Monterey Singer Vehicle Design Showcase
Daily Slideshow: Singer brought a slew of builds along with its newest creation the DLS.
What's Old is New Again
At Pebble Beach this year, retro 911 models were found aplenty as the restomod Porsche trend has hit peak popularity. In fact, most of you know by now that it's become so popular that Porsche itself is now building their own upgraded classics with the "Project Gold" program.
Out in Sun Valley
Singer Vehicle Designs, a workshop on the northernmost area of Los Angeles, takes what is old and for a six-figure sum will create something that performs like new. Retro is all the rage and you can get that air-cooled classic made to fit your every desire.
>>Join the conversation about the Singer Showcase at Pebble Beach right here in the Rennlist Forum!
Rob was the frontman if '90s band Catherine Wheel
Singer founder Rob Dickinson is a Porsche purist and each creation has easter eggs that would only peek the interest of other 911 enthusiasts. Singer, named in tribute to famed Porsche engineer Norbert Singer, takes models from what is known as the golden years of the air-cooled models from the 80s and 90s and makes them the Über 911. Items like the central fuel filler being an homage to that on the 911 S/ T, the Fuch's style wheels, the RSR-like wheel arches, and the side mounted oil cap from the 1960s 911 R are among those easter eggs.
>>Join the conversation about the Singer Showcase at Pebble Beach right here in the Rennlist Forum!
Made to destroy
Underneath the old school skin and you'll find things like dampers from Öhlins matched up with OEM Porsche parts. Some bits are from other 911 generations and other parts come from the network of aftermarket specialists that cater to the Porsche tuning market. Every 964 restored by Singer gets 4,000 hours of labor put into it that emphasizes the attention to detail the shop gives.
>>Join the conversation about the Singer Showcase at Pebble Beach right here in the Rennlist Forum!
Try to explain that cost to your significant other
When a 911 gets delivered to Singer for restoration, it begins the process by being torn down to the bare frame. Hand selected parts and a healthy amount of carbon fiber is brought in to drop the curb weight by about 400 lbs and a rebuilt motor gets added in. Install four aggressive coilovers, add in a big brake kit, bring in those lightweight Fuch style wheels wrapped in sticky rubber and you've got a fantastic driving experience waiting for you. Which you absolutely should get since restoration services start at $395,000 and escalate from there.
>>Join the conversation about the Singer Showcase at Pebble Beach right here in the Rennlist Forum!
The devil is in the details
Managing Director Mazen Fawaz comments that the shop spends months perfecting the steering feel alone. The engines are developed by Ed Pink Racing and produce a series of pop pops and crackle when easing off the gas at 5,000 rpm. These are cars that have a 7,200 RPM redline and have tachometers that go to 11 in a nod to the film Spinal Tap. The 0-60 time takes 3.3 seconds and the cars will say hi to 100 in under five seconds.
>>Join the conversation about the Singer Showcase at Pebble Beach right here in the Rennlist Forum!
The fit and finish
There is a single-mass flywheel, single-plate clutch, and traditional floor-hinged pedals that require fancy footwork to keep the motor going hot. The torque in the engine means that you can enjoy the low rev range and exploit corners on public roads with willful abandon. On the flip, as you fly through the gears you'll be pleased to hear the paired central exhaust note as you soar past 6,000 RPMs on open roads.
>>Join the conversation about the Singer Showcase at Pebble Beach right here in the Rennlist Forum!
There is a market
Now, a decade after starting Singer and completing the 100th 911 restoration, Rob states what the restoration shop is all about, ‘I wanted to present to the world a vision of an ultimate air-cooled 911. I’d been immersed in the Porsche community long enough to know intimately the desires of people like us – people who love these crazy old cars – and I was convinced that if I didn’t do what I had in mind, someone else would.’
Interested in a Singer vehicle? You're looking at an 18-month wait in which 10 of those are just waiting for your turn in line. From there it's just eight months to take the car from factory fresh to being worked over with Singer magic.
>>Join the conversation about the Singer Showcase at Pebble Beach right here in the Rennlist Forum!
The DLS
Singer also brought its newest creation, the Dynamic and Lightweight Study or DLS to Pebble Beach. For these models, the tuning shop teamed up with German engineering shop Bosch and company in order to bring the creations to life. Like what other folks you ask? Why none other than the likes of Williams Advanced Engineering who jointly developed the 4.0-liter flat six to produce 500 horsepower to the rear wheels.
Rob states ‘I had the lofty idea that the car would be so awesome that it didn’t matter how much it had to cost,’ he laughs. ‘That was the kind of blind faith that I had when we were working on the first prototype in 2008. I spent huge amounts of someone else’s money with no sleepless nights, building a concept with no idea how much it would cost to replicate. Price wasn’t in the blueprint. The car had to be a blue-sky “what if?” With no limits, how great could the air-cooled 911 be?’
>>Join the conversation about the Singer Showcase at Pebble Beach right here in the Rennlist Forum!
For help with service and maintenance of your Porsche check out the how to section of Rennlist.com.