• Professional race car driver Leh Keen builds custom Porsche 911s through his company The Keen Project.
  • These R1.6 million Porsche cars are built to handle more than just road races.
  • Keen's Safari 911s double as off-road vehicles capable of tackling all kinds of terrain. 

Professional race car driver Leh Keen builds custom Porsche 911s  and transforms them into turns luxury Porsches into heavy-duty off-roaders.

Through his company The Keen Project he turns these iconic luxury sports cars built for racetracks and takes off the pavement altogether.

They call their customs Safari 911s and they can tackle every kind of terrain. The vehicles are customized with a higher lift and with meatier tires than a rally car would. 

"Everyone knows how Porsches are built. They're built strong and durable. When you're out in the desert or the woods you need a car that's reliable. The first 911 put into competition was actually rallied, not road raced which most people think. The Safari cars from Porsche were very successful,” said Keen in an interview with Business Insider. 

Not everyone was initially a fan of Keen's plan to turn such a prestigious car into a mud-flinging off-roader. According to Keen, one of the most difficult parts is acquiring a donor car. They like the black-on-black 1980s 911 and they are really hard to find.

"Porsche did this all through the '70s and early '80s. They did it, so why can't I do it now?" said Keen.

For those interested in their own Safari Porsche, be aware these babies don't come cheap. A custom budget is about R1.6 million. That includes the donor car, the Safari treatment, and my management fee in the end of it.


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