Theon Design Celebrates the Intangibles With Its Porsche 911 Restomods
British restoration house Theon Design transforms 964-generation Porsche 911s into backdated, 1960s-era “long hood” alter egos with intricate details and punchy performance. If that sounds familiar, it’s because Southern California–based Singer Vehicle Design launched the same business model some seven years prior.
Founded in 2016 by a U.K.-based couple, and named after their son, Theon reimagines 911s that also involve considerable reengineering and several thousand hours of labor per build. However, unlike Singer’s sprawling SoCal and U.K.-based operation, Theon tackles the air-cooled 911 genre from a converted barn in the British Midlands—far removed from the bustle of London and closer to the clever contractors who supply Formula 1 teams with cutting-edge parts.
One of the latest 964-generation Porsche 911 restomods from Theon Design.
Tom Shaxson, courtesy of Theon Design
The idyllic locale makes it easier to incorporate high-quality components into the deceptively simple looking sports cars. Also unlike Singer, which has