I first heard about the Singer Porsche 911 a couple of years ago and have thought often about the orange Singer beauty since then (Singer Porsche 911). It represents possibly one of the coolest old meets new designs I’ve ever seen on a Porsche 911. I absolutely love the orange color of the Singer Porsche concept car.

The company sort of went dark for a year with not much in the way of updates or news hitting the streets. Then last December, Excellence had a write up on the first customer ordered Singer Porsche. The review wasn’t stellar, with some kinks left to work out in the powertrain as I remember, but the company’s creations still showed tons of promise.

Just a couple of days ago, I came across a post by 9Magazine (check them out here: 9Magazine.com) mentioning that Singer had just completed it’s third Singer Porsche (pictured at the top in white). It seems the bugs have been squashed and they are on their way to putting more Singer Porsche 911 cars on the road.

What’s more, Singer Vehicle Design has forged some new partnerships that are sure to ensure longer time viability and production capabilities. They have partnered up with Cosworth, and internationally renowned motorsports engineering company to provide the motors going into the Singer 911. Also, globally recognized composite experts Aria Group will be responsible for delivering all of Singer’s carbon fiber bodies including preparation and paint stages.

A Los Angeles TV station did a piece on the first Singer customer car. Check it out here:

Singer Porsche 911 cars are not cheap by any means. Base price is $190,000, but they are perfect for someone who loves the styling of the 60′s and 70′s Porsche 911 with the creature comforts and power from current models. Matt Strong, Singer’s first customer whose car is featured in the video, put it perfectly:

“This one has got the character of the older models but with a lot of the performance and convenience of the newer ones, so it’s kind of the best of both worlds.”

Can’t stop thinking about these Singer cars. One of my favorite customized Porsches of all time. I can’t wait to see more from this tuner.

[Source & Images: Singer]

I found this press release from a few weeks ago an interesting one. It’s from TECHART about a new model they’re producing. Literally…a model. It seems TECHART wanted to provide a Porsche even those of us without the means of the top 1% of the world’s population could afford.

The TECHART limited edition GTStreet model is a collectible 1:43 scale model with fine detail replicating the actual program for Porsche 911 Turbo and GT2 cars. The cars are painted in California orange and black, and limited to just 300 units. Each car comes with a clear acrylic display case that includes a base plate showing the serial number.

Definitely a cool addition to any Porsche scale model collection. I’m a little surprised they’re marketing these though. Seems like scale model shops and sites tend to have this covered. Plus at EUR 59.90, the profit certainly isn’t the driver here. I can’t say that I’ve ever seen a Porsche tuner market models like this. I suspect it’s kind of like the vanity billboard scenario aimed at appeasing some exec more than anything.

You can order your scale model at the TECHART site here: TECHART Collectors Models.

[Source & Image: TECHART]

“Mayhem” is an appropriate name for this ride. I’m sure in the hands of 99% of the population, it would produce just that. Fortunately you’ll need to be in the top 99% of the population to be able to afford the $220,000 price tag of the EVT1500 Performance System upgrade designed by Evolution Motorsports. Base car not included of course.

Before we get to the record set, let me paint the picture of this upgrade for you. A Mayhem car starts life as a Porsche 911 Turbo (997.1TT model produced in 2007). A very respectable car by any standard. The EVT1500 Performance System takes the car to the next level (and then some) through heavy engine modifications resulting in 1485 horsepower and 1320 lb/ft of torque. This EVOMS built 4.0 liter twin turbo motor is the centerpiece of the upgrade process.

The upgrade includes components that satisfy new safety concerns raised with such a huge boost in power. Things such as suspension upgrades, transmission modifications, bigger brakes, etc. The end product posts some serious numbers including a 0 to 60 run of 2.5 seconds and an exit of the 1/4 mile at speeds in excess of 160 mph.

Now let me tell you about the record this little beauty just set. The Evolution Motorsports Mayhem Porsche 911 just turned a speed record of 234.6 mph in Tempe, AZ. This sets a new record for a fully street weighted (defined as one that contains full interior, stereo/nav system, etc.) street legal car. The only modification, aside from the engine of course, is safety equipment such as a roll cage, fire extinguisher, etc.

Pretty unfreakinbelievable!

