Vintage Vehicles

Restored Porsche 911 Carrera 4 sits at the intersection of history and fashion

Eileen Falkenberg-Hull
Feb 20, 2020, 6:23 am

Teddy Santis, founder and creative director of Aimé Leon Dore worked with Porsche to restore a vintage 911.

Photo courtesy of Porsche AG

Porsche 964. The name reminds Porsche enthusiasts of the pert and perky 911 era of the late 80s and early 90s that produced the first Porsches with a Tiptronic automatic transmission and all wheel drive as options.

Teddy Santis, founder and creative director of the popular New York fashion label Aimé Leon Dore (ALD), has collaborated with Porsche in restoring a 911 Carrera 4 from that era. The refreshed car is the product of months of research that included journeys to the Porsche Museum and the 911 assembly line in Stuttgart, Germany.

Porsche 911 Carrera 4 x Aimé Leon Dore

Porsche 911 Carrera 4 x Aim\u00e9 Leon Dore

Photo courtesy of Porsche AG


"Working together with Porsche on this project has been a dream come true," said Santis. "It has been a deeply humbling experience to be entrusted with a project of such importance to the Porsche community and to work together on a design that has been so instrumental in shaping my own outlook and aspirations."

The restoration utilized period-correct original Porsche parts and was supported by Porsche Classic.

The most notable part of the refresh is a fully custom leather interior featuring featuring Schott sunflower leather and Loro Piana houndstooth, the same materials highlighted in Aimé Leon Dore's Fall/Winter 2020 collection. It's bold yet calming and buttery yet strong.

The leather wraps around the dashboard, steering wheel, and door panels. The reverse suede side of the top-grain leather covers up the headliner and sunroof.

The seats of the Carrera 4 were taken to the Recaro workshop inn Kircheim, Germany where they were restored.

At the front, the interior of the frunk was covered in Schott leather with Loro Piana accents. Inside the trunk is a care bag inspired by classic Porsche design.

The exterior of ALD's flagship store on Mulberry Street in Manhattan is painted white and shares its shade with the exterior of the Porsche. A custom-designed grille badge is on the rear and takes inspiration from Porsche club memorabilia.

Nods to Porsche history complete the car including Cup 2 wheels, a graphic Pegasus above the front wheel, a rear ducktail.

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New Model News

Next-gen 2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S is quickest, most dynamic to date

Porsche has debuted a new top-tier 911 model with the styling of the new 911 Carrera generation.

Photo courtesy of Porsche AG

The Porsche 911 is the ultimate expression of the luxury automaker's brand. For the 2021 model year, the German manufacturer is taking that model to the next level with a fresh generation of enhancements.

In keeping with the new 911 body style, the 2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S is bigger with an additional 45 mm up front and 20 mm in the back. The track is now 42 mm wider in the front and 10 mm wider at the rear. Its Porsche Active Suspension Management sports chassis has been lowered by 10 mm.

2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S 

2021 Porsche 911 Turbo S

Photo courtesy of Porsche AG

Porsche has given the model controlled cooling air flaps up and standard 20-inch wheels up front and a larger rear wing that sits above 21-inch wheels.

The car gets its characteristic Turbo looks from dual front light modules, LED matrix headlights with dark inserts, a pneumatically extendable front spoiler, and high-gloss black tailpipes.

The changes made to the 911 Carrera engine generation models come through in the new 911 Turbo S. It has a new six-cylinder engine with a new intake system and larger VTG turbochargers in a symmetrical layout. The car now has four intakes with a larger overall cross-section, designed to improve engine efficiency.

Porsche brags that the car is balanced enough to be used as a daily driver. It can get from zero to 200 km/h in 8.9 seconds, one second faster than its predecessor. The car comes standard with all-wheel drive.

The long list of standard equipment in the new 911 Turbo S includes a full leather interior, carbon trim with Light Silver accents, 18-way power-adjustable sport seats, a 10.9-inch infotainment screen, and GT sports steering wheel. A variety of interior appointments is available at the buyer's request.

The Sport Chrono package now offers the Porsche Track Precision app and a Bose surround sound system.

The previous iteration of the Porsche 911 Turbo S started at $190,700. The 2021 model is likely to be priced similarly.

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Design

New tech allows Porsche to give 911 buyers the ultimate personalization option

The technique is only available on the Porsche 911.

Photo courtesy of Porsche AG

You could say you're putting your truest stamp on it. Porsche has designed a direct printing method for graphic elements on their vehicles that allows customers to have a personalized bonnet straight from the manufacturer. Porsche is first offering the innovation by advertising that they can put your fingerprint on the hood of the car.

Via a service available through Porsche Centers, clients are connected with consultants at the Exclusive Manufaktur in Zuffenhausen. The consultants complete the entire process from conception to printing and delivery.

Porsche fingerprint design The fingerprint-like design ensures that each model is unique.Photo courtesy of Porsche AG

"Individuality is very important for Porsche customers. And no design can be more personal than your own fingerprint," said Alexander Fabig, Vice President Individualization and Classic. "Porsche is a pioneer in personalisation and has developed the direct printing method together with partners. We're especially proud of having developed a completely new product offering based on new technologies. A key factor in this was the different disciplines working together in the project team."

The process was developed in a "technology cell" at Porsche's paint shop in the Zuffenhausen training center. There, new hardware and software, as well as paint blends and the manufacturing process were tested. The process ensured a quality and hardiness that is superior to film application, according to Porsche.

To apply, a direct printing technique is used. It is logistically similar to inkjet printing and uses a print head to apply paint and three-dimensional products without overspray.

"The ability to control the nozzles individually permits targeted application of every paint droplet," explains Christian Will, Vice President Production Development at Porsche AG. "The complexity is due to the necessity of harmonizing three technologies: robot technology (control, sensors, programming), application technology (print head, graphic handling) and paint technology (application process, paint)."

Porsche fingerprint design hood technology Porsche's unique technology functions similarly to an inkjet printer.Photo courtesy of Porsche AG

If a buyer opts for the special design, which will set them back 7,500 euros (including VAT) in Germany, their 911 is completed by the plant then transferred to the technology cell where the hood is removed. The customer's biometric data is processed securely and then a proof is made of the design, approved by the owner, then integrated into a printed graphic that is applied to the hood. A clear coat is added then the bonnet is reinstalled and delivery commences.

To order this unique process on your 911, contact your local Porsche dealership.

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