Three of the biggest names in their respective genres have teamed up for a hot take on one of the biggest automotive modification trends of the last five years, Safari 911s. In sticking with his brief of Safari Porsche mastermind Leh Keen, designer Daniel Arsham and cult Italian fashion label Stone Island have reimagined a 1986 Porsche 911 Turbo 930 and Unimog 404, outfitting the pair for off-road purposes with bespoke upholstery made from heritage fabrics such as Tela Stella.
- Daniel Arsham – Design
- Stone Island – Upholstery
- Leh Keen – Engineering
On paper, it’s one of the most sense-making collaborations we’ve seen in automotive this year. Combining Arshams eye for design with Leh Keen’s engineering know-how and Stone Islands’ absolute quest for the best textiles on the planet it truly is a match made in automotive heaven. The visuals only do the collaboration even more justice.
Related: We Spent 1,000KM Daily Driving the Porsche 911 GT3.
Image: Stone Island
The project started with Arshams own personal vehicles – his 1986 930 Turbo and Unimog 404. The short film (by Jeremy Elkin) documents the transformation of the vehicles through the lens of Arsham as Stone Island reupholsters the vehicles with vintage textiles designed to grip the occupants through tight turns. Pure function, through the eyes of one of the most ‘functional’ driven fashion brands on earth.
Porsche has always been a muse for Arsham and his 930 Turbo already features the full Lehmank Porsche treatment, including; external light pod on the front hood, additional bumpers on front and rear, an accompanying skid plate running the length of the underside of the car, off-road tires, 3-inch raised ride-height, oh, and 350HP in a 2700lbs chassis. Those familiar with Leh Keen’s work will instantly recognise the car as being very reminiscent of Matt Farah’s personal Safari 911 which he documented thoroughly on YouTube, and you can check out his Lehmank 911 in more detail here.
While the 930 Turbo is light, nimble, and quick, the Unimog 404 is the complete opposite. Designed as a support vehicle to the 911 in an ‘of the era’ style, the vehicle features all the great Stone Island textile work we love the brand for. Utilising a canvas fabric called ‘Tela Stella,’ Stone Island manipulates the fabric by stone washing it to make garments (and now seats) out of it. More details of the process can be seen in the video above and via the link below.
Image: Stone Island
Image: Stone Island
Image: Stone Island
Image: Stone Island
Image: Stone Island
Image: Stone Island
Image: Stone Island
Image: Stone Island
Image: Stone Island
Related: With the Heart of a GT3, the Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 RS is Made for Driving Pleasure.
