A quick glance at the generous world of Porsche 911 modifications reveals that jacked-up 911s that can take their driver anywhere are a trend that’s only getting stronger. As such, our spies’ jaws dropped when coming across this manufacturer-owned prototype with a generous ground clearance.
The test car was spotted on the Nürburgring today – which might come as a surprise for an off-road 911. But then again, such a high(er)-riding 911 would still spend a lot of time on the road. Secondly, testing on the Green Hell doesn’t necessarily mean the vehicle is set up specifically for the track, but rather revolves on the extreme feedback delivered by the German circuit.
As opposed to, say, Ferrari, which always tries to keep its testers as far from the public as possible, Porsche prefers to conceal its upcoming developments in plan sight. And, when it comes to this rear-engined coupe, it seems that we’re dealing with a Carrera (S) that sits noticeably higher than normal.
There are also add-on wheel arches, placed there to help notice tolerances, which is a standard procedure, regardless of the vehicle’s ground clearance.
Rumours about Zuffenhausen adding a lifted derivative to the always-rich 911 lineup have been strong since the previous 991 incarnation of the rear-engined sportscar and perhaps this is one of the treats for the upcoming “.2” revamp of the current 922 generation – which is also expected to bring the first hybrid powertrain in the history of the iconic model (the gas-electric setup has already been confirmed).
The Porsche DNA for such a Safari-style proposal is certainly there, since the automaker first built rally cars out of 911s back in the 1960s, with these being lifted to take part in offroading races such as the Paris-Dakar in the 1970s and 80s.
It would definitely make sense to see such an addition to the Porsche range, especially after the “wagon” incarnation of the Taycan might have lost its generous ground clearance en route to production.
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