Check out this video to see the record setting run:

[Source & Image: Evolution Motorsports]

The car was taken from this (the condition the car was in when Shane purchased it sight unseen):

To this:

Simply UNBELIEVABLE! I don’t know how many people I’ve shown this car to, and every time I pull up the pictures, it’s like I’m seeing them for the first time. They are so captivating.

Here are the original specs on the car from the Certificate of Authenticity:

Year: 1965
Vehicle Identification Number: 222063
Model: 356C / 1600 SC Karmann Coupe
Production Completion Date: February 19th, 1965
Number of 356C Coupes Produced in 1965: Only 1101
Transmission Number / Type: 85879 (741/2C)
Original Paint Color / Code: Ruby Red / 6402
Interior Material Color / Type: Black Leatherette / B
Optional Equipment: Ventilated Chrome Wheels with Phoenix Tires (165/15)
Suggested Retail Price in 1965: $4,685.00

Shane was kind enough to send over more pictures along with the following thoughts on the project, car and process:

What turned you onto the idea of a 356, and in particular an Outlaw style car?

I always thought my first Porsche would be a 911, not sure why that was, but in my mind that was the car for me. So when I decided that I wanted to try and meet this goal of mine that I set earlier in my life I started looking at that model. I always knew that I did not want a modern car, my thought was anyone can go to a car lot and buy a car right off the lot if you have enough money, that did not appeal to me. What I did not want is to buy a new Porsche and then someone else would pull up next to me at a stop light with the same car, kind of silly but a concept I did not care for. So I started looking into the early 1970 911 cars and what I found was the granddaddy of all things Porsche, the original model that started it all, the 356. I think it was the history that surrounded these cars that made me quickly realize that this was the model for me. James Dean, Janis Joplin, even though it was a fake the Speedster in Top Gun, all these realizations came to my head about the history and pedigree of these cars and it was a no-brainer at that point.

As for why an Outlaw, I started looking at hundreds and hundreds of images of 356 cars and I just gravitated towards the Outlaws. Not that the stock cars are not nice, but if I was going to go through the trouble of building a car from scratch, why not make it my own. With a stock car everything is already laid out for you, the decisions have been made, with an Outlaw the sky is the limit and that is what I wanted. I kept saving images of cars and details that I liked about the early Porsche model and these images inevitably were of Outlaw cars. So very early on with my conversations I was telling Bill we are going to do an Outlaw. He was very supportive and said that if we were going to do an Outlaw there is a right way to do one and a wrong way to do one and that he would show me the way. I should also state that I never plan on selling this car unless for some reason I cannot feed my family, but the car will be with me for the rest of my life and I am not worried about resale value and with that concept I am set free not to worry about things other people would worry about. For instance, if we were not going to have bumpers, we were going to weld the bumper holes shut, something many Outlaws would not dream of doing because some day they may need to put the bumpers back on the car in order to get more money from their investment. I had no such concerns. Another instance is that we removed the very bulky and rather afterthought ashtray that come on the 1965 models, it looked like an afterthought to me and I am not a smoker and being an Oncology Nurse, what do I need an ash tray for? Hold change? I did not think so, so Bill chopped it off the dash and the appearance of the dash is must more sporty and “less is more” kind of thing. Just a couple of examples of our mentality when it came to the car, do it the way we want, don’t worry about the cost and don’t worry about getting our money out of the car, this is not an investment, it is a dream come true.

How did you arrive at the engine spec?

Well since we knew we were going through the entire car and that would include a full rebuild of the motor, why not go big? Again budget was not much of an issue and when I stared reading books on how to make a 356 go fast, it became evident that we had many choices and options. What I did not want to have happen is to use a motor not native to the car. It may be for some guys but putting a 911 motor into a 356 really defeats the purpose and takes away from the pedigree of the car. If was too worried about speed, I would have got a 911 Turbo, that is not what I was looking for, I wanted vintage motor sporting and I wanted to make sure we stayed with a stock case and stock heads. What I love about my car now that I think about it is that it is a “sleeper”, if you look under the deck lid you will pretty much see stock car except for the Webers. What you do not see is the performance parts and modifications that are the heart of the motor. My Uncle Tom Huber who has worked on hotrod cars for 40 years just shakes his head at cost of these modifications and parts, we could have purchased two big block crate V8 motors for the same investment, but then again they would not have Porsche stamped on them. We knew the stock SC motor put out about 95HP and we knew we could improve on that. Our goal was 150HP using the original case and heads, a daunting task indeed but for a car that weighs less that 2000 pounds, a significant performance improvement over stock. It should be noted that from my research, less than 400 cars came with an SC motor in 1965, that was for worldwide distribution.

