SINGER IS A CALIFORNIA-BASED luxury car specialist, adept at re-inventing and re-imagining the iconic Porsche 911.
Its latest is called the Turbo Study. The Turbo Study is a response to requests from owners for restoration services that incorporate turbocharging. More than 70 owners have reserved bespoke restorations enabled by the study.
The next generation of services from Singer encompass:
- Collaboration with owners on the first road-going restorations to feature forced-induction
- Highly capable grand-touring, sports and everyday performance
- The iconic turbo body, whale tail spoiler and shark fin – reimagined
- A balance of luxury and sporting character tailored by each owner for their car
Rob Dickinson, Founder and Executive Chairman, Singer Group Inc., comments, “My first ever ride in a Porsche 911 as an 11-year-old in 1976 left me dry-mouthed and speechless – it 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.”
Technical Specifications
The car in Wolf Blue presented here shows a Porsche 911 re-imagined by Singer, specified by its owner using the results of the Turbo Study to reflect a personal vision. This owner has pursued a focus on high-performance, luxury grand touring capabilities, including:
- Lightweight carbon fibre bodywork in Wolf Blue
- 3.8-litre twin turbocharged, intercooled flat-six
- Over 450hp (336kW. Power may be tailored to each owner’s specification)
- 6-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
Engine
As with all Singer’s restoration services in collaboration with owners of the Porsche 911, 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 3.8-litre form, the engine features 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 optimize combustion and cooling performance. In response to owners’ preferences, the study enables power outputs starting at 450hp (336kW).
Advanced materials
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 optimize aesthetic and functional performance. As always, the use of carbon fibre allows reduced mass and enhanced stiffness, further sharpening dynamic responses in the manner that Singer’s clients have come to expect and enjoy. (The reason for all of this odd terminology and “reimagining” is Porsche’s insistence on how Singer refers to the cars it develops, and the strict protection of copyright and intellectual property.)
Drive
The results of the Turbo Study also reflect Singer’s habitual focus on constant optimization 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, both rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive restorations may be enabled by the Turbo Study. An owner may decide to specify the 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 optimized six-speed manual transmission underlines the driver engagement that Singer is renowned for.
Performance
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.
Price
Prices for restorations enabled by the Turbo Study are dependent on the specification requested by the car’s owner. As always, clients are able to engage the special wishes department to discuss their personal requirements for further bespoke engineering, in collaboration with Singer.
Notes Mazen Fawaz, Chief Executive Officer, Singer Group Inc., “We’ve more than doubled sales of our services between 2020 and 2021. 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.”
In public
For those keen to see and hear the results of the Turbo Study in the flesh, the car will be running 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.
Singer’s automotive services now encompass both normally aspirated and turbocharged sports cars for the road. The results of the Classic Study allow owners to pursue their personal vision for optimized, air-cooled 911 coupes and Targas.
The results of the Dynamics and Lightweighting Study, allow owners to explore the ultra-high-performance capabilities of their air-cooled 911, incorporating technology born from the world of Formula 1.
The results of the Turbo Study extend Singer’s services on behalf of owners into the world of turbocharging. Over the coming years, the definitive collection of iconic design will continue to grow.