KW launches new V3 Safari Style coilovers

Building a cut-price 911 Dakar? KW has just the suspension you'll be needing...

A bit like ‘furlough’, the word ‘overlanding’ wasn’t really in regular use before 2020. Maybe a slight exaggeration, but you see the point. With the introduction of various travel restrictions, the idea of heading to the wilds in a car (but in your own country) for a few days really took off. And like working from home, overlanding is a trend from the early part of this decade that’s really stuck around. Roads are busier than ever, so why not have some fun off them? A car that can tackle both the open road and a bit of light off-roading sounds ideal in these leaner times, too.

Plus overland-spec machines tend to look quite cool: see the Morgan CX-T, Huracan Sterrato and PHer idealstandard’s Skoda Yeti for proof. Plus that 911 we wrote about from the classifieds. So now, tapping into the continued demand that exists for building off-road machines, KW has expanded its offering of V3 Safari Style suspension. Already offered for the stuff you’d expect - Cayennes, Touaregs, air-cooled 911s - it’s now available for the 996 and 997 eras also. Which, well, look at the pics - it promises a lot of fun. With Dakars still £200k (and likely to stay that way), the KW upgrade looks ideal for those wanting to build something similar from an older 911.

Unlike so much of what we see from suspension changes, the USP here is offering a ride height increase rather than decrease; for the two-door Porsches that means a lift of between 20mm and 30mm at both axles. KW says that the struts, damper bodies and springs ‘have been specifically designed to allow adjustable ride-height increases’, with use ‘beyond paved roads’ very much the intention.

Because the V3 package is multi-valve, the damping bandwidth should be there to provide control both on tarmac and gravel tracks. When you’re on the beaten track, the damper works in its low-speed range, as it’s being challenged less; the rough and tumble of off-road challenge the suspension more, which is when the high-speed valve of the Safari set up opens, increasing the oil flow and therefore the damping force. KW reckons that ‘even harsh impacts are effectively absorbed.’

This wouldn’t be a coilover setup, either, without a lot of adjustment you end up fiddling with a lot less than intended. So there are 12 clicks of compression and 16 clicks of rebound adjustment; optionally available is low-speed tweaking for both, perhaps for those builds that will spend more time on the highway. KW’s Product Manager Sami Lindholm added: “The KW V3 Safari Style is not a competition suspension designed for rally use, but a lifted suspension system engineered specifically for overlanding adventures,” So exactly the kind of thing plenty of us have daydreamed about with a spare moment.

As well as the four-wheel-drive 996 Carreras (still available for not very much), the Safari Style suspension is compatible with the 997 Carrera 2, 2S, Carrera 4 and 4S. Plenty to choose from, basically, and with additional models from different manufacturers already in development. The price? £3,729 for a 996 C4. Throw in some bash plates, tougher wheels and a roof tent and there’ll be no stopping you. And an affordable way to make an old 911 stand out among the rest, if nothing else…

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Geoffcapes

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