There are moments when, despite our best efforts, things seem destined to go wrong. It’s as if the universe is too pleased to make us zig just after we’ve zagged, and the chances of accomplishing what we’ve set out to do quickly go from slim to nonexistent. That’s precisely the feeling that underscored my drive in Theon Design’s first US commission, a 964-generation Porsche 911 restomod aptly named USA001. As you’ll soon see, what was supposed to be an idyllic mountain drive turned out to be anything but.
I pull up to the base of the Angeles Crest Highway north of Los Angeles an hour after first light. I’m driving the antithesis of an air-cooled Porsche, a Mantis Green McLaren 750S you’ll read more about in the coming weeks. A thick cloud layer looms overhead as USA001 rolls into the parking lot with Theon Design co-founder Adam Hawley at the wheel.
Even as somewhat common as resto-modded 911s have become over the last decade, especially here in Singer Vehicle Design’s home turf, Theon Design’s latest creation makes a strong first impression. It’s easy to forget just how low early 90s-era Porsches can sit, this car’s stance accentuated by its carbon and kevlar bodywork. However, beneath its widened fenders lies a chassis that’s been completely stripped, reinforced, and 3D-scanned to ensure that the panels that create its backdated look fit seamlessly.
Hawley, a designer whose career has seen him work with major automakers such as Jaguar, Land Rover, BMW, and Lotus, jumps out of the low-slung Porsche. He explains that his morning began with a search for race gas, as California’s lowly 91-octane fuel wasn’t jiving with this car’s Texas-bound 93-octane engine tune. With pleasantries exchanged and that issue seemingly sorted, Hawley tosses me the keys, and we jump in the awaiting 911.
A twist of the key to the left of its three-spoke steering wheel coaxes USA001’s naturally aspirated 4.0-liter flat-six into life. Built to suit the taste of the commissioning buyer, Theon Design claims it employed a mix of Porsche road car and motorsports parts when putting this engine together. Its displacement grows over the 3.6-liter motor that powered this car in a previous life, as does its output, rising to 405 horsepower and 324 pound-feet of torque, peak figures that won’t come into play until its tachometer reads 7,500 and 5,800 rpm, respectively.
However, this car’s distinct sound catches your attention long before you learn about its stats. Its blend of an aluminum intake plenum and independent throttle bodies courtesy of UK-based Jenvey Dynamics creates a note that’s throaty and noticeably higher pitched than what you’d typically get from an untouched 3.6. Meanwhile, an active quad-tipped exhaust system dials up from a noise level more akin to a grand tourer to a proper wall of sound.
As it did in its original form, this Porsche 911 sends power exclusively to its rear wheels, except that thanks to its owner’s specific request, it now does so through a genuine 993-generation Carrera RS transmission and a Wavetrac Torsen limited-slip differential. It slows itself with a complementing set of 993 Carrera RS brakes, not that there’s much heft to keep in check considering this car’s claimed 2,540-pound curb weight. For those keeping score, that’s a near 500-lb saving.
Eager to experience this car’s epic power-to-weight ratio, I point USA001’s nose towards the Angeles Crest Highway and begin the long climb up the canyon with Hawley sitting in the passenger seat. However, as soon as we enter the San Gabriel Mountains, an unexpected problem emerges: a near-total inability to see what’s just ahead of this 911’s sloped hood. A dense fog almost entirely blankets the road ahead, and we slow our pace to a crawl.
Eager to make something of this low-speed opportunity, Hawley walks me through this car’s various drive modes. Despite its engine sporting independent throttle bodies, this car retains its electronic fuel injection. Theon Design pairs this with a modern engine management system and drive-by-wire. This allows it to switch through various engine maps on the fly, with Town being the tamest and stepping up to Sport, Sport+, and eventually Race mode. It’ll even rev-match, should you want it to.
As we cruise through the fog with this car’s flat-six dialed back to its tamest setting, it doubles nicely as a grand tourer. It delivers power smoothly and its engine note settles to a hum. However, its well-damped ride stands out thanks to its active TracTive suspension. It, too, morphs through multiple firmness settings, and despite this car’s owner commissioning it to be a back road sports car with occasional track use in mind, it floats along nicely as we climb this winding mountain road at slower speeds.
Thankfully, the fog begins to recede in a few sections, and I can pick up the pace. Seizing on the opportunity, Hawley dials the suspension and the engine up to 11. However, before the tach completes a full sweep, I’m forced to slow back down to avoid a stream of fallen rocks. I keep this car’s owner in mind, and I’m not inclined to cap the Theon Design team’s final day in California with a flat tire or, worse, a cracked wheel.