Do you have the full engine spec available?

Scat racing crankshaft – stock stroke
Carrillo connecting rods
1883cc Nickies cylinders with JE lightweight pistons
LN Engineering performer camshaft
LN Engineering – CNC designed heads
Aluminum oil cooler
Chromoly pushrods
Petronix ignitor
Weber 40IDF carbs
Competition Engineering machine work
Precision Matters full flow oil filter
Stebro Stainless quad slant tip exhaust.

Who chose the paint scheme, and why?

I am very happy to say that the paint concept and the white race stripe was completely my idea, and Bill did share with me that he was not too fond of the white stripe on paper, but now that he has been around the car for so many months, I think the scheme has really won him over. One of the most interesting aspects of this build to me is the selection of paint colors. I knew that I wanted a silver Porsche, but I was very naive to think there were only a couple of silver colors available, there are a million shades of silver and with my research I thought to myself, if we are going to do silver, lets do “the” silver of the first Porsche ever, the infamous K45-286. So I sent some emails and made a phone call to the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart. I got the name of a curator by the name of Jens Torner in Germany. He was very helpful and provided the paint codes we needed to try and match the very first infamous car.

Tell me about the interior – Speedster seats were an early choice, but what else?

After looking and researching the early cars it made sense to go with the Speedster seats, this was going to be a race inspired Outlaw so they were a must. I also love the fact that James Dean spent his entire first paycheck as an actor on his first Porsche. I think his story was tragic but was also inspiring. We also went with the WWII B2 Bomber seat belts another feature many of the early race cars utilized. The wood Derrington steering wheel was also a must have just because it so much more interesting than a stock ’65 steering wheel. No sun visors were needed, heck we will be wearing our sun glasses when we drive this bad boy, so save on the weight is the way I looked at it, again “less is more”. We also got a Emory Motorsports German Adler “bird of prey” shift knob, another no brainier. The Emory family has a longstanding history of making top of the line Outlaw cars and Rod has also been supportive through my restoration. In fact, he has promised me a Emory Outlaw Badge for the grilles on the back of my car. This is a very coveted piece of metal and it is an honor, you cannot buy them, his family must present one to your car. He has already promised that I have earned mine and the next time the jeweler makes a batch, one is coming for my car. These are all handmade, again a true honor. We also got ourselves a set of aluminum race pedals, why, for no other reason than they look mean.

Tell me about the exterior?

I loved what these early 356 and the Spyder cars meant to James Dean so I wanted again to tip my hat to him and the 550 Spyder that he died in so tragically. So I went with a Spyder driver’s side rearview GT mirror and a Spyder license light housing. In order to have a true outlaw, the bumpers had to go, and with no bumpers we had no way to illuminate the rear plate. So I found the Spyder housing and we utilized that, it goes very well with the rest of the lines of the car. Since this was going to be race inspired, we decided to get a race tow hook up front and I think it turned out very well, from Rennline products. All of the vintage racing pictures of 356 cars were usually taken on dirt and gravel roads and to celebrate that heritage we went with the front headlight grilles. Another personal touch to the car was paying homage to Dean Jeffries and finding a set of German Iron Cross torsion bar covers. You see, in 1956 Mr. Jefferies built what most people refer to as the first Porsche 356 Outlaw. In fact a gentleman by the name of Jack Walters is presently restoring the old Dean Jeffries Outlaw right now and it is going to be magnificent. I also was able to research that Mr. Jeffries was the painter that put the 130 on the side of James Dean’s car weeks before the crash and he also did the paint scheme for James Dean, which is very cool. Dean Jeffries fabricated his own pair and I found a set of reproduction covers and they look fantastic. I have the stock ones also but I do not see myself swapping them out. The history behind the German Iron Cross goes back over 500 years and it really was a positive symbol until WWII and Hitler decided to have his way with such historical positive insignias. So what we are doing is displaying the Iron Cross with pride and erasing a little bit of the damage Hitler did to this history of this image. The car was Made in Germany, my descendants are German, so it is on my car as part of my heritage as well.

How long did the project take?

We overnighted a money order for the car on the 4th of July, 2009. We finished the build for all intensive purposes on January 18th when Bill took the car on the road for the first time, so to answer the question about 18 months.

