Singer Vehicle Design was founded in Los Angeles, California back in 2009. The company specializes in nut-and-bolt resto-mods (restoration and modification) of the 964 version of the iconic Porsche 911. Some 12 months ago, the renowned Porsche collector, Scott Blatner, got in touch with the company and said that he wanted it to build something different for him.
To create a car that took the company’s world-renowned work to the next level, Singer got in touch with the multiple World Championship-winning Formula 1 team, Williams. The team’s engineers undertook a dynamics and weight-saving study on the 964 911 model, and through its extensive use of carbon fiber, titanium, aluminum, and magnesium parts, managed to come up with a design that weighs a mere 2,180 lbs, making it as light as a 911 model from the 1960s.
Moving on to the wheels, they deceptively look like Fuchs alloys that are a favorite design on old 911s, but they’re actually not. They’re made of forged magnesium in an 18-inch diameter, and also have center-locking hubs just like a real racing car. Singer commissioned none other than BBS, which is one of the best alloy wheel manufacturers in the world, to make this custom set.
Power comes from an engine that’s based on a 3.6-liter flat 6-cylinder found in a 1990 911, but it has been modified and upgraded substantially to produce no less than 500 horsepower (in a car that weighs less than a ton). A particularly delightful detail is the air intakes that are integrated into the car’s rear quarter windows.
A six-speed transmission made by Hewland, which is known around the world for building transmissions for racing cars, will feature in the car.
Note the stripped-out interior that still manages to look incredibly luxurious in spite of the weight-savings.
Legendary Porsche engineer, Norbert Singer (whom the company was named after), was drafted in to optimize the car’s aerodynamics. Although you have to look quite hard in order to notice, the man behind Porsche’s many victories at the Le Mans 24 Hours endurance race insisted that it had various scoops in the bodywork to channel air to all the right places. There’s even a roof scoop that’s designed to funnel air to the rear wing!
Details on the modifications made to the suspension have thus far been kept under wraps, but the car is known to feature custom dampers made by EXE-TC.
The handling development work is being conducted by Top Gear presenter, Chris Harris, as well as racing driver Marino Franchitti, so the car should be pin-sharp to drive.
A specialist facility is being set up in the UK for the creation of 75 other cars in the same vein. No price has been put on this car as yet, but owning the ultimate 911 (according to the purists who worship air-cooled 911 from the early 1990s and before) will likely set you back at least a million dollars.
