Porsche

Porsche 996 Safari Build

Porsche 996 Safari: A 911 Built to Go Where Others Don’t

What happens when you take a 2001 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 and build it for adventures beyond the asphalt? Meet Project Safari — a unique 996 combining Porsche’s classic sports car DNA with a completely different attitude.

We’re always excited to see the projects our customers are working on, but every once in a while, something truly unusual catches our attention.

This time, it’s a 2001 Porsche 911 Carrera 4 from Montreal, Canada, undergoing a transformation into an off-road-inspired Safari 911.

And we’re happy to be a small part of the story.

From a Regular Carrera 4 to a Safari 911

The story began with a simple idea: create a Porsche 911 that could comfortably venture beyond smooth pavement without losing what makes a 911 special.

The owner started with a manual-transmission 996.1 Carrera 4 in Zanzibar Red — already an interesting choice thanks to its all-wheel-drive system and distinctive color.

But this wasn’t going to be just another restored 996.

The project involved substantial mechanical work, suspension upgrades, custom wheels, additional protection, and a number of carefully selected visual details.

 

A Custom Safari Tachometer by GaugeFaces

For this project, we had the opportunity to create a custom Porsche 996 tachometer face, designed specifically to complement the Safari theme.

The design features an orange background with subtle topographic contour lines and a distinctive Safari script.

The idea was simple: carry the spirit of the exterior into the driver’s cockpit without making the instrument cluster feel out of place.

At GaugeFaces, we manufacture replacement gauge faces rather than overlays. This allows us to change the appearance of the factory instruments while retaining the original cluster architecture and functionality, including proper illumination.

A custom tachometer is a relatively small part of a project of this scale, but it’s something the driver sees every single time the engine starts.

And that’s exactly why we love making them.

The build includes:

  • Elephant Racing Safari suspension, paired with Bilstein B6 dampers and Safari springs.

  • 17-inch forged BKU Racing wheels in bronze and black, wrapped in Falken Wildpeak all-terrain tires.

  • Custom underbody protection, including an aluminum skid plate.

  • A full body restoration and repaint in Zanzibar Red.

  • A classic ducktail spoiler to complete the exterior.

  • A custom roof rack, designed to carry additional equipment.

  • Safari-specific details, including custom badging, interior accents, and our custom tachometer.

The result is a Porsche that looks equally at home outside a coffee shop or heading toward a remote mountain road.

Installed by the Owner

One of our favorite moments came when the owner documented the installation of his new tachometer face.

The custom dial arrived in May 2026, but its installation was saved for a later stage of the build.

On October 26, the owner finally took on the job himself.

He described the experience as nerve-racking, but the finished result was worth the effort.

That’s another thing we appreciate about these projects: the people behind them aren’t just buying parts. They’re personally involved in bringing their ideas to life.