Erbacher 911: Giving Singer A Run For Its Money

964 Reimagined By Erbacher

It seems the vast majority of automotive companies dealing in reimagining the air-cooled 911s have chosen the 1989-1994 Porsche 964 as their platform of choice. Have you ever wondered why? Erbacher gives a sound explanation behind the choice of this particular 911 generation.

While still utilizing the same basic chassis, the 964 generation is 85 percent new, compared to the G-Body. At the same time, the shape is, almost unchanged from the 1964 original. The 993 generation meanwhile, which came after the 964 features a slightly more rounded design, especially at the front wings, which don’t protrude nearly as much.

What’s the difference between the Erbacher 911 and Singer’s models

I can go on at length about the manufacturing processes of both companies, but I am sure there are already plenty of videos about those, somewhere on YouTube. Instead, I am looking at the final product. While the philosophy seems identical at first glance, there are some differences. For starters, both Erbacher and Singer are intentionally aging the 964 to make it look like older 911 generations.

In this case, Erbacher’s 911 has been aged to look like the B and C-series 911 (1969-1971). Singer Automotive does something similar, albeit some of Singer’s model lineup emulates the looks of the G-body, 930, and even the 935 “Moby Dick”. Erbacher’s iteration of the 911, however, gives away the 964 base slightly more, with the front wings more closely resembling the original pieces of the donor car. This, of course, doesn’t mean they are the same, as the Swiss company has left no stone unturned.

Familiar looks, exotic materials

The Erbacher 911 features a completely redesigned body. You get the classic 911 looks, but with a much wider stance, classically correct front splitter, and a faithfully executed (optional) ducktail rear spoiler that looks like it was taken straight from one of the most historically significant Porsche sports cars – the Carrera 2.7 RS.

Most of the chassis and almost all of the body are carbon fiber. The weight? The Porsche Erbacher 911 Carrera weighs just 2,160 pounds. Granted, this is for the rear-wheel-drive variant. Erbacher does the same for the 964 Carrera 4. For context, the lightest modern-day 992, the 911 S/T tips the scales at 3,056 pounds.

With cars like the Erbacher 911 Carrera, it is all about the finer details and the high craftsmanship is apparent. The side view mirrors are, not just classically-correct, but also aerodynamically-optimized. They are also mounted on the small vent windows, instead of on the door, and are hand-crafted and hand-polished to match the chrome trim and fuel-filler cap. And let’s not forget the obligatory for any high-performance classic Porsche, Fuchs-style wheels, with a deeper dish at the rear - one of the most popular mods for Porsche sports cars.

The same, bespoke, lightweight, RS-style treatment continues inside the cabin where hand-made, Italian leather upholstery and carbon fiber grace the cabin, along with custom bucket seats. Optionally, the steering wheel can be a racing Momo variant, wrapped in Alcantara instead of leather, and with a contrasting, 12-o’clock marker.

You also get modern climate control and sound systems, which are specially designed to fit the classic character of the interior. The tall shifter is almost at the same height as the three o’clock position on the steering wheel, so you can change gear and grab the wheel with both hands as quickly as possible. The cherry on top is the chrome-trimmed, five-gauge cluster - a signature trait for all 911s since 1964.

A classically-correct powertrain with modern power levels

The Porsche Erbacher 911 Carrera is not just about the looks though. It has plenty of oompf to keep up with modern sports cars thanks to EGMO – another Swiss company that has blessed the reimagined 911 with a powerful, air-cooled flat-six engine. The mill is based on the 964 Carrera’s 3.6-liter unit, which originally made 250 horsepower. Almost nothing remains from the factory boxer engine.

The Erbacher 911 now features a 4.3-liter, normally-aspirated flat-six that makes 430 horsepower and 339 pound-feet of torque. The engine produces peak power near the 7,200 RPM redline while peak torque is available from 5,200 to 6,200 RPM. As tradition dictates, the engine is mated to a six-speed manual. Thanks to twin-ignition coils (2 per cylinder/ 12 in total), you get 295 pound-feet from as early as 2,800 RPM.

Other features of the engine include

• Erbacher in-house sequential fuel injection

• Individual throttle bodies

• Drive-by-wire with two-phase variable intake manifold

• Emtron custom ECU

• Bank-selective lambda control

• Full custom exhaust

• High-strength chrome molybdenum, 82mm crankshaft (4.4 pounds lighter than the factory)

• Forged pistons and connecting rods

• High-strength-steel cylinders

• Nikasil-coated cylinder bores

• Custom camshafts

• Redesigned cylinder heads for optimal flow

• Integrated engine data recording and CAN bus function

Erbacher 911 Carrera: Price and rarity

The company doesn’t specify whether production of the Porsche Erbacher 911 Carrera will be limited to a certain number, so production volume will, likely, depend on the demand. The price you ask? We know Erbacher’s re-envisioned 964 Carrera will set you back at least €500,000 (approx. $ 528,337 in 2024).

The numbers may further vary depending on personalization options and region. Given what other companies are asking for their reimagined 911s these days and the fact Porsche will not go out of its way to give us an air-cooled 911 of their own (yet), I think the Erbacher 911 Carrera should be money well-spent.