Singer belts out 964 Cabriolet Turbo Study

REVERED Californian Porsche restorer, Singer, has dived into the world of forced induction with its 380kW Type 964 911 Cabriolet, which features a brilliant mix of modern engineering and technology applied to the classic air-cooled flat-six.

Singer has well and truly proven itself as a classic Porsche engine development leader since forming in 2009, solidifying its reputation in 2018 with a game-changing 372kW naturally aspirated 4.0-litre air cooled flat six – developed alongside Williams Advanced Engineering with the help of Porsche engine god Hanz Mezger.

Over the past few years, the Porsche retromod pioneer has continued to innovate, with a recent ‘Turbo Study’ for 964 owners craving the full Singer treatment.

The Study involved taking elements of the 930 911 Turbo and applying them to the 964 series, culminating in the development of a ‘Mezger’ 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged flat-six with up to 380kW on tap.

Of course, a lot more went into the engine than simply strapping a couples of turbos onto it, and Singer left no stone unturned in making the setup reliable – bearing in mind this represents a 200kW increase over the base air-cooled donk.

The Turbo Study utilises the next evolution of the Mezger flat-six, featuring modern turbochargers with electric wastegates, bespoke air-to-water intercoolers mounted within the intake plenums, and power outputs starting at an immense 335kW.

Drive is delivered via an engaging six-speed manual gearbox, with the option of rear- or all-wheel-drive depending on customers’ partiality to wheelspin.

Inspiration for the Turbo Study is drawn from the iconic Porsche 930 Turbo and the open-top driving experience owners have come to know and love. 

“The first Porsche, the Sport 356/1 known as ‘Number 1’, was a cabriolet, and high-performance, open-roof glamour has been part of the story ever since,” explained Singer Group Inc founder and executive chairman Rob Dickinson.

“I’ve long wanted to celebrate that part of Porsche heritage at Singer and doing so as part of our recently announced Turbo Study seems a perfect place to start.

“Our goal with the Turbo Study is to distil the awesome thrill of Porsche’s first ‘supercar’ while reimagining its performance and refinement. We’re excited that owners can now choose to enjoy these traits with the roof down.”

A variety of advanced materials have been used on the reimaged 964, which features a bespoke carbon fibre body, reducing mass and increasing rigidity.

Despite a heavy performance focus, Singer says the vehicles offer enhanced refinement, reduced noise, and more compliant damping and suspension performance. 

Larger turbo-specific brakes, ABS, and traction control “sit in reserve for the moment they are needed”, suggesting Singer understands that purists don’t want invasive safety systems.

A carbon ceramic brake option is available for track-focused owners, and Singer is able to squeeze more grunt out of the engine at the request of power-hungry customers. 

While Singer makes it clear that the price will vary depending on specifications requested by clients, the estimated asking price is close to $US500,000 ($A717,350). Despite the steep asking price tag, Singer says it has more than 70 clients willing to open their wallets for the new Turbo Study.

Over the past decade Singer has forged a high-profile reputation for its reimagined Porsche builds, with an exclusive focus on melding heritage with the latest engineering and material technology.

“Singer’s growth as a luxury brand continues. Our new expanded facilities in California and the UK have enabled us to expand the team with world-class talent and respond to growing demand around the world,” said Singer Group Inc. chief executive officer Mazen Fawaz.

“The team in the US is diligently focused on completing Classic Study restorations while, 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 it’s very exciting to be able to extend our services to the cabriolet body style for the first time.”