carrera 4S Year 2003 Engine Capacity 3,596cc Compressio­n 11.3:1 ratio Maximum power 320bhp at 6,800rpm Maximum torque 370Nm at 4,250rpm Transmissi­on Six-speed manual Suspension

Front Independen­t, Macpherson strut, coil springs

Rear Independen­t, multilink, coil springs Wheels & tyres

Front & Rear 8x18-inch OZ Racing wheels all round; 235/55 R18 tyres Dimensions Length 4,480mm Width 1,949mm Weight 1,555kg Performanc­e 0-62mph 5.6 seconds Top speed 171mph

to 200mm of wheel travel on each corner and an enormous 280mm of ground clearance.

“The control arms at the front are 120mm wider in total and at the rear around 60mm. The top mounts for the Macpherson 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.

“The entire bottom of the car has been covered. At the front by a 3mm thick steel bash plate, and from the middle of the car rearwards a polyuretha­necoated 5mm aluminium plate does duty. This is of course to protect all the parapherna­lia 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, were made from 7075 aluminium, CNC machined and hot anodised thereafter.

Johan continues: “Phillip lives 150 miles from me, so the design and build process took some time. Hundreds of pictures were shared backwards and forwards over the past year-and-a-half to make sure we were on the same page.”

The seats are light and unique, because they’re 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-benz SLR Mclaren 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.” Johan and Phillip have also made moulds from the seats, so if they want to replicate them in the future they can.

A set of four IPF spotlights have been fitted on the luggage lid. 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 nature. As with some of the suspension parts, Phillip had to design the brackets to make the roof rack fit. The car is already generating interest, because a second car is currently being built that might be for sale.

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 will most likely take much less time to build.

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 as the car’s exterior hue; 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 there may not be sufficient padding. But this isn’t the case and I settle easily. I reckon even larger drivers will get comfy without much trouble. The rest of the 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. It provides the straightfo­rward instrument­ation and button layout of the 996 generation. The view over the bonnet is unlike any other 911 I’ve driven, however. 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, its 320bhp on offer 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 the car’s all-wheel drive, and still supplying 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 distinctiv­e rear-wheel drive experience.

The car feels confident in its new role and there’s nothing actually stopping you from tackling the gravel roads strewn throughout Southern Africa for a very pleasant multiple-week road trip – once you’ve loaded a few tools and materials that you may not find in the back woods.

Back on the road the capabiliti­es of a 911 are immediatel­y apparent. The car still pulls strongly right around the dial to just over 7,000rpm, while the slick-shifting gearbox is line with the shift quality that I’ve experience­d on other 996s I’ve driven, including GT3S.

It’s only during heavy cornering and under braking that you realise there’s more body roll and dipping from the body and suspension. It’s to be expected, of course, but overall the true 911 sports car driving experience is still very evident here.

As the owner 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. In my eyes, those two boxes have been firmly ticked.

 ?? ??
 ?? ??
 ?? ??
 ?? ??
 ?? ?? ABOVE LEFT Chassis fettling includes wider control arms, relocated top mounts, and long-travel Reiger coilovers ABOVE Even with the off-road trappings such as the bonnetmoun­ted spotlights, the 996 Safari still feels as though you’re sitting in a sports car
ABOVE LEFT Chassis fettling includes wider control arms, relocated top mounts, and long-travel Reiger coilovers ABOVE Even with the off-road trappings such as the bonnetmoun­ted spotlights, the 996 Safari still feels as though you’re sitting in a sports car
 ?? ?? LEFT Johan and Phillip worked to give the car a decent amount of ground clearance – 280mm, no less!
LEFT Johan and Phillip worked to give the car a decent amount of ground clearance – 280mm, no less!
 ?? ??
 ?? ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from United Kingdom