Mezger and Williams Team Up for New Singer 911 Engines
When F1 technology collides with legendary engine design, the world is given an air-cooled gift.
Singer Vehicle Design has just taken another step on the road to creating the world’s perfect Porsche 911. In a surprise move, the California company just announced it has built a new engine with help from Williams Advanced Engineering and Hans Mezger. For those unfamiliar with the names, Mezger (pictured) is regarded as one of the greatest Porsche engine designers of all time, and Williams has 40 years of Formula 1 excellence to its name. The resulting engine is a modern marvel with classic beauty and design sensibilities.
This first collaboration has resulted in a 4.0-liter flat-six engine with impressive specifications. Singer Vehicle Design is claiming 500 horsepower and redline “beyond” 9000 rpm. Which means Singer now offers an air-cooled engine that exceeds the capability of Porsche’s most powerful non-turbo 911, the 2017 911 R. The 911 R was already viewed as an attempt by Porsche to cash in on Singer Vehicle Design’s success by catering to vintage design ideas. Singer Vehicle Design just one-upped Stuttgart again, by making a better engine.
Some of the secret sauce that went into making this new engine includes the extensive use of lightweight materials. Carbon fiber has been used for the airbox and trumpets, the throttle bodies are aluminum, and the exhaust and connecting rods have been hewn from titanium. The most interesting, visually-striking part of the new engine is the ram air induction system. Since the 911 is a rear-engined machine, making a ram air intake required some unique thinking. This new engine actually features large intakes that replace the rear quarter windows of the 911.
When you first see the photos that Singer Vehicle Design released, the new engine looks like a piece of modern sculpture. The compact engine design is accentuated by the flared intake and the elegantly twisting exhaust cradles the whole unit. With the silver of the exhaust and the carbon fiber of the intake, it’s a lovely thing to look at. A bit of a shame it’s going to be hidden in the back of the car.
Singer Vehicle Design hasn’t released pricing on this new engine, but they have said it’s a standalone project and product. That means it’s not available for addition to any standard Singer project.  Sad news for any current Singer owner hoping to get a new 4.0-Liter upgrade.
