Tag Archives: Theon Design

Restomod

Theon Design Turns the Porsche 964 Into a 426-HP Air-Cooled Weapon

Singer may have written the opening chapter of the modern Porsche restomod story, but the genre has evolved well beyond a one-brand show. Case in point: Theon Design’s latest take on the 964-generation 911, a car that looks politely classic until you realize it packs a better power-to-weight ratio than a modern GT3 RS. Yes, really.

From a distance, this renewed 964 doesn’t scream for attention. The lines are familiar, the stance restrained, the vibe unmistakably air-cooled 911. Look closer—or better yet, drive it—and you discover that subtlety is just camouflage. Underneath the vintage skin lives a deeply reengineered machine built by Theon Design, a UK-based outfit that’s quietly become one of the most serious players in the restomod game.

The heart of the transformation is a new air-cooled 4.0-liter flat-six, and it’s exactly the kind of engine enthusiasts fantasize about at 2 a.m. It makes 426 horsepower at a heady 7,600 rpm and 439 Nm of torque, thanks in part to independent throttle bodies that promise razor-sharp response. Open engine intakes complete the package, ensuring the soundtrack is as unfiltered as the driving experience. If you believe air-cooled engines should be heard, not muted, Theon is clearly on your side.

Power goes to the rear wheels only—because of course it does—through a six-speed manual gearbox. No paddles, no modes, no apologies. To make sure all that power doesn’t turn into expensive tire smoke, Theon fits specially calibrated TracTive semi-active dampers and brakes borrowed from the 993-generation 911 Carrera RS. The result is a chassis that blends old-school feedback with modern control. Period-correct 17-inch Fuchs wheels fill the arches, wrapped in Michelin rubber that quietly hints this car is meant to be driven hard, not parked under velvet ropes.

The build process itself is obsessive in the best possible way. The donor 964 is stripped to its bones, the chassis reinforced with additional welding, and the steel body panels replaced by lightweight composite parts. Finished in Medium Ivory with contrasting Grand Prix stripes and protected by PPF, the car manages to look both timeless and purpose-built.

All that carbon pays dividends on the scale. Theon’s 964 tips the scales at just 1,150 kilograms, giving it a power-to-weight ratio that eclipses Porsche’s current 911 GT3 RS. That’s an outrageous statistic for something that still looks like it belongs in a 1990s showroom poster.

Inside, the same level of care continues. Carbon-backed Recaro CS seats are trimmed in Tobacco nubuck leather with ivory stitching that mirrors the exterior details. Plastic switchgear is banished, replaced by machined aluminum components that feel substantial and mechanical—exactly how a 911’s controls should feel. The rear seats are gone, swapped for a carbon-fiber storage compartment, while a Focal six-speaker system with an Audison amplifier handles audio duties for the rare moments when you’re not listening to that flat-six howl.

None of this comes cheap. Prices for one-off commissions like this start at £420,000 (about €484,250), and each build takes roughly 18 months. But in the rarefied world of high-end restomods, that price isn’t just for parts or performance—it’s for patience, craftsmanship, and the idea that a classic 911 can still move the goalposts.

Singer may have started the conversation. Theon is making sure it doesn’t end there.

Source: Theon Design

Restomod

Theon Design 911 Restomod Is a Masterclass in Air-Cooled Perfection

Singer may have lit the fuse on the modern Porsche 911 restomod movement, but the fire has spread far and wide. Across the Atlantic, a handful of British builders have emerged as serious players in this rarefied art form—and Theon Design is leading that charge. Its latest creation, the result of 18 painstaking months of craftsmanship, may just be the Oxfordshire firm’s finest work yet.

At the heart of this Ice Green Metallic masterpiece is a powerplant worthy of a standing ovation. Theon’s engineers have built an air-cooled, 3.8-liter flat-six that breathes through independent throttle bodies and spins out 407 horsepower at a stratospheric 7,600 rpm. Torque peaks at 293 lb-ft (397 Nm), delivered with the kind of immediacy that only individual throttle butterflies can provide.

Those numbers alone might not scare a modern 911 GT3, which enjoys a roughly 100-hp advantage, but the Theon weighs in at a featherweight 1,150 kilograms (2,535 pounds)—a staggering 312 kilos (688 pounds) lighter than the factory GT3. Add in a five-speed manual and rear-wheel drive, and you’ve got an old-school driving experience distilled to its purest form.

And then there’s the noise. Theon’s adjustable exhaust can whisper through the village or wail like a banshee on a Sunday blast, depending on your mood and proximity to the local constabulary. A semi-active TracTive suspension keeps the car composed no matter how pockmarked the road, while a built-in lift kit spares that sculpted nose from steep driveways and unkind speed bumps. Brakes are lifted straight from the 993-generation Carrera RS, and custom 18-inch wheels wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport rubber keep the classic silhouette planted and poised.

Every Theon begins as a bare-metal 911 shell. The company reworks and strengthens the chassis with fresh seam welding before clothing it in carbon fiber panels that mirror the original’s curves but shed precious weight. The result, finished here in a shimmering Ice Green Metallic with Polished Eclipse Chrome accents, looks as if it just rolled out of Stuttgart in a better alternate universe.

Inside, the craftsmanship borders on obsessive. Recaro CS seats with carbon fiber backs sit amid a sea of gray Alcantara and bespoke leather. The gauges are reimagined yet familiar, while a stealthy Alpine head unit feeds six Focal speakers—modern sound discreetly hidden in a cabin that still feels gloriously analog.

Of course, exclusivity like this doesn’t come cheap. Theon’s commissions start at £420,000 (about $564,000), and that’s before you even source the donor car. But for the lucky few, this is less about cost and more about curation—about owning a machine that captures the soul of the air-cooled 911 and reimagines it for the modern world.

Singer may have started the movement, but Theon Design proves the symphony of the classic 911 is far from over—and in the right hands, it might even sound better than ever.

Source: Theon Design

Restomod

The Theon R is a Porsche 964 with 500 HP

British company Theon Design dedicated to creating the ultimate air-cooled Porsche 911 has presented its latest project, Theon R. It is a lightweight car based on the Porsche 964.

The Theon R weighs less than 1,000 kilograms thanks to the use of carbon fiber used in Formula 1, which means it is lighter than the newer model GT3 RS (1,482 kg) and the original Miata (1,002 kg). This material was used in the body and interior panels. It is equipped with a large rear wing reminiscent of the 1974 Carrera RSR, carbon ceramic brakes, a Wavetrac limited-slip differential, independently adjustable MCS shock absorbers, and Minilite-style rims.

It is powered by an air-cooled 4.0-L flat-six engine with 500 hp (368 kW). That’s less than the 525 hp (386 kW) of the modern GT3 RS, but the Theon R’s advantage is a better power-to-weight ratio. It accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 3.2 seconds, while it takes 6.5 seconds to reach 160 km/h (99 mph). That’s remarkable considering the GT3 RS (2025) achieves an almost identical time.

Theon Design will produce only 24 units of this car and it will take around 18 months for the builds to be completed. When it comes to price, the Theon R costs just over $850,000 and that doesn’t include the donor 964, any shipping costs, or taxes.

Source: Theon Design

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The Theon R is a Porsche 964 with 500 HP