Porsches are some of the most difficult cars in the world to improve. That's because they're almost always made to be perfect, and there usually is little one can do to better what the German factories birth on a regular basis. But that doesn't mean there aren't enough crews out there in this world trying their luck and hand at modifying and, in their view, bring something extra to Porsches.
One such crew is called Theon Design, and it resides in South East England. It describes itself as a shop dedicated to restoring and enhancing (and at times recreating) the German beauties – not the newer ones, of course, but the ones originally made far back enough in time to warrant improvements.
We've seen several 911s wearing the signature of Theon Design over the past few years, but what we have here today is something truly special: the company's first-ever bespoke Porsche 911 (964) Targa job.
The car started its life as a Porsche 911 (964) Carrera 2 Targa of unspecified model year. It's unclear where and how it spent its life, but once Theon got hold of it, the car got stripped and then put back together in the form it presents itself before us now.
A quick look at the thing will immediately make it clear this still is, design-wise, a Porsche. But what lies beneath the familiar lines and inside the cockpit has been completely revised, transforming the 911 into a more modern beast.
It all started with replacing all of the car's body panels with ones made from carbon fiber. Only the doors are left in steel in a bid to add more side impact protection. When the bodywork replacement process was over, the entire vehicle was propped on 18-inch Fuchs wheels wearing Michelin Pilot 4S.
A unique pastel blue color was then added, offset by contrasting Porsche lettering and ghost stripes running the length of the sills and bumpers in a color that matches what's displayed on the brake calipers – hardware that, like the entire braking setup, is the same as on the 993 RS.
Photo: Theon Design
The biggest changes to the car were made in places hidden from the naked eye. More specifically, the chassis of the Porsche was reinforced by means of two tubes made using "the same carbon construction technology deployed in Formula One and other forms of elite-level motorsport."
These tubes, which technically comprise both carbon fiber and aerospace-grade Nomex honeycomb, are there to add to the 911's torsional rigidity, while keeping the weight as low as possible.
The car is powered by a 4.0-liter naturally aspirated engine with independent throttle bodies. The powerplant was tweaked to develop 397 hp and 433 Nm of torque. Those numbers mean the unit cranks out nearly 100 hp per liter and, combined with the total weight of the Porsche (1,228 kg/2,707 pounds), amounts to a power-to-weight ratio of 324 hp per ton. That's the same, Theon says, as in the 991 GT3.
The engine breathes out through a fully ceramic-coated exhaust made in-house by Theon. Using it delivers, as per the promises made by the company, "a full motorsport-style flat-six cry when the valves open." And they can open automatically when the rev range is reached, or by flipping a switch in the cabin.
All those mechanical enhancements are matched by an interior to die for. Inside the Porsche was gifted with bucket seats wrapped in leather, naturally, inspired by the ones seen in the Porsche 928.
Theon tampered with the car's sound system, fitting a complex and modern one comprising a Pioneer Bluetooth classic stereo unit, Focal amplifiers, speakers, and subwoofers, with this latter set of hardware installed in the cushions of the rear seats.
Photo: Theon Design
The interior can be accessed through the doors, naturally, but one can also glimpse it when the roof is out of the way. This element is made in mohair, and when folded can be carried inside a bespoke bag made specifically for it. The bag can easily fit in the car's frunk.
The Porsche 911 has been nicknamed GBR003 by its makers and the guy who had it made. It's an exercise in design that Theon can repeat, provided people are willing to pay the price.
As stated earlier, the GBR003 is not the first Porsche project the Brits are behind. In fact, their portfolio presently includes both coupe and targa conversions, and believe me when I tell you they don't come cheap.
Theon is asking £390,000 for the coupe Porsches and £415,000 for the Targa, which translated into dollars would mean about $493,000 and $524,000, respectively. A fair warning, though: the prices do not include shipping and local taxes, and not even the donor car.
If one does find the resources to have such a thing made, they should arm themselves with a lot of patience. It takes Theon one and a half years to put one of these things together.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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