THREE OF A KIND
Using the 964 as the platform for Porsche personalisation is big business. Here’s a trio of recent examples of the G-series successor being transformed into a brilliant backdate…
A trio of awe-inspiring 964 restomods.
DP MOTORSPORT ‘RUBY’
The success of tuning outfit, DP Motorsport, founded in 1973, started with a commitment to lubricant giant, Motul, to design and build chassis for thirty competitive Formula Vee and Super Vee race cars. During this time, DP Motorsport founder, Ekkehard Zimmermann, experimented with spoiler modifications for the 911, arousing interest from Manfred and Erwin Kremer, who ran a Porsche workshop in Cologne and were highly committed to motorsport. By 1975, Zimmermann had developed a whole new 911 chassis for Kremer Racing, and the modified Porsches to spring from this exciting project went on to win several championships.
In 1979, a Kremer-dp conversion of the 935 was born. Named K3 and boasting German motorsport hero, Klaus Ludwig, at the controls, this now legendary motorsport machine succeeded in winning at Le Mans and achieved similar glory in the USA’S IMSA series. And when Group C became the dominant force in endurance racing, the DP Motorsport CK5 chassis for Kremer, along with a similar chassis for Joest Racing, was leading the pack. It wasn’t all about motorsport, though. Influenced by these mighty racing machines, Zimmermann created a high number of exciting bespoke Porsche road cars, many based on the 911, but some on the then lesser loved offerings from the Stuttgart stable — perhaps the best known of all DP Motosport’s road car creations, the DP44 Cargo, was based on a 944 and named “the world’s most beautiful estate”. An acquired taste, for sure, but the strange
looking load lugger planted the DP Motorsport name in the minds of Porschephiles away from the race track.
As the decades wore on, Zimmermann’s dedication to Porsche race and road car modification remained strong, resulting in a 650bhp 962 race car extensively modified to be street-legal on German roads, while the twinturbocharged 996 DP5, a 2005 commission for Uwe and Jurgen Alzen, mastered the Nürburgring Nordschleife with an absolute best time on its debut drive. This car, as well as Zimmermann’s Lamborghini Gallardo project (also completed in 2005), are now well-known in German and international championships. And, reflecting a route so many professional Porsche tuning and restoration outfits have followed in recent years, DP Motorsport has forged a reputation for producing first-class 964-based backdates, which is what we have here. Known as Ruby and built with focus on the development of an aggressive 911 restomod perfectly capable of long-term daily driving duties, the Carmona Red Metallic Carrera 2 was widened by an inch each side, with DP’S popular Classic Carrera Widebody kit — constructed from carbon-kevlar — providing the muscular haunches. Copper-coloured, black and chrome elements were added to further catch the eye, while a second layer of clear coat provides huge depth of gloss to the finished bodywork, which was cavity-sealed, rust-proofed, treated to marine-grade underseal and finished with paint protection film (PPF) before work got underway.
The interior was given a thorough makeover with modern materials. Alcantara reigns supreme, while Recaro Sportster CS buckets and a Porsche Classic Communication Management (PCCM) head unit — both almost as ubiquitous on today’s Porsche restmod scene as a MOMO Prototipo steering wheel — are joined by tri-colour Pepita fabric seat centres. A 917-style gear knob also features in this customised cockpit, as does a fairly impressive multimedia package supporting PCCM. The tell-tale signs are the big speaker grilles in the bespoke door cards, while a specially matched amplifier sits under the passenger seat. The onboard electrics are powered by a super-light Liteblox LB28XX lithium-ion battery.
The stock 250bhp 3.6-litre flat-six was increased to 3.8 litres of displacement, with uprated pistons and cylinders complemented by higher-lift camshafts and various other modifications, contributing to output of 320bhp and 273lb-ft torque with the sprint from rest to 60mph completed in five seconds dead. Top speed is a claimed 175mph, and the appropriate bark is heard from a 964 Classic exhaust system with Gt3-style tailpipes. Meanwhile, a G50 five-speed gearbox with a 964 Carrera RS limited-slip differential helps plant all that power to the asphalt, ably assisted by KW Clubsport adjustable coilovers and Michelin Pilot Sport tyres wrapped around seventeen-inch forged Fuchs rims. And thanks to an almost linear torque curve, real driving pleasure is already underway at 2,750rpm. New 964 Carrera RS brakes were installed to bring galloping ponies to a canter or swift halt. The cost? Approximately €155,000 on top of the value of the donor car. We’ll take two!
