Cabriolet Parade: Singer shaves off the top with its latest redesigned Porsche 911

• Singer has set his sights on redesigning the 964-generation Porsche 911 Cabriolet.
• Power comes from a 4.0-liter six-cylinder with water-cooled heads and variable valve timing.
• In addition to all kinds of performance upgrades, there is even a new electric folding roof.

Cutting the roof off a car designed as a coupe introduces some structural flexibility, which isn’t what you want in a sports machine. Still, convertible (aka convertible) versions of the Porsche 911 account for a large percentage of sales: what’s not to like about the wind in your hair and a flat-six soundtrack in your ears? Moreover, the modern Porsche is so stiff that performance loss is not really visible when used on the road. But what if your dreams extend to a more classic 911 Cabriolet experience?

Porsche 911 Cabriolet redesigned by Singer

Good news: If you have pockets as deep as the Mariana Trench, the fine folks at Singer have your back. The company’s latest creation takes the air-cooled 911 Cabriolet of the 964 generation and reinterprets it with extensive performance upgrades, additional chassis strengthening and even an all-new folding roof. If you grew up with a 911 Cab poster on your bedroom wall, the real thing might be a little shaky at the age of forty. Singer’s treatment aims to align those drop-top 911 dreams with the power of the real world.

As has become typical of Singer’s revamped, eh, reimagined 911s, the debut cars, are real customer commissions, each with a slightly different flavor. Both benefit from the company’s considerable expertise in stripping and restoring the 964 chassis – Singer has been doing this sort of thing for more than 15 years – and both receive structural reinforcement from additional steel and composite parts.

The bodywork is carbon fiber, inspired by the turbo-look convertibles of the 1980s. However, where those had a slightly clunky top-down silhouette that could be referred to as ‘The Humpback Whale of Domkirche St. Eberhard’, a new two-piece, electrically folding top gives a neater top-down appearance.

Like the original, a huge whale tail rear spoiler is also available if you want a more flashy effect. Combined with an aggressive aero treatment at the front from the sport-oriented Guards Red commission, it’s not out of balance. Singer’s earlier versions of the 911 Turbo are much more in your face.

However, the discreet, speed-activated spoiler in the more touring-oriented blue car looks much more like Singer’s early work. It’s one of those cars that a casual observer might not realize why it’s so special when you drive past it, but one where, when you’re parked, you can really take in all the details.

An advanced Flat-Six engine

The mechanical work here is, as usual, of staggeringly high quality. A 4.0-liter six-cylinder engine produces 420 horsepower and features variable valve timing (a first for an engine restored by Singer) and water-cooled heads combined with air-cooled cylinders. You know, like Porsche’s own 959 supercar. Peak power isn’t the headline here; it’s a wide range of gears that sings up to 8,000 rpm, paired with a six-speed manual gearbox. Engine specialist Cosworth, currently engaged to assemble engines for hypercars from Aston Martin and Bugatti, advised on the engineering of this six-cylinder.

Braking is handled by optional carbon-ceramic discs, which are available on both cars. The wheels in both cases are 18-inch center lock units, fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport tires. There are five levels of traction control and practical considerations such as a nose lift system and CarPlay and on-board navigation.

Cost is not mentioned by Singer, which could be taken as one of those “if you have to ask” statements. It is noted that only 75 of these cars will be built, and none of the company’s redesigned 911s can be rushed.

Both cars are relatively understated, the blue more so than the red, but both just scream cruising in the California sun. A 911 coupe customized through Singer’s modifications and improvements already offers a truly exceptional driving experience. Opening the top in this case provides more sun and more flat sex sensations.

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Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, BC, Canada. He grew up on British cars, came of age in the golden age of Japanese sports compact performance, and started writing about cars and people in 2008. His special interest is in the intersection between man and machine, whether it concerns the racing career of Walter Cronkite or the half-century-long obsession of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki with the Citroën 2CV. He has taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for the excuse they provide to constantly buy Hot Wheels.