Expectations were great when it was revealed last year that prolific California-based Porsche 911 restoration experts Singer Vehicle Design would be collaborating with Williams Advanced Engineering (the research arm of the Formula 1 team) have inked deal to collaborate.
The first fruits of this partnership was an exceptionally well crafted air-cooled 4.0-litre flat-six that would dispense roughly 353kW while spinning at 9,000rpm. It was quite an achievement, but the car that would be the bearer of such a motor would not be shown until now.
Called the Singer DLS Goodwood, this newest ‘reimagined’ Porsche is the result of the most rigorous attempt so far at creating a lightweight classic 911 - hence the name, “Dynamics and Lightweighting Stud”. The owner that commissioned this car clearly has some deep pockets, as would anyone capable of purchasing a Singer 911, but the bringing together of new technologies and the engineering muscle of Williams only amplifies the total cost greatly.
Luckily, while this first example is already spoken for, the exericse has spurred Singer and Williams to apply what they’ve learned into a very exclusive run of 75 examples of the DLS. Good luck on acquiring your own, provided you’re flush via your own money printing machine.
Indeed, what started out as a 1990 Porsche 964 has been transformed into a wonderful collection of carbon fibre, titanium, and aluminium, packing one heck of a bespoke engine to boot - and it’s a huge perk that it doesn’t seem to have had its classic 911 aesthetics and character corrupted.
Debuting at the 2018 Goodwood Festival of Speed in the UK, the DLS’ finished flat-six features lightweight throttle boƒdies with upper and lower injectors inspired by Formula 1 engines, so too is the oil system and strengthened internal components. It’s mated to a six-speed manual transmission developed just for it, and both the engine and transmission have been moved slightly forward to improve weight distribution.
Williams had yet more to contribute with regard to the car’s suspension, which thusly have had months of tuning work gone into them. Elsewhere we find Brembo brakes, a specially calibrated ABS and traction control system by Bosch, and custom-developed and sized set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2S tyres wrapped around its Fuchs design magnesium wheels.
While every body panel has been replaced by carbon fibre, it’s the interior where the emphasis on ultimate weight saving is clear to see, with every trim piece, touch point, and connecting surface has been given an unpainted and exposed treatment, letting us enjoy the intricacies of the carbon weave.
It’s a stunning thing to behold, particularly how the black motif contrasts against the bright orange of the door panelling and seats as well as the exposed gear linkages and the bespoke Momo steering wheel. There’s just a wealth of detail lavished upon such a small space, and knowing that every one of those decisions were made with ultimate weight saving in mind is astonishing.
