Porsche 911 964

Like other automakers, Porsche is up for experimenting with new things. While the German car company is most praised for its legendary sports cars, mainly the 911 and 718, Porsche is no stranger to deviating from its usual ways. This has resulted in some pretty interesting concepts over the years. What pushed the strife to explore new ways was, to an extent, Porsche’s financial trouble between the 1980s and 2000s. Interestingly enough, those were the years in which some of the most bizarre Porsche creations came to life. Even now, Porsche is churning epic new concepts, but sadly none of them transitioned to production models. While there are plenty of examples, I took it upon myself to find and research the five most obscure Porsche concept cars that time forgot. Some of them are more recent than you think, and this raises the question of why Porsche didn’t go through with them.

When you think of Porsche sedans today, the Panamera and Taycan immediately come to mind. These cars are stunning examples of how Porsche blends sports car DNA with four-door practicality. But what if I told you Porsche experimented with a rear-engine sedan long before these models became household names? That’s where the Bertone Karisma concept comes in. Now I’ll admit, hearing the name Carrozzeria Bertone usually brings up images of exotic wedge-shaped masterpieces like the V12-powered Lamborghini Miura, and a personal favourite of mine the Lancia Stratos. The idea of Bertone collaborating with Porsche, a brand known for precision and understated design, sounded almost too good to be true. But it did happen, and the result as you can see from these images was nothing short of spectacular.

Ah, the 964 Turbo 3.6. There’s something about the 964 that appeals to enthusiasts of the older, more "raw" Porsche 911s. It’s not as outlandishly beloved as the 930 Turbo, nor is it as “driver-focused” as the later 993, but it strikes a very interesting balance. And if you’ve been paying attention, you’ll know that its price has been climbing at an uncomfortable pace. For those who didn’t, or for those who tried to argue that these cars weren’t worth much, the hammer came down at $375,000 for a 1994 Porsche 911 Turbo 3.6 sold on Bringatrailer.

The Porsche 911 is one of the most iconic sports cars in the world. The first-ever Porsche 911 was launched in September 1963. It was originally known as the Porsche 901, but the name was changed to 911 after the French government objected to the use of the number "0". The 911 has undergone many changes over the years. In this article, we’ve listed out the launch month and year for every generation of the Porsche 911, including air-cooled and water-cooled models with .1 and .2 models.

People just love doing stuff on the Porsche 911 platform. It seems every day, a new, reimagined version of the rear-engine sports car pops up, and nine times out of 10, they’re mostly good. The 911 lineup is the most versatile of any sports car ever produced, and there is a variant for every need. With the platform being as versatile as it is, you would think Porsche themselves would be giving you the craziest iterations of the 911, but no. Another neat example of a heavily modified 911 comes from a California-based Russel Built Fabrication. The company started out in the 2000s, by maintaining movie prop cars, but eventually evolved into a fully-fledged custom shop. Russel Built Fab’s latest and most ambitious project is the Porsche 911 Baja, which takes an already-capable platform and gives it the ability to jump over sand dunes at seriously impressive speeds. While this is not the company’s first off-road 911 build, it is, by far, the most extreme that I have ever seen. Here’s what makes it tick.

Each Porsche 911 can be considered a timeless classic. Hardcore, classic Porsche enthusiasts will most desire the air-cooled 911 models, but sometimes, mixing old with new can be an exciting endeavor. The 911 is one of the most replicated and reimagined sports cars in the world, and while Porschephiles are extremely picky about what can and cannot be done to a 911, we believe they will get behind this super-clean build. It involves a very clean Porsche 964 Carrera that for some reason, has done away with its original, air-cooled flat-six engine. Fear not.

As a Porsche enthusiast and model car collector, I find the Luminex ArtCar Lamp to make for an interesting proposition. You may have seen this on your TikTok or Instagram feeds and I think it would make even the staunchest "function over form" folks reconsider their priorities. Made from stainless steel, it features a very detailed 1:18 scale model (my favorite size) of the iconic Porsche 911 2.7 RS with its Fuchs wheels and Carrera livery, courtesy of Norev. But this one is mounted vertically.

As the name suggests, RSR Project is the culmination of a group of enthusiastic folks who are very fond of the 1973 Porsche 911 Rennsport Rennwagen (RSR) race car, a legend that defined Porsche’s motorsport prowess. Founded in 2017 by Richard Schickman based out of New York, the company’s mission is to work closely with their clients and transform air-cooled 911s into razor-sharp classic sports cars with a modern twist. Their latest creation, a 1986 example bathed in the iconic Gulf Oil livery, is a masterclass in restomod execution. The aesthetic isn’t just for show, it’s a reminder of Porsche’s motorsports dominance.

The Porsche 911 carries one of the most iconic and recognizable designs in the automotive world. The combination of simplicity, clever engineering, performance, and relative attainability has solidified it as the ultimate, daily-drivable sports car. Classic 911s, in particular, have a fanatic cult following. They are also some of the most popular platforms to be reimagined, which is why Porsche themselves have been playing catch up. Companies like Kalmar are taking the classic, air-cooled 911 formula and infusing it with modern tech while keeping the aesthetics and overall feel as close to the original form as possible.

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.

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.