California’s Singer Vehicle Design is known to care about Porsche’s air-cooled cars of the past, most notably the 911, and now the custom construction company has turned its hand to rallying in the form of a 1990 911 964 Safari.
Built for a longtime customer, the Singer Safari 911 was built as an All-Terrain Competition Study (ACS), and as TopGear reports, it was designed to “compete in off-road racing and demonstrate exploration skills across the terrain” It was built in Oxfordshire, England, with the help of 911 rally specialist Richard Tuthill, who together with Singer produced a 911 which is a contemporary homage to Porsche rally cars from the 60s.
Although it may seem unusual at first to place a 1990’s 911 on stilts, the pedigree is actually as certain as the day. In 1965, Porsche raced with a 911 in the Monte Carlo Rally, and in the mid-1980s the brand won the Dakar Rally with its 953 and 959 Safaris. These cars inspired the design of the Singer 911 Safari – mainly having the influence of the 959’s surrounding rear wing – while rally elements drawn from the past continue to feature throughout this unique commission.
It was equipped with a 3.6-liter, six-cylinder, air-cooled six-cylinder turbocharged engine that produces almost 450 BHP, however, this number can be increased depending on the requirements of the event. In addition, four-wheel drive is permanently on, while elements such as a five-speed sequential gearbox, an FIA-specified protective cage, robust tires (with two spare parts) and long-range fuel tanks help further. the car’s rally credentials.
To reduce weight, the model was made entirely of carbon fiber, which sits on top of a long-haul suspension system and 16-inch forged aluminum wheels wrapped in thick tires. Finally, the interior is as bare as possible, with only its FIA bucket seats, navigation system and hydraulic handbrake rod highlighted.
As mentioned, this model is a unique model. As a result (and because it is a Singer), the price of this Singer Safari 911 is expected to be around seven digits. Take a closer look above and see TopGearthe exclusive tour above too.
In other parts of the automotive world, Bentley introduced plug-in hybrid technology on its Bentayga.