This Gorgeous Green 911 Is An Air-Cooled Porsche Lover's Dream

The latest build from the England-based company does its best to blend modern technology with classic 911 driver involvement, and the result is a vehicle thats far stiffer, more powerful, and more exciting than the original 964 Porsche upon which it's based. That it's drop-dead gorgeous doesn't hurt matters one bit, either.

A Luftgekühlt That Loves to Rev
The most recent Theon Design "GBR" Coupe, commissioned for an owner in Great Britain, has a 3.8-liter flat-six engine based on Porsche's original 3.6-liter design. In its original form, the 964-generation Porsche 911 Carrera made 247 horsepower and 229 pound-feet, with the engine redlining at 6,700 rpm. The 3.8-liter Theon build improves those numbers by 160, 64, and at least 900 respectively, for a total of 407 hp at 7,600 rpm, plus 293 lb-ft of torque to play with.

Theon Design GBR Coupe 3.8 Porsche 911 Restomod Engine Intake 1
The company says the coupe's drive-by-wire throttle controls and an advanced ignition system help deliver precise, instantaneous throttle delivery, with four settings ranging from "Town" to "Race" that give its driver control over how snappy the engine should feel. Individual throttle bodies ensure some bellowing induction noise, with valved exhaust offering both scintillating music and a neighbor-friendly low hum, depending on the mode.

Driver Involvement To The Max
A five-speed manual transaxle (what else?) sends power to the rear wheels, and Theon says it has a decidedly mechanical, reassuring shift action. The company also repositioned the floor-mounted pedals for improved heel-and-toe action, and the accelerator pedal apes that of the latest 911 Carrera T.

Theon Design GBR Coupe 3.8 Porsche 911 Restomod Interior 2
The suspension and brakes are a big upgrade over the stock 964 Carrera, designed specifically for rough British country roads instead of flawless track pavement. The springs are a bit softer, while the TracTive semi-active shock absorbers have five settings to balance body control with comfort – itself a performance bonus when hammering down a rough stretch of asphalt. The brakes come from a Porsche 993 Carrera RS, and Michelin Pilot Sport tires improve grip in dry and damp conditions.

Before the mechanical bits even went into the Theon GBR Coupe, the shop stripped the donor car down to bare metal and 3D-scanned it for accuracy, then rebuilt the unibody with full seam welding – the 964 is more rigid than the G-Body 911 it replaced, but Theon still found room for improvement. On top of that uncharacteristically stiff platform, the company outfitted the GBR with lightweight carbon-kevlar bodywork, adding more strength but not more weight.

The exterior is finished in Ice Green Metallic, a color originally found on the 1974–1977 911. The silvery color looks phenomenal on the pseudo-backdated bodywork, which uses body-color headlight rings and a plastic front bumper as on a 964, but a vintage, split-style rear bumper and separate taillights replace the original's full-width units. Theon "Eclipse" chrome appears on the window surrounds and other exterior brightwork, while the wide, three-piece wheels have Fuchs-style black centers and polished barrels. A power rear spoiler and front-axle lift system provide some modern convenience without spoiling the retro-mod look.

Special Car, Special Order, Special Price
Inside, the carbon fiber tub interior is trimmed in Phantom Black leather with Ice Green stitching, with Recaro CS seats with carbon fiber backrests and unusual woven seat inserts. Theon replicated the original Porsche plastic bits, including the door handles, air vents, and control knobs, and rendered them in champagne-toned billet aluminum to give the car more enjoyable touchpoints.

Theon Design GBR Coupe 3.8 Porsche 911 Restomod Interior Details 3
Built to order, the Theon Design Coupe isn't anyone's idea of cheap. Starting at £420,000 ($566,031) at current exchange rates), the build doesn't include the price of the donor car, and optional upgrades will likely drive the cost even higher. That puts the Theon 911 right in lock step with an entry-level car from Singer Vehicle Design or Guntherwerks. Although far more than one would spend on even the most expensive brand-new Porsche 911, the Theon GBR Coupe 3.8 still seems like a great way to spend half a mil.