How to make a classic sing

Singer Vehicle Design has revived the spirit of 1980s Porsche 911 off-road racers

Arguably the coolest car to appear so far for 2021 is the All-terrain Competition Study (ACS) developed by Porsche 911 restoration and modification company Singer Vehicle Design.

At the request of a “long-term client”, Los Angeles-based Singer has partnered with British 911 rally specialist Richard Tuthill to reimagine a 1990 air-cooled 911 as an off-road competition weapon.

Much of the design inspiration comes from the iconic Rothmans-liveried 911 SC/RS (with body shells by Tuthill) and 959 models that conquered events like the Qatar International Rally and Paris-Dakar in the 1980s — although the ACS cars are state-of-the-art in their construction.

Cars? That’s right, the client has actually commissioned two vehicles. The first is in white and set up for high-speed desert rallying, while the second is finished in red and is aimed at high-grip tarmac events.

The ACS is powered by a tuned twin-turbo version of Porsche’s air-cooled Mezger flat-six.

The chassis has a unique long-travel suspension set-up and AWD system. The bespoke body is carbon fibre, while the interior is fitted with FIA-specification seats and harnesses.

Singer specialises in 1989-94 Porsche 911s,

based on the 964 chassis. The company is especially particular about the naming of its modified vehicles and insists “out of respect to Porsche . . . and to respect Porsche’s trademark rights” its vehicles should never be referred to as a “Singer Porsche 911

. . . or in any other manner that suggests that it is anything but a Porsche 911.”