A long-term Singer client has recently requested for their Porsche 911 be modified into a World Rally Championship-inspired, all-terrain competition vehicle. Taking up the challenge, Singer has turned to the 1980s golden era of Porsche rallying with the likes of the 911 SC/RS and 959.
Singer’s latest design will allow the customer to be able to use his Porsche 911 for off-road racing, given it has been now modified for all-terrain use.
Singer partnered with well-known 911 rally specialist Richard Tuthill when they took on the All-terrain Competition Study, in response to the client’s request to modify his air-cooled Porsche 911 and give it the capability to compete in off-road racing, as well as to display its proficiency in all-terrain exploration.
We’ve taken particular inspiration from the iconic Rothmans-sponsored 911 SC/RSs and 959s that conquered events like the Qatar International Rally and Paris-Dakar in the mid-‘80s and, at the request of our client, have reimagined these all-terrain 911’s in their honor while utilizing fresh perspectives and state of the art know-how.
Rob Dickinson, Founder and Executive Chairman, Singer Group Inc.
To showcase the wide variety of skills covered by the ACS, the customer has commissioned two machines, with the first machine concentrating on high-speed desert rallying (finished in the iconic Parallax White) and the second modified for high-speed and high-grip tarmac events (finished in Corsica Red).
Richard Tuthill, a UK-based off-road competition specialist, has prepared Porsche 911s for decades and dominated in rally events with their most recent victory at the 2019 East African Safari Classic. This made it their 4th victory in the demanding 5,000km event that travels across Kenya and Tanzania. These accomplishments go along with their expertise gained from entering WRC competitions and events like the Paris-Dakar.
The All-terrain Competition Study uses Richard Tuthill’s vast knowledge regarding the demands of both on and off-road racing.
To enable the effective use of the car’s power while off-road, they created bespoke suspension and damping, as well as the AWD configuration. The car’s structure and components were strengthened so that it can withstand the forces that the car might encounter during high-speed, off-road endurance events and pathfinding.
“This collaboration brings together the best of innovation, cutting-edge technology, and decades of real rallying experience into one, amazingly capable, all-terrain off-road racing vehicle. In the 1980s we partnered with Prodrive to prepare bodyshells for the Rothmans 911 SC/RS that was part of the inspiration for ACS. I am delighted to have now partnered with Rob and the team at Singer to bring this incredible machine to life and look forward to working with them in the future. I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved.”
Richard Tuthill
Some of the modifications done for the 1990 Porsche 911 done by Singer for the All-terrain Competition Study include:
- Capability for Off-road competition events like the Dakar Rally and Baja 1000.
- Significantly increased the suspension travel, height, and overall strength
- Carbon fiber body panels that can easily and quickly be replaced, with immediate access to the underbody
- Permanent AWD
- Twin-turbocharged, 3.6-liter, air-cooled flat-six (450hp)
- Sequential racing transmission with front, center, and rear limited-slip differentials
Summary Technical Specifications:
- 1990 Type 964 Porsche 911
- Monocoque core strengthening for heavy-duty off-road use, carbon fiber body panels, off-road race modifications
Suspension, wheels, and brakes:
- Specific long-travel suspension including twin, 5-way adjustable dampers per corner
- BF Goodrich All-Terrain tires on forged aluminum 8×16 inch wheels
- 4-piston, monobloc steel disc brakes with a hydraulic handbrake
Engine
Like all the restoration services that have been done for Singer’s Porsche 911 clients, the Type 964 generation of air-cooled cars was used as its starting point. The heart of the vehicle is an upgraded “Mezger” air-cooled 3.6-liter flat-six, complete with twin symmetrical turbochargers, and fly-by-wire individual throttle bodies. The engine’s performance capability can easily be tuned based on the competition requirements and the owner’s need.
- 3.6L twin turbo-charged, air-cooled, Porsche flat-six
- Water-to-air intercoolers, with individual-bank charge coolers housed inside the plenum and cooled by the clamshell-mounted radiator.
- The minimum power of 450hp and 420lb ft torque with the vehicles tuned for each event’s requirements
- 5-speed sequential dog-box enabling flat-shifting. Capable of manual and paddle-shift
- Permanent AWD
- Front, center, and rear mechanical plated limited-slip differentials
Additional Specialized Equipment
- Long-range fuel tank
- 2 full-size spare race wheels and tires in the front trunk and rear storage areas
- Full FIA specification roll cage
- FIA certified bespoke competition seats
- Driver and navigator rehydration system
- Latest GPS race navigation system
The client who has commissioned the work has agreed that the All-terrain Competition Study results will be made available to others who may want to upgrade their cars with the off-road capability.
The restoration services done by Singer covers sports cars not just for the road, but also for off-road motorsport competition. Like always, the results are governed by the Singer philosophy of Relentless Pursuit of Excellence.
[Source: Singer]
