Theon Design has unveiled its first Porsche 911 Targa restomod
With a lightweight carbonfibre construction and a 403bhp flat-six, Theon Design’s latest creation offers 991 GT3 speed without a roof
Another day, another Porsche 911 restomod. This time it’s a 964 Targa-based creation from Theon design, the Oxfordshire-based 911 specialist that first appeared in 2016. With carbonfibre body panels, electronically-adjustable suspension and uprated flat-six engines, Theon’s restomods are designed to amplify the best bits of the 911 driving experience while being finished to a much higher standard than usual.
This particular car is the firm’s first Targa model, and it’s been stripped down to bare metal and rebuilt with top-class components to the customer’s spec. Aside from steel doors, the exterior bodywork is entirely made from carbonfibre, with each panel modelled using CAD software for a cleaner, broad-shouldered look.
To strengthen the shell, Theon applies carbonfibre bracing to the underfloor of the Targa to offer a similar level of handling precision to its hard-top models. This does bring a 60kg weight penalty, but at 1228kg the Targa is still 437kg lighter than its modern 992 counterpart.
The Targa features the same TracTive electronically-controlled damper setup as Theon’s coupe models, albeit with a unique calibration. Certain components have been relocated to the front of the car, such as the power steering pump and air conditioning compressors, to aid the 911’s weight balance, which is now 48:52 front-to-rear.
At the heart of the Theon Targa lies a 4-litre naturally-aspirated flat-six. It breathes through open trumpets and independent throttle bodies to produce 403bhp and 320lb ft, resulting in a similar power-to-weight ratio to a 991-generation GT3. The engine drives through a 993 RS-specification gearbox, and a switchable valved exhaust system allows the noise levels to be adjusted on the fly.
This particular car has been painted in Porsche’s pastel blue shade, with 18-inch Fuchs wheels filling those muscular arches. Inside, there are leather-wrapped carbon components to save weight, along with Theon’s road-biased ‘touring’ seats with houndstooth fabric centres. A deep-dish Nardi steering wheel extends out of the dash, and the Targa features a modernised audio setup with Focal speakers and a Pioneer head unit.
Given the man hours involved, Theon’s restomods don’t come cheap. Hard-top models start from £390,000 before options, with the Targa costing a further £25,000. Each build takes around 18 months to complete.
