Singer presents results of Turbo Study
California-based, luxury Porsche specialist, Singer Group, has developed the Turbo Study in response to requests from owners for restoration services that incorporate turbocharging. More than 70 owners have reserved bespoke restorations enabled by the study.
Like many owners and fans, Singer’s founder and Executive Chairman, Rob Dickinson, remembers the time he fell in love with a turbocharged 911.
“My first ever ride in a Porsche 911, as an 11-year-old in 1976, left me “dry-mouthed and speechless,” said Dickinson. “The vehicle was a black 930 Turbo with red tartan seats. “Forty-five years on from that life-changing moment I’m excited to present the results of our study that aims to capture the awesome thrill of Porsche’s first ‘supercar’ while reimagining its performance and refinement, and collaborating with owners to take both to new heights. I believe it’s a fitting tribute to a car that changed my life and many others.”
The car presented here shows a Porsche 911 reimagined by Singer, specified by its owner using the results of the Turbo Study to reflect a personal vision. The owner has pursued a focus on high-performance, luxury, and grand touring capabilities, including:
- Lightweight carbon fibre bodywork in Wolf Blue
- 3.8L twin turbocharged, intercooled flat-six
- More than 450hp/336kW (power may be tailored to each owner’s specification)
- Six-speed manual transmission
- Rear-wheel-drive and touring-focused suspension
- Carbon-ceramic braking system
- Interior presented in Malibu Sand with Black Forest wood accents
- Electrically adjustable, heated seats
- Air-conditioning
The car will run at Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK from 23-26 June 2022. It will then travel to the Monterey Peninsula in Northern California for Car Week in August 2022.
As with all Singer’s restoration services in collaboration with Porsche 911 owners, the Turbo Study takes the Type 964 generation of air-cooled cars as its starting point. The study features a new evolution of the Mezger air-cooled flat-six. Now in 3.8L form, the engine includes twin turbochargers with electric wastegate. Bespoke air to water intercoolers are mounted inside the intake plenums. The ‘shark fin’ on the rear fender is reimagined as an intake and supplies cold air to the engine bay to optimise combustion and cooling performance.
A bespoke carbon fibre body maintains the careful balancing of iconic DNA with cutting-edge engineering and material science. While inspired by the turbo cars of the mid-’70s, the bodywork is reimagined to optimise aesthetic and functional performance. The use of carbon fibre allows reduced mass and enhanced stiffness, further sharpening dynamic responses.
The results of the Turbo Study also reflect Singer’s habitual focus on constant optimisation and technical development. The study draws on all-wheel-drive experience that has been developed in-house since the first AWD Classic Study restoration, undertaken in 2014. In recent years, this experience has been brought together with research into turbocharging and high-performance ride and damping expertise.
Accordingly, in response to owners’ requests, rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive restorations may be enabled by the Turbo Study. An owner may decide to specify AWD configuration to enhance sure-footed deployment of power and torque in all seasons and surface conditions. The RWD configuration allows owners to pursue an alternative sporting focus, if preferred. In both cases, an optimised six-speed manual transmission underlines the driver engagement.
The use of forced induction enables power outputs starting at 450hp/336kW. Refinement is enhanced, with reduced noise levels and the ability to opt for more compliant damping and suspension performance. This allows owners to focus on long-range, high-speed touring capability if desired. The availability of turbocharged torque allows for effortless speed-matching from alpine pass to autobahn, together with deep reserves of overtaking ability.
A higher power output may also be specified by the owner. If a more overtly sporting focus is preferred, a sports exhaust system and suitable damping characteristics can be tailored as required.
The collaboration between Singer and owner enables all points in between, from refined grand touring to sports focus, to be accommodated. Immensely powerful, turbo-specific, brakes, ABS, and traction control sit in reserve for the moment they are needed. Carbon-ceramic discs are available if desired by the owner.
Inside, the results of the Turbo Study enable owners to respond to the demands of all-season touring if they wish. Heated, electrically adjustable seats and cruise control are available for comfort during cold-climate driving and for convenience on high-speed road networks.
Prices for restorations enabled by the Turbo Study are dependent on the specification requested by the car’s owner. Clients are able to engage the special wishes department to discuss their personal requirements for further bespoke engineering, in collaboration with Singer.
“We’ve more than doubled sales of our services between 2020 and 2021,” said Chief Executive Officer at Singer Group, Mazen Fawaz. “Our new, much larger, consolidated facility in Torrance, California enables us to expand the team, respond to demand and welcome owners in comfort. Meanwhile, in the UK, our team is carefully executing each of the restorations enabled by the Dynamics and Lightweighting Study. The response to the Turbo Study from owners has been incredible and we look forward to working with each of them as their restorations progress.”