The Porsche 911 has long been the archetypal sports car. First unveiled in 1963, it quickly garnered a loyal following of those who appreciated its light weight, engaging handling and sleek look. While less flamboyant than cars produced in Maranello and Bologna, the 911 had an appeal all its own, combining dynamic performance with understatement and attention to detail. The 911 was, and is, a driver’s car, beloved by everyone from Steve McQueen – who owned a grey 1970 911S – to James Hunt, whose own yellow 1974 911 Carrera RS 3.0 was given to him by Lord Hesketh as part of his Formula 1 contract.
Every successive generation of 911 added incremental changes. Unlike with its competitors’ flagship models, Porsche didn’t look to constantly reinvent the 911; rather, it tweaked, polished and refined, maintaining its signature design while boosting performance with each new release. Of all the generations, the 964 remains arguably the most popular. Introduced in 1989, it's the last of the truly classic 911s, before the 993 generation took things in a more modern direction. It’s the one that bridged the gap between old and new, combining a small body, simple lines, and a raw, air-cooled engine with modern creature comforts like power steering and air conditioning.
It’s these attributes that attract restomod companies like Theon Design. Not content with simply restoring cars, Theon Design completely rebuilds them from the ground up, subtly modifying everything from the body work through to the suspension and engine, to produce significantly more power than the originals.
You might have heard of the term ‘restomod’, a word derived from both ‘restoration’ and ‘modification’. There are restomod firms specializing in virtually every classic car, from Mazda MX5s to Lotus Esprits and MGBs, but the 911 is one of the most popular choices, and for good reason. For Theon Design, based in Oxfordshire, the 964 is the canvas of choice.
Established in 2018, Theon Design aims to make the ultimate air-cooled 911. On a visit to its Oxfordshire workshop, a nondescript warehouse building near Banbury, it’s evident it is succeeding. Located in the area’s ‘Motorsport Valley’, along with a number of neighboring businesses all in the market of speed and engineering prowess, it’s ideally located to do what it says on the tin. The company begins with a donor car, an original 964 either provided by the client or selected by the team. It’s completely stripped back to bare metal before being rebuilt from scratch, with a wide-body stance and carbon fiber bodywork sourced locally by the same company that supplies to F1 teams.
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It is from here that things get more interesting. Each car is entirely individual, with clients able to design everything bespoke, from unique paintwork through to the finish on the metal exterior trim, the leather interior color and finish, and, of course, the steering wheel. Theon can design bespoke touchscreens, which can pop out of the dashboard, and naturally, each car’s performance can be tuned to the specific requirement of the client. While more track-focused models can be specced, as well as softer, touring set ups, a popular option is to go for the best of both worlds. Many clients opt for five-stage adaptive dampers, which can be dialed up for a stiff, racing-inspired ride, or down for a softer, cruiser-like waft.
As for engine choices, Theon starts with each car’s original block, before completely rebuilding it in 3.6, 3.8 or 4.0-liter form. They can turn them into raspy, high-revving units; or be supercharged for more low-down grunt and an instant overtaking ability. The car I get behind the wheel of is the former, a 4.0-liter build with 420bhp and 330 ft-lbs torque. Thanks to the abundance of carbon fiber, the car’s weight is trimmed down from 3196 lbs on the original 964, to 2535 lbs, giving it a better power to weight ratio than a 992 GT3.
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Finished in ivory white with copper brown metallic brake calibers, champagne Fuchs style wheels, and tan basketweave leather Recaro seats, it’s every bit the 1970s pin-up. While it retains the charm and mechanical feel of a period car, it is really anything but. The steering is heavy at low speeds thanks to subtle power assistance, but it truly comes into its own as speeds rise, turning pin-sharp and beautifully pointy. There’s genuine feel through the deep-dished steering wheel — the kind that’s been engineered out of most modern cars — while the six-speed gearbox, stolen from a 993 RS, is notchy and mechanical, like a good manual should be.
From start up, the highlight is the sound. The engine has been mated to Theon’s own independent throttle bodies, finished with trumpets to further highlight the high-revving howl possible from the flat six. It’s been tuned to mimic the sound of an old RSR race car, and with the switchable exhaust system’s butterfly valves wide open, the engine sings all the way up to 7500rpm. It’s an evocative experience, combining the rawness of a highly-tuned, naturally aspirated engine with pin-sharp handling, intuitive brake feel, and modern reliability. Essentially, it’s the 964 Porsche would have made if they had access to the technology of today.
Every curve, trim, and detail tailored by Theon Design honors the original while modernizing performance.
The bespoke cockpit features a six-speed gearbox and intuitive layout for a raw driving experience.
The interior surface is customizable – from leather finishes to trim, crafted to client specifications.
The 4.0-liter flat-six produces 420bhp while shedding nearly 700 lbs compared to the original 964.
More Porsche restomod firms worth knowing
Singer Vehicle Design
The most well-known Porsche restomod company, Singer Vehicle Design, has been in operation since 2009. Based in California, it offers ground-up bespoke builds, focusing on 964 models. Singer has a distinct, contemporary aesthetic, which it applies to its range of models, including the Classic, Carrera Coupe, DLS, and DLS Turbo, which draws inspiration from 1970s 934/5 endurance racers. Each of Singer’s models has carbon fiber bodywork, sculpted wide arches, overhauled engines tuned in partnership with Cosworth, and interiors that reference the ’60s, ‘70s, and ‘80s.
Tuthill
Located on the other side of Banbury to Theon Design, Tuthill is a family business, founded by Francis Tuthill in 1977 and now run by his son Richard. Originally starting out building successful 911 rally cars, and continuing to do so, Tuthill can also turn its hand to bespoke builds, for either road, rally, or track. It has also worked on a series of special projects, including a Le Mans inspired GT One, and the 911K, an 850kg, fire-breathing, 11,000rpm monster.
Ruf Automobile
Founded in Pfaffenhausen, Germany in 1939, Ruf began as a service garage. It wasn’t until 1977 that it built its first complete car, a tuned Porsche 911 Turbo, and ever since then the company has been synonymous with modified Porsches. Ruf still produces its own takes on Porsche history, from a new iteration of its iconic CTR ‘Yellowbird’, first released in 1987, to the Ruf Speedster, based on the 993 generation.
