Custom Cars - page 12

The ’Surfari’ 928 is one of the more creative builds, that we’ve come across in a while. We say this because while Safari-style Porsche 911 are quite well known, we haven’t seen the 928 embrace that rugged jacked-up look. The Surfari was conceptualized by Tadeusz Elwart who lives on the Hel Peninsula - a narrow strip of land in between the Baltic Sea and the Bay of Puck, in Poland. From a young age, Tadeusz’s father instilled a love for cars in him, especially vintage air-cooled Porsches. This is where his idea for the Surfari was formed and eventually manifested into a heavily modified 928.

California-based company, Singer Vehicle Design is a little over 10 years old and continues to impress with its unique take on classic Porsche 911s. The company has evolved greatly since its humble beginnings back in 2013 and now features a fully-fledged workshop with a meticulously organized, multi-step process, which focuses on painstakingly perfecting every detail of the reimagined 911s, down to the smallest thing. This near-psychotic obsession with attention to detail has resulted in what is considered the benchmark for a perfectly reimagined classic Porsche sports car. Singer focuses on quality over quantity, which is why every variant of the company’s reimagined Porsche 911 lineup is produced in limited quantities and costs as much as (or more than) a brand-new Porsche 911. Throughout the resto-modder’s decade of manufacturing Porsche 911s for purists, Singer has made only four different models, not counting the different body styles. Here’s how the Singer lineup looks today.

All Porsche 911s may adhere to a similar philosophy, but each one has its set of unique features. A well-known Porsche aficionado, Magnus Walker, based in Los Angeles has made it his life’s mission to collect all model years of the Porsche 911 from 1964 to 1973, along with other sports car models of the German brand. He’s not limited to Porsche sports cars, but it is the focal point in his car collection, with over 40 models, which feature his own unique twist. As a true Porsche purist, Magnus has a soft spot for air-cooled 911s, and he started out with one of the first Porsche 930 Turbos, sold in the United States. But if you are wondering what Magnus Walker’s daily driver is, you might be surprised. It turns out, that what the famous Porsche enthusiast drives, is something even he didn’t think he would fall in love with – a modern-day 2014 Porsche 991 Turbo S, which has an interesting story behind it.

Who needs a Porsche 911 Dakar when you can have the same amount of fun for a fraction of its eye-watering price? This is the question that Tyler Hoovie from Hoovie’s Garage YouTube channel set out to answer. While Safari 911s have been popular in the aftermarket for a while now (and cost a pretty penny), Porsche too caught up on the action with the 911 Dakar, a spectacular machine that was purpose-built to be taken off the beaten path. Unfortunately, it costs $225,000 before options and markup when new. They are also very rare since Porsche only made 2,500 examples.

In a legal battle with potentially industry-wide ramifications, Porsche initiated legal proceedings against Singer Vehicle Design in February 2024. The German automaker sued the Californian restoration firm, accusing Singer of trademark infringement on their DLS and DLS Turbo models. Porsche took issue with Singer’s use of Porsche branding and design elements, even though Singer has become renowned for its high-end, meticulously crafted resto-mods of classic Porsches. Early on, Porsche saw Singer’s potential impact. In 2012, a mere three years after Singer’s founding, Porsche negotiated a binding agreement with the Californian firm. This contract outlined the boundaries of Singer’s modifications to ensure they wouldn’t infringe on Porsche’s trademarks, and all the parts used in Singer models had to be sourced from Porsche.

In the world of custom Porsches, everyone has heard of RWB and Akira Nakai. The renowned Japanese tuner has been modifying 911 with dramatic fender flares, exposed rivets, and double wings, since the late 90s. Before he established RWB he was the leader of a wild drift crew, aptly named Rough World. Rough World drifters mainly altered and raced with the legendary Toyota AE86, making changes inspired by widebody endurance racecars. However, Akira always had an eye for Porsches and got to work on several while working at a body shop during the ’90s. One day as luck would have it a very damaged Porsche 930 came into the shop, and Akira was able to strike a deal with the owner. This midnight blue Porsche became his first muse, which he cut up extensively to reduce weight, upgraded the engine, and installed the first version of his iconic wide-body kit. He named his first car after his favorite beer- Stella Artois.