Did the car live up to my expectations?

The entire experience and the final product have completely exceeded any expectation I had for the car and the attention the car received at the track at Harris Hill Road was also confirming our thoughts that this is a pretty special car.

Would I do anything different?

No, I think we made all the right decisions to make it everything it could be. Bill has allowed me to make this car mine in every way and I am thankful for that.

What are your plans for the car now?

The only plan I have for the car is to drive it. This is not a trailer car or a show car. It was put together by Bill to be driven and enjoyed. I understand my role as the caretaker of this wonderful car for years to come and I hope someday my kids look back at the car and the process, and even scratches and maybe dents and say “Dad did that”. I have documented every aspect of the build also for the next caretaker to enjoy. I truly believe this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and I am treating it like that.

Final thoughts?

I am just very grateful to be able to pull this restoration off. As a young boy if you would have told me that this would come to fruition I probably would not have believed you. There have been so many people in the 356 community that have assisted me and contributed to my car and I am very thankful to everyone that took the time to help me. I am mostly grateful to Bill and Mick at Hamilton Classics not only for a wonderful car but for the friendship we have created over this past 18 months. I am not just a customer to him and he is not just a guy with a wrench to me. He is a mentor to everything 356 and I am very lucky to have stumbled upon Hamilton Classics early on in this process. At the end of the day, it is just tin, leather and rubber, but what special tin, leather and rubber it actually is. To think this car had no chance at the road, 25 years in a garage in terrible condition but now it is back on the road and not only that, it was out on the track for a glorious day on January 22nd. I will never forget this process and I hope the car has many many more years on the road until it’s next caretaker comes along and decides that it is special enough also to save once again.

Such a great process. Thanks for sharing with us Shane!

I’ll be honest, the primary reason I’m posting this is because I love the picture and wanted to get it onto the blog. Even though it’s heavily edited (as most “good” pictures tend to be), it’s one of those dreamy photos I could use as a background or have hanging on a wall. Transports you to another place and time.

It’s pretty cool, though, that TECHART sees the US market as important enough to open a headquarters here. It’s in Irvine, California, and offers easier access to the company’s product line.

If anyone is in the Irvine area, be great if you could swing by there, take some pictures and do a little write up to share with everyone.

[Source & Image: TECHART)

Lyndon sent me this video he came across of the 9ff Porsche 911 that produces 1200 hp! The video is not going to wow you, but the sounds the car produces are amazing. It’s also funny to see the driver have to use two hands to shift the car into reverse.

Thanks Lyndon!

Today TECHART announced a new kit for the Porsche Panamera. I’m a bit on the fence on the external modifications. For some reason it just feels like there is too much attention drawn to the wheels. They almost seem too big for the car, but maybe that’s just me.

The interior, on the other hand, is a different story. Man O MAN do I love the look of that interior. Reminds me of an Aston Martin a buddy of mine and I took out for a little test drive last year. I love the red stitching, especially the patterns on the seats. You lose a little bit of the sheer class, but it makes it feel so much more like a fast sports car. Again, just my thoughts.

The Carbon Styling Kits are made, of course, of carbon fiber and are offered as part of the TECHART individualization program. On the exterior, the components give the car a bit lower, meaner look with trim pieces in the front, rear and sides. Inside, the sky is the limit with whatever materials suit your desires, but as a starting point, carbon fiber trim is suggested on the dashboard, door panels and center console, among other places.

Overall, an interesting look for the Panamera. Love the black with black wheels, and after looking at the pictures a few more times, maybe it’s just the angle of the image that sets the wheels off.

[Source & Images: TECHART.de]

If you’ve got a hankerin for something special and have a couple hundred thousand to burn, this very well could be the car for you. David Beckham’s Porsche 911 Turbo is up for auction on eBay with just under 5 days left. Currently the bid is at $153,500. Rumor has it that Chequered Flag, the dealer selling the vehicle, turned down an offer of $175,000 to end the auction early. It’s hard to believe this car would go for significantly more than that.

It’s a 2008 Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet that was purchased new at Beverly Hills Porsche. Beckham dropped some serious coin customizing this car after it was purchased. Which brings us to an important question: What makes this car special other than a celebrity owner? First off, it’s highly unique with blacked-out headlights, special alloy wheels, a Techart exhaust and has Beckham’s LA Galaxy #23 embroidered on the head rests. It’s got an interesting all matte black finish on the exterior. I’m not the fence whether or not I like the look.

