Porsche 911: 'Restored, Reimagined, Reborn' by Singer... and in London

An exhibition space in East London was the venue for a rare showing of one of the world’s most desirable cars: a 911 totally re-engineered by Singer Vehicle Design, one which promises to be the ultimate air-cooled 911.

Even inside at night, in a gallery more used to the latest ‘installations’ from the British modern art movement, the car looked stunning

The flat grey (an early Porsche colour, ‘Stone Grey', in fact) 964-based 911, with exquisite detailing in machined alloy and tan leather, is destined for a customer in New York. Rob Dickinson, the Los Angeles-based Brit who is Singer’s Creative Director, was on hand to show the car to a select group of experts, enthusiasts, potential buyers and members of the press, prior to further (surprise) media outings in Europe in the near future.

Even inside at night, in a gallery more used to the latest ‘installations’ from the British modern art movement, the car looked stunning.

Such is Dickinson’s and the Singer team’s confidence in the concept that one of the most desirable-ever air-cooled 911s was placed just feet away from their 'Restored, Reimagined, Reborn' car.

Porschephiles in a state of excitement

It was a Gulf Blue 1973 2.8 Carrera RSR that, in normal events, would have had Porschephiles in a state of some excitement. A fabulous car, 'tis true, but one that complemented the modified 911 rather than outshining it.

Singer takes a regular 964-series 911 and then reduces it to its component parts, replacing much bodywork with carefully redesigned carbonfibre panels that mix elements of current Porsches with that of the standard-setting ’73 Carrera and the even rarer, earlier S/T.

380bhp and a leather-lined engine bay

The engine is replaced with a hand-built (by Cosworth in the USA), now 3.9-litre flat-six which – depending on tuning and budget – can produce from 300bhp to 425bhp. This car has 380bhp at its disposal in its leather-lined engine bay.

No, you are not mistaken, we did say ‘leather-lined’. The owner of the car has dipped heavily into Singer’s customisation programme by specifying the most beautiful tan leather interior, with basket-weave trim, a leather-covered roll-cage and simple beige ‘Berber’ carpeting of the type fitted to 356 Speedsters.

Glorious details

By doing this, the lucky man or woman has also increased the car’s price from the minimum you can get away with (say $200,000) to around $350,000. But look at the polished and fabricated bonnet hinge, the drilled Perspex ‘under-cover’ for the engine’s grille, the matt-finish Fuchs wheels and the billeted aluminium oil and petrol filler caps.

Performance similar to a modern GT3 RS

It is an incredible machine. And one few have driven - although with performance similar to a modern GT3 RS (380bhp in a 1,200kg package, modern race-tuned suspension and brakes), it promises to match dynamically on the road or track what it offers visually as a static ‘work of art’.