As the country prepares to host the East African Safari Rally, a rare car has caught the attention of netizens for its sleek features and speed.
In posts that were shared on various social media platforms, images of the Porsche 911 race car were circulated as many online users marveled at the rare gem.
American race car drivers, Ken Block and Alex Gelsomino, revealed that they would use the car during the race.
“Hello from Kenya! Today was Alex Gelsomino and my first day of testing here on African soil, as we prepare for the East African Safari Classic Rally which starts on Thursday, February 10.
“The Tuthill Porsche built ‘84 Porsche 911 worked flawlessly as we tested on several different roads to prepare for the nine days and 4,828 kilometers of this historic race," Ken Block stated.
According to the Porsche Road and Race, the 1984 Porsche 911 car is rare as there are only 19 similar cars around the world.
At the time of the manufacture, the German-based company intended to produce the cars for rally drivers. While five of the cars were sold to a UK-based company, the rest were sold to individual customers directly.
“After participating in the 1983 Monte Carlo Rally, where Barth and Kussmaul finished ninth overall, they returned to the factory where it was proposed that a short run of 20 vehicles be made that could be used for the road, but primarily for a rally.
"Putting their rallying experience to work, 20 cars were built to satisfy Group B evolution homologation requirements where the new car was an evolution of a discontinued model, namely the 911 SC which was to be replaced by the 3.2 Carrera,” read the statement.
Additionally, the buyers of the high-power race cars were requested by the manufacturer to maintain the white colour that it was famed for.
However, due to the advertising in the industry, the owners were allowed to brand the cars with their sponsors. So rated is the car that one of the race machines was auctioned at a cost of Ksh150 million in 2016.
The car has an engine capacity of 2994 CC and 255 Brake horsepower (BRP) at 7000 revolutions per minute (RPM).
The car also has a top speed of 255 km/hr and weighs around 1,057 kilograms to aid in achieving its speed.
