Singer's Greatest Porsche 911 Recreations

If you search for Singer and 911 on your Google machine, there are a few words that crop up consistently in articles covering the California-based restomod company's cars. Those are "stunning," "perfection," and "masterpiece." That's the level that Singer Vehicle Design operates at. It's such a high level that you'll see articles describing other restomod companies specializing in specific models of cars as "the Singer of (insert make and model here)." The level of engineering and attention to detail that goes into Singer vehicles is, well, stunning, and each model is, well, a masterpiece. We may as well throw the word "perfection" while we're at it because the hype is real. These are just a few of our favorite takes on classic Porsche 911 models that have left the Singer workshops so far.

If you know someone that doesn't think things automotive can't be art, show them this recent 911 rebuild commissioned for a Singer customer in Long Island. The color is sublime, and we believe based on a high sheen blue-green fountain pen ink color created long after Ernest Hemingway died. The paint and its perfectly contrasting orange Porsche logos are laid over a carbon-fiber body. Inside is just as beautiful, and the car was ordered with a six-speed manual transmission connected to the naturally-aspirated 4.0-liter air-cooled flat-six. When it comes to detail, note that the seat centers have satin nickel grommets, and the engine has a ceramic plenum finish.

Back in 2018, Singer let the world know it was working with Williams Advanced Engineering of Formula 1 fame on the Singer Dynamics and Lightweighting Study (DLS). In essence, Singer was aiming to build and sell the most advanced naturally-aspirated air-cooled 911 on the planet. The Singer DLS was first shown at the Goodwood Festival of Speed back then, but it wasn't until 2021 when the first of 75 customer models was finished. Singer also works with Bosch, Michelin, Brembo, Hewland, BBS Motorsports, and Hans Mezger, who developed Porsche's first flat-six engine, on the project. The result is spectacular. The DLS weighs just 2,182 pounds at the curb, makes 500 horsepower with a 9,000 rpm redline, and costs $1.8 million. This is more than just a restomod, it's a reimagining of what the 911 could've been in an alternate reality with 2022's technology available three decades ago.

Singer likes to use the word "reimagined" when describing its creations. It's as good of a piece of marketing-speak as any to separate Singer from Porsche as brands. The first-ever 911 Targa "reimagined by Singer" dates back to 2016, and it's every bit as rare and beautiful now as it was then, although a few have come along since. The flat-six is from Singer's engine builder of choice, Ed Pink Racing Engines, and is rebuilt as a 4.0-liter unit making 390 hp and 315 lb-ft, mated to a six-speed transmission pulled from a 993 generation 911. The suspension is from Ohlins.

The grey paint is contrasted by an orange leather and suede mix weave interior that sounds awful on paper but looks gorgeous in photos. The Targa's signature hoop has been finished in Singer's signature nickel rather than stainless steel and has two louvers instead of the three that the original had. The car made its international debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and served as an indication that it wasn't just coupes that Singer would reimagine for customers.

According to reports, Porsche wasn't happy with how its name was used on the recent 911-based All-Terrain Competition Study (ACS) vehicle Singer showed off to the world. Porsche may love Singer's work and the attention it draws to Porsche itself, but the brand has to protect its name so any Tom, Dick, or Harry can't use it in any way they wish. As of the time of writing, Singer has removed all traces of the car from its website and Facebook page.

But the internet is forever, and the pictures are out there of the two commissioned rally-ready 911s. The Singer ACS is outside of the company's typical wheelhouse, so the company brought in Porsche rallying specialist Tuthill Porsche as a partner. Typically, engines for commissions are naturally aspirated but bored out flat-sixes that make 380-400 hp, but the ACS uses a twin-turbo air-cooled 3.6-liter making around 450 horses. As well as raised rally suspension and special bodywork, the ACS features so cool touches like a rear-end that evokes the Porsche 959 and 16-inch forged wheels wrapped with heavily treaded BF Goodrich tires.

According to Singer, it has a Special Wishes department, and that's where this canyon carving rolling tribute to California's Mulholland highway comes from. This "celebration of the unadulterated, analog, driving experience" is based on a 1991 911, but has a few deviances from the Singer recipe. It features "frog" lights on the hood to light up those dark canyon roads, a raised rear wing, seats designed for the track, carbon-ceramic brakes, and a graphical topographic representation of Mulholland highway over Blue Blood paint. Inside, the radio, air conditioning, and rear seats are deleted to lose weight, and the rear and rear-quarter windows are now perspex rather than glass. It stands on Minilite design wheels with Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires. The engine itself is the 4.0-liter air-cooled six, with velocity stacks - because they look good and sound better.

In terms of style and restraint, Singer's Mountain View car has stuck in our minds since we saw it in 2016. The build's focus is on lightweight minimalism, while its aesthetic of Downtown Blue paint and Singer Racing Orange highlights, including the Fuchs-style alloy wheels, is a softer and more stylish homage to the Gulf racing colors of old. Inside, the 1991 911 donor car has been stripped of carpeting and paint-matched with the exterior, while brown woven material makes up the seats, door cards, and accents. The bored-out 4.0-liter engine takes care of power via a six-speed manual Getrag transaxle, while four-wheel Brembo ventilated disc brakes, and four-wheel independent suspension with Ohlins shock absorbers give the Mountain View Commission a serious edge on mountain roads.

The Mountain View car was the first Singer reworking to go to auction. In 2019, it sold for $857,500. Now, it's likely to fetch over a million dollars.

This take on a classic 911 was commissioned by entrepreneur Drew Coblitz, delivered to him in 2019, and still features in his regular Instagram posts. He wanted something a little edgier than the typical classic-themed custom 911s and initially wanted it "murdered-out." Black, however, was too normal, so he settled on a dark blue that becomes black in lower light and dark nickel not-so-brightwork. Inside, Coblitz further plumbed the depths of Singer's options and dedication to perfection with espresso suede leather seats highlighted by blue subtle blue asymmetrical racing stripes and a bold weave pattern. The shift knob is made from ebony wood. To give you an idea of just how much detail goes into just a seat, it can use several different colors in the weave to hit just the right color and tone for a customer.

Coblitz named this car the Sine Qua Non, which is Latin for "essential to existence." As a nod to the name, Singer created a custom SINQNON nameplate for the rear decklid.

We adore the Singer Newport commission for its interior as much as its interior. The customer wanted a touring take on their 911, and they got it. The leather-trimmed sport seats have electrical adjustment and a bespoke leather weave in Cognac, while the outside is painted Blue Blood with light ghosted stripes and lettering and features an external, center-mounted fuel filler. It's a rear-wheel-drive model powered by the ubiquitous 4.0-liter motor so many buyers specify, with a six-speed manual gearbox. The details are impeccable, with a carbon fiber rear deck, raised nickel lettering and badging, and a vivid Singer Racing Orange central tachometer with secondary gauges in black. Even the front luggage compartment was recovered in black leather with Alabaster stitching. As far as takes on a 911 go, the word "timeless" springs to mind for this one in particular.