After securing its first win at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1970, Porsche’s factory racing squad began setting its sights on other high-profile motorsport events, including the East African Safari – a grueling, more than 3,000-mile race traversing a slew of the continent’s Sub-Saharan countries. And though the Stuttgart firm failed to replicate the success it achieved at the Circuit de la Sarthe, the 911 Group 4 rally racers still stand as automotive icons, combining the Super Carrera’s performance capabilities with a lifted and ruggedized rally setup.
And it’s one of these Martini-liveried 911 SCs from the East Africa Safari that inspired this beautifully executed Porsche off-roader replica. This vehicle started life as a U.S. market 1980 911 3.2 — the same G Series platform that the actual EAS racers were constructed around — though in 2016 it underwent a major transformation, bestowing it with a safari-spec redesign that would allow it to competently tackle all-terrain conditions while still lending itself to daily driving duties. Now sporting 11″ of ground clearance, this safari tribute has received rally-grade KONI shocks, a reinforced undercarriage with custom underslung crash bars and a full suite of skid plates, white Fuchs wheels shod in all-terrain tires, a completely refurbished 3.2L flat-six – courtesy of FlatSpecialities — mated to a reconditioned five-speed gearbox, and a trio of hood-mounted Cibié headlights supplemented via a single Cibié spotlight replacing the car’s passenger-side mirror. Other minor additions and modifications include an HVAC delete, an upgraded fuel pump, stainless steel exhaust, a revised electrical system, custom fiberglass bumpers, and a one-off engine cover. Completing the project is a replica Martini Racing livery based on the 1970s EAS factory racers.
Showing just under 81,000 miles on the odo, this 1980 Porsche 911 SC East Africa Safari racer tribute is currently being sold through French exotic auto dealer Mecanicus, where the Parisian outfit is asking approximately $150,950 for the car.
