A longtime client of automotive design studio Singer commissioned the company to reimagine his air-cooled 911s as World Rally Championship-inspired, all-terrain competition machines. These types of modifications are becoming common. A 1982 911 piloted by American Amy Lerner is currently racing in the Dakar Rally and Cars & Bids recently auctioned off a modified 1984 Porsche 911.
Created in partnership with renowned 911 rally specialist Richard Tuthill, the vehicle design would enable a model to compete in off-road racing thanks to its all-terrain capabilities. Tuthill's Porsches have dominated rallies for decades including four victories in the East African Safari Classic. The Classic is a 5000 kilometer event that crosses Kenya and Tanzania.
1990 Porsche 911 by Singer Vehicle Design in the Studio
"We at Singer are motorsport nerds in our hearts and demonstrating our understanding of the discipline required our off-road vision to display deeply legitimate competition credentials from the structural engineering, to the bodywork ethos, to the mechanical package," said Rob Dickinson, Founder and Executive Chairman, Singer Group Inc.
"We've taken particular inspiration from the iconic Rothmans-sponsored 911 SC/RSs and 959s that conquered events like the Qatar International Rally and Paris-Dakar in the mid-'80s and, at the request of our client, have reimagined these all-terrain 911's in their honor while utilizing fresh perspectives and state of the art know-how."
Singer started with a 1990 Porsche 911 (964). They company increased its ride height, suspension travel, and overall strength. It now has carbon fiber body panels that allow for easy underbody access. Permanent all-wheel drive has been installed in the originally rear-wheel drive car, along with front, center, and rear limited-slip differentials.
The car rides on forged aluminum 16-inch wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich All-Terrain tires. Stopping power is provided by four-piston monobloc steel disc brakes. There is a hydraulic handbrake.
1990 Porsche 911 by Singer Vehicle Design in the Wild
A twin-turbocharged 3.6-liter air-cooled flat-six delivers 450 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. A sequential racing transmission replaces the traditional five-speed manual. Paddle shifting is available.
Rally racing requires repair and replacement supplies at the ready, in addition to traditional rallying equipment. There's a long-range fuel tank, two full-size space race wheels and tires, a full FIA specification roll cage, bespoke competition seats with FIA certification, a rehydration system for the driver and passenger, and a GPS race navigation system.
"Desert racing has got under our skin at Singer," said Mazen Fawaz, CEO, Singer Group Inc.. "I tested and ran a Trophy Truck with Jenson Button's Rocket Motorsport in 2019 and we'll be back in the truck for 3 events in 2021, so I know from personal experience exactly how demanding these events are. It's been great to work with Richard, who has run the Baja 1000 himself, as well as a vast array of other off-road competitions, and apply all that knowledge and experience to this restoration for our client."
The client liked the study so much, they have commissioned to machines, one - in Singer's iconic Parallax White - focused on high-speed desert rallying and a second – in Corsica Red - configured for high-speed, high-grip tarmac events and disciplines.
Additionally, the client has agreed to make the results of the study available to others who wish to equip their 911 with the same sort of capability.
The ACS restoration was undertaken as a collaboration between the two companies. Singer's Design Office in California led a joint engineering team with assembly undertaken in the UK at the Tuthill facility in Oxfordshire. Future cars will all be modified at Tuthill's facilities. Support packages for racing and maintenance will be available.