SINGER ALL-TERRAIN COMPETITION STUDY
At the request of a long-term client, Singer Vehicle Design, the brand known for its big-budget, outlandish 964-based restomods, looked at the golden era of Porsche rallying — more specifically, the 953 and 959 Parisdakar cars, as well as the 911 SC RS — to re-imagine an air-cooled 911 as a modern, Wrc-inspired, all-terrain competition machine. Singer (named not only in honour of legendary motorsport engineer, Norbert Singer, but also in recognition of the company founder’s previous occupation as vocalist in 1990s indie band, Catherine Wheel, not to mention his cousin being Iron Maiden frontman, Bruce Dickinson) expressed its desire for this particular commission to serve as the starting point for a new line of all-terrain 964 backdates and was developed in partnership with Uk-based Porsche rally car preparation specialist, Tuthill.
To highlight the broad repertoire of the All-terrain Competition Study (ACS) and to demonstrate its extensive all-terrain exploration capabilities, the turbocharged, permanent all-wheel drive, Parallax White wonder was joined by a second such build (finished in Corsica Red) configured for high-speed, high-grip Tarmac events and disciplines. Tuthill’s experience in the field of air-cooled rally-prepared 911s is second to none, with recent victory in the 2019 East African Safari Classic marking a remarkable fourth win in the gruelling 5,000km event across Kenya and Tanzania.
Dramatically increased ride height and a seriously beefed-up chassis was achieved through specialist long-travel suspension with twin, five-way adjustable shocks in each corner. Yes, you read that correctly —
eight dampers in total. They’re complemented by the use of carbon-fibre panels suited to quick replacement and easy underbody access in tough operating environments, while the 450bhp force-fed 3.6-litre flat-six makes use of water-to-air intercoolers with individual-bank chargecoolers housed within a plenum and cooled by a clamshell-mounted radiator. Tuned for the demands of each event, 420lb-ft torque is the starting point, with power managed through a five-speed sequential dog-box accommodating flatshifting. Manual and paddle shift operation is available to the driver, with the assurance of front, centre and rear mechanical, plated differentials ensuring the giant BF Goodrich All-terrain tyres (fitted to eight-inch-wide forged aluminium sixteens) maintain serious grip.
Four-piston (we were expecting six) monobloc calipers and a hydraulic handbrake take care of stopping duties, while additional equipment includes a longrange fuel tank, two full-size spare race wheels and tyres (stored in the ‘frunk’ and rear luggage area), full Fia-specification roll cage, bespoke competition seats with FIA certification, a rehydration system for the driver and navigator and, of course, a state-of-the-art GPS navigation system. “So much of what we’ve done for the last decade has been inspired by Porsche’s competition success,” Rob Dickinson, owner of Singer Vehicle
Design, told Classic Porsche. “Most of us at Singer are motorsport nerds — demonstrating our understanding of the rally discipline enabled us to work wonders with structural engineering, the bodywork and the overall mechanical package. We’ve taken particular inspiration from the iconic Rothmans-sponsored Porsches, which conquered events like the Qatar International Rally and Paris-dakar in the mid-1980s, and, as is our habit, we partnered with the best specialists in the world to help us reach our goals.” Williams Advanced Engineering served as technical partner on the earlier Singer Dynamics & Lightweighting Study, with Tuthill — the company Prodrive commissioned to prepare body shells for the 911 SC RS in the 1980s — taking the reins on the ACS. “We feel confident this machine can appeal to off-roading enthusiasm of all kinds, whether it be in the pursuit of professional competition at the highest level or adventure and exploration,” Dickinson added. “ACS advances Singer’s capabilities in forced induction, all-wheel drive, off-road ability and dynamic response, all of which will support our ongoing competition studies.”
