The Keen Project's Safari-6 911 is not for Everyone
It is not common to see a Porsche 911 anywhere near off-road terrain, but this crazy Leh Keen Safari-6 911 is there to break convention. The choice of color and interior fabric may be just as polarizing as the original idea of an off-road 911 Porsche.
1. Racecar Driver/Builder Leh Keen
The Safari-6 Porsche 911 is the creation of Leh Keen, an American race car driver born in Gerogia, where they are plenty of dirt roads. This Porsche 911 is his sixth African Safari Rally inspired creation, hence the name Safari-6. Keen competes in various races in America, most notably the IMSA United SportsCar Championship. He has been known to drive, race, and collect Porsche 911, but he built his first Safari in order to have a (relatively) inexpensive Porsche that he didn't have to worry about scratching. Soon he found himself building 911 Safaris for others and a brand was born.
2. The Keen Project
Although without the proper glasses this may look like a regular Porsche 911, it is equipped with the sorts of features that Porsche never put in their street or road race cars. However, back in the day these were exactly the type of modifications made by teams running Porsches in off-road rallies. The very first thing you will notice is the lifted suspension, which is the opposite of what most enthusiasts usually do to their 911. Longer travel Elephant shocks are installed, and the taller off-road tires give this 911 an aggressive look, and the ability to go nearly anywhere, pavement or no.
3. Off-Roading Enhancements
You may notice the obvious skid plate on the front, which connects to another skid plate that's even bigger on the bottom, as well as a skid plate to protect the engine in the rear. This Porsche can go over a lot of things with no concerns regarding damage. To complement the skid plates and aggressive off-road lift, Keen adds rally lights on the front, and fabricated bumpers with brush guards.
4. You Can't Miss it
As if the aggressive modifications weren't enough, thanks to the bright purple color this Porsche 911 will stand out even among other Safari 911. The paint is actually very close to an official early 1970s Porsche special order color, caller Royal Purple. The Keen Safari-6 is powered by a tweaked and mildly tuned version of the stock flat-six motor, backed with a manual transmission and rear-wheel drive. Leh's own Safari 911 is bright red, but the owner commissioned this one in one of the tastiest colors Porsche ever offered (if you like grape).
5. Plum Crazy Outside - Crazy Inside
To complement the color and craziness of the exterior, the interior features a psychedelic Pasha cloth material, which was also once a Porsche factory option. Looking at it for too long might get you dizzy, but it's all part of the crazy build known as The Keen Project. The backs of the driver and passenger seats feature the same bright purple, to compliment the exterior.
6. Want One?
Want a Keen Project Safari 911? Well, get out your check book and stand in line. There are already several well heeled customer waiting ahead of you, and no one is talking about exactly how much they are paying.
You can see more of this car, and the rest of his projects on Leh Keen's Instagram page, which is where we got these.
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