Nonetheless, as the road surface clears, the fog returns, following us to our photo spot deep in the woods at just over 5,000 feet of elevation. As I pull into my chosen campsite, Hawley asks that I lift this car’s nose, an added benefit of its TracTive suspension.
As Hawley and I chat with hopes of giving the fog some time to clear, I’m nonetheless impressed by just how detail-oriented this Theon Design build is. From practical changes, such as a wiring loom that sheds 60 pounds over the original, down to the relocation of vital components, such as this car’s A/C system to its nose for better weight distribution, this isn’t just a re-bodied 911 with a hot motor in the back. It’s been comprehensively re-engineered.
As we walk around the engine bay, Hawley points out his decision to create a leather sleeve for the flat-six’s oil filter, claiming that its red color drew unnecessary attention. Hawley moves on to the horizontal aluminum slats on the active rear spoiler. Although they could’ve been perfectly flat, he’s opted to have them curve downwards slightly to match the spoiler’s curvature more seamlessly.
Inside, USA001’s interior is almost entirely covered in Midnight Blue and Ibis White leather, the former being a nod to its exterior Midnight Blue Metallic finish. Every point of this interior you interact with is either machined aluminum or leather. As Hawley points out, even small details such as this car’s vents, door handles, shifter, and side view mirrors are made of the lightweight metal.
USA001 features Theon Design’s Sports Touring seats with a fair amount of bolstering, which, paired with this car’s bespoke door panel arrangement, go a long way to differentiate this Porsche 911’s interior from what it looked like in a previous life. This particular commission took over 6,000 hours to complete over 18 months.
As we dive into the details, Hawley suggests we go down the mountain road as he and his team have a flight back to the UK scheduled for just after lunchtime. With my camera gear packed and the fog thinning, we jump back in and race down the canyon.
At first, I’m left crawling through the fog and evading the occasional rock, but mercifully, it clears, and I get my first open stretch of road. With its suspension and engine dialed up to its most aggressive, I can finally start leaning on the accelerator. USA001’s superb steering becomes a highlight as the bends come and go. While it’s an electro-hydraulic rack, it transmits excellent feedback and picks up weight nicely in the corners.
As expected from a car sporting Carrera RS brakes, its stopping power is tremendous. At the same time, its equally vintage transmission offers an excellent feel while simultaneously encouraging you to shift it quickly. Given that this car’s 17-inch Fuchs wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 2 rubber, its mechanical grip is high, while its limited-slip differential helps it put its power down nicely. Yet, while USA001 is now far more capable than it was when it first emerged from its Stuttgart production line, Theon Design hasn’t over-modernized it to the point where it doesn’t feel like a vintage Porsche 911.
Modern suspension systems are excellent at neutralizing unwanted motions but can rob an older car of charm. Air-cooled 911s have a way of dancing through the bends, and Theon Design’s re-interpretation of a classic Porsche doesn’t trade that liveliness for outright speed.
Given this car’s mix of 91-octane and race gas, it’s impossible to predict how much power it’s developing. From the driver’s seat, it feels like plenty. While its mid-range torque is excellent, I pin the accelerator in search of its redline. However, just as I’m beginning to connect with this otherwise thrilling sports car, it starts to hesitate, stuttering hard the moment the needle on its tach clears the five-grand mark.
It feels like an unexpected fuel cut. Nevertheless, I downshift ahead of an upcoming bend and prepare to try again on the way out. However, once again, it stutters, locking its peak power and this flat-six’s full character just out of reach.
It’s a bummer. From the fog to the litany of rocks and now an engine that won’t rev, I pull back into the parking lot and line up this Porsche 911 next to the green McLaren, feeling somewhat torn.
USA001 is impeccably built, beautifully styled, and exciting to drive, even in less-than-ideal conditions. It’s the product of a team that cares deeply about its work, with every detail well thought out and executed. Every piece selected for this build blends nicely with each other, resulting in a car with a clearly defined vision and purpose. It’s a restomod in the truest sense, one that doesn’t over-modernize and rob the original of its character.
That said, this car still costs over $590,000, that figure not accounting for the donor car’s cost or any additional taxes. And while unfortunate road conditions don’t stop bits of its thrilling persona from shining through, an engine not well-acclimated to life on the West Coast means it’s a personality I couldn’t fully experience.