THE ASSURANCE OF FRONT, CENTRE AND REAR MECHANICAL DIFFERENTIALS ENSURING SERIOUS GRIP
KALMAR 7-97
It may be a new name in the field of hand-built 964 restomods, but Kalmar Automotive’s client list of famous names proves the Danish company isn’t just another start-up looking to cash in on the 911 backdate craze. The gorgeous grey Porsche on these pages, for instance, was a commission from none other than Tom Kristensen, the former Weissach works driver who has won the 24 Hours of Le Mans nine times (six consecutive wins between 2000 and 2005), making him the most successful driver ever to compete in the Grand Prix of Endurance.
Taking clear influence from the legendary 1967 911 R, the 7-97 (named in tribute of the Joest Porsche WSC-95 wearing the no.7 Kristensen drove to his first Le Mans victory in 1997) eases 1960s Stuttgart styling with modern technology to produce a personalised Porsche not pieced together to achieve mind-boggling top speed or fastest lap times, but to provide its proud pilot with a driving experience fuelled by passion and emotion. Save for the monocoque, the wide-quartered bodywork is full lightweight carbon-fibre. It features a classic-look engine lid grille retaining the 964’s electronically controlled active ventilation functionality, while the rain gutter and other exterior add-ons are gone, creating purer, simpler lines, though the big chin spoiler adds extra aggression at the front. To a large extent, however, a build like this is all about what’s going on at the rear, which is why we were pleased to see a 3.8-litre flat-six pumping out 350bhp with great, driveable power delivery. Actually,
3.8 litres is the starting point, with displacement up to
4.1 litres available for buyers wanting a little more ‘go’ to match their restomod’s ‘show’. Kalmar’s own Obdiicompliant engine management system takes care of the nuts and bolts (all of them uprated, natch), with a custom map ensuring optimised power and fuelling — far too
often we see engine builders throwing bucketloads of fuel into the mix to ensure the engine doesn’t run lean. A properly sorted, expertly configured ECU software map, like that afforded to Kristensen’s 7-97, ensures heightened power and safe engine operation without requiring you to establish your own oil refinery to keep the car on the road.
Kalmar has extensive experience in the field of suspension and chassis tuning, which is why all components fitted to the 7-97 are race-grade specification finely fettled to provide perfectly comfortable seat time on the road. Kristensen was involved in the development of the setup, which features three-way adjustable dampers. Kalmar claims it to deliver “super-direct neutral handling, but still very much a Porsche to drive.” Power is transmitted to the road via a six-speed manual gearbox (with the option of a sequential unit with paddle shifters), while brakes are a largely standard affair — Kalmar suggests the lightweight construction of the 1,090kg 7-97 makes the stock 964 anchors more than up to the job of bringing the car to a swift and sudden stop. 993 Turbo brakes, however, are offered as an option, as are centre-lock wheels, motorsport-spec traction control, adjustable ABS and a choice of exhausts.
Customers are expected to provide the donor 911 before work begins, although with 964s being snapped up by virtually every restoration and modifying specialist we can think of, examples of the G-series successor are becoming increasingly difficult to obtain at reasonable cost. For this reason, Kalmar has worked out how to apply the very same 7-97 backdate package to the 993, resulting in a same-looking F-series evocation on a newer base model. A build usually takes twelve months, depending on the condition of the donor car and the specification each customer wants, with Kalmar keen to stress the importance of retaining airbags, ABS, power steering and air-conditioning in the interests of maintaining safety and comfort.
And what comfort! A 7-97 interior is a wonderful place to inhabit, staying faithful to the classic 911 vibe, but making use of modern Recaros (what else?!), carbonfibre componentry at every turn and the highest quality fabrics throughout. Lashings of leather, too. Even the fuel filler flap, steering column stalks and optional roll cage are trimmed in soft hide! Custom switchgear impresses, as does a discreet-but-extensive in-car entertainment system revolving around PCCM. There are cheaper head units with greater functionality, of course, but it’s clear Porsche owners with money to spend on big builds enjoy the OEM-PLUS theme visibly Porsche-sourced hardware brings to a restomod.
Kristensen describes his own 7-97, the very car pictured here and based on his 964 Carrera 2, as “automotive haute couture — my very own analogue dream car.” Praise indeed. Now, where did I put my cheque book?!