One nice touch are custom Porsche emblems throughout the car. I have to say I really like the look of those.

This is a pretty interesting car. Do you buy a car like this to put in a collection, drive or what? I get the celebrity ownership to a degree, but commanding that high of a price? And what happens when David Beckham falls into “has been” status? I guess I just don’t quite get the huge premium to be paid for the opportunity to sit your butt where a celebrity has sat his. I kind of wonder what the exact same car minus the 23 embroidered on the seats and David Beckham’s name on the title would fetch.

Check out the auction and more pictures here: David Beckham’s Porsche 911 Turbo.

I’ve been reading up a bit lately on what Porsche tuners have been turning out and I came across the Speed9 from Porsche tuner 9ff. Unveiled to the world at the Essen Motor Show last month, the Speed9 takes the Porsche 911 Turbo Cabriolet and changes things up.

My first thought when I saw pictures of the car was a cross between a Boxster and early Speedster. The lines are definitely more Boxster-like with the covering over the rear seat. That’s the biggest visual change that catches me right off the bat.

9ff has taken one of the fastest cars Porsche has ever produced and attempted to up the ante. They beefed up power output from 500 hp to 650 hp. This is accomplished through the use of 9ff F650 VTG turbochargers, a new sports catalytic converter, updated exhaust manifolds, sport air filter and ECU upgrade.

Contributing to the Speedster-like silhouette are a shortened windshield, the cover over the rear seats and the 9ff Speed9 aerodynamics package. The aero package consists of front and rear aprons and side skirts all designed to optimize the handling characteristics of the car according to the company.

The interior wasn’t left behind with an Alcantara covered dash and door trim pieces, special 9ff sport seats exclusive to the Speed9 and a 9ff sports steering wheel. With an entry price of around $360,000, I’m sure most customers will opt for heavy interior customization to fit personal taste.

I know many hate it, but I like the looks of the black rims against the light colored car. Add the two tone exterior colors and it’s an eye-catching piece of machinery. That should be expected though for such a hefty price tag. I have to wonder sometimes if the people who buy these cars are just looking for something to blow their cash on rather than buying for a particular reason, such as something that is crazy fast or has wild 80′s Gemballa-like styling.

At the end of the day, this is a great looking, uniquely styled car that any of us would probably love to drive if money were no object.

[Source & Images: 9ff]

Strangely enough, we had a tornado touch down in Oregon on the same day Gemballa announced their first creation since reopening the company earlier this year. You couldn’t plan that kind of a press event! Too bad they couldn’t tie it in, not that the world really cares much about Aumsville, Oregon (it’s a few miles SE of Salem).

The Gemballa Tornado, based on the Porsche Cayenne 958, promises to carry on the Gemballa tradition in true Uwe fashion. It’s uses light and strong carbon fiber body panels making a bold statement on the exterior. The bonnet, front wings, side sill covers, doors, front and rear bumper/valance and rear hatch outer skin all use the carbon fiber material.

The width of the Tornado is increased to 2.05 m. New light clusters have been applied to the rear, fit perfectly around the signature four exhaust pipes. The car also has enlarged wheel arches with 22″ wheels, hiding bigger brakes made by Brembo of course.

The engine will be a Stage Two offering still being finalized. The stated goal for output is a 35 to 40% increase which would put it in the 675 to 700 hp range. Torque would see a projected increase 30%.

No details or pictures of the interior yet. I’m sure it will be well stated and equipped given Gemballa’s past creations.

I have to say, I really like the look of this Cayenne. I’ve always been a Gemballa fan, and I think they’re doing the brand justice with the Tornado. I love the stormtrooper look of the carbon fiber body panels fit around the car. It shapes the car nicely and gives it that hulking sort of look we see when the Cayenne is lowered and has some custom body panels. The front on view is probably my favorite. The rear and sides look a little funny on their own with the body panels. That said, I’d still proudly drive this car.

The Gemballa Tornado marks the 30th anniversary of Gemballa in 2011. In honor of that, only 30 numbered Gemballa Tornado Cayennes will be built. Gemballa has even put together a microsite you can check out here: Gemballa Tornado Microsite.

[Source & Images: Gemballa.com]