Restomods are all the rage these days, i.e. modern reimaginations of legendary classic cars. However, HWA Chief Engineer Gordian von Schöning insists that their Evo II is "not a resto-mod". HWA was founded by Hans-Werner Aufrecht in 1998, who was also one of the founders of AMG, now under the ownership of Mercedes-Benz. HWA, who have been in the game for a long time now (since 1998) reimagined the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.5-16 Evo II from the ground up. The HWA Evo II features a lengthened wheelbase for increased stability and a wider track for superior grip. Crafted from lightweight carbon fiber, its custom bodywork conceals an equally impressive powertrain.

The Half 11 is a Le Mans-inspired prototype built from scratch by designer twin brothers Iliya and Nikita Bridan. They are the founders of L.A. Shop: Oil Stain Design Labs and have over a decade of experience working with the largest automobile brands, including Honda and General Motors. The Half-11 is so called because its chassis is from a 911 which had to be cut before being integrated with its body. The brothers jokingly call their project the "Last Bad Idea", but every aspect of the build was done with detailed precision. The idea’s genesis, which eventually became the Half-11, began with a sketch by Iliya, combining the front end of a Porsche 911 with the rear of a Porsche Indy racecar. They immediately met with a team of fabricators, welders, and designers to get this project off the ground. The duo have big plans for their project car and want to make a limited number of models based on this prototype.

Remember the Porsche 930 Turbo, that 80s icon with a whale tail that earned the title of widowmaker? Well, U.K.-based tuner, Lanzante has cranked things up to 11 with their latest Porsche restomod creation, dubbed the TAG F1 Porsche. They took a featherweight Porsche 930 shell and injected a hefty dose of 1980s F1 fury – right in the middle of this whole "smaller engines are better" era. But this isn’t just any F1 mill, it’s the same unit that took the formidable McLaren-TAG-Porsche team to three straight F1 World Championships back in the 1980s.

Imagine you could capture the essence of the 1980s and build a car around it. That is exactly what Gemballa did in the mid-80s with the Avalanche, a Porsche-based sports car. Gemballa, a name synonymous with Porsche tuning since 1981, wasn’t always so focused. They began by customizing various high-end vehicles, but their visionary ideas for Porsches soon made them a leader in the early days of aftermarket tuning for the German brand. Their work set the bar for the entire luxury car personalization industry. Renowned Porsche aficionado and YouTuber Magnus Walker recently got to experience a lovingly restored Gemballa Avalanche. The vehicle is now owned by John Temerian, co-founder of Curated Vintage Supercars, based in Miami, Florida. The duo recently cruised around the city taking in the sights and talking about the distinctive Gemballa Avalanche and what makes it so special.

While the Toyota MR2 nameplate goes back decades, the mid-ship MR2 was one of the most exciting sports cars of the early 2000s. The fact that the third-gen (W30) was mid-engined gave it excellent weight distribution. Tipping the scales at a featherlight 2,195 pounds, the 138 horsepower from its 1.8-liter four-cylinder was more than adequate to put a smile on your face. Also, unlike today’s sports cars, this two-seater convertible was available with a five-speed manual. Throw in timeless style and it has the ingredients of an excellent performance car, out of the box. But what if you’re an MR2 owner who wants to spruce things up a bit? The aftermarket presents some options.

Imagine a classic 1968 Ford Mustang fastback. You’ve most likely pictured it on the pavement, but can you visualize that same car kicking up the dust and conquering the wilderness? Sounds wild right? Well, that’s exactly what the folks over at Borromeo de Silva, a design studio in Milan, Italy had in mind. They have previously come up with some pretty radical resto-mod concepts, based on iconic models like the Lamborghini Diablo, the Porsche 928, and the Lancia Delta Integrale. The team’s latest digital creation is a roofless classic Ford Mustang, dubbed the STL-1. But unlike most digital renders, this concept has a true backstory.