Lifted Porsche 911 Prototype Spotted at Work, 992 "Safari" Rumors Going Strong

The test car in question recently took to the Nurburgring, which is only normal. First of all, 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.

Then we have the add-on wheel arches, placed there to help notice tolerances, which is a standard procedure, regardless of the vehicle's ground clearance.

Rumors 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 we'll get for the upcoming ".2" revamp of the current 922 generation - this 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 60s, with these being lifted to take part in offroading races such as the Paris-Dakar in the 70s and 80s.

Truth be told, it would be nice 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: Mission E Cross Turismo concept vs. recent prototype).

Note that the clip below (lens tip to statesidesupercars) also involves other Neunelfer test cars, as well as machines from other brands, such as the 2021 BMW M3 and M4 or the 2022 Range Rover.

And one of these is of particular interest to us: the 992 Porsche 911 GT3 RS. We're dealing with a naturally aspirated bomb that might even challenge the expected Nurburgring production car lap record of the twin-turbo Mercedes-AMG GT Black Series (this is estimated to have completed a sub-6:43 lap and we'll return with a dedicated story later today), despite being seriously down on power.

And one of the secrets of the next 3RS comes from the downforce department. Sure, it packs a super-sized wing (as does the Merc, which, by the way, can also be noticed in the clip below). But, if you look closely at the Neunelfer prototype, you'll notice aero bits that channel air from underneath the vehicle, with the "exit" sitting close to the side skirts. This is all part of a global trend that sees motorsport technology making its way to road cars.

PS: While the potential 911 Safari tester can be found at the 2:53 point of the video, the GT3 RS enters the stage at the 4:13 timestamp, while also being showcased in the second part of the image gallery (these are dedicated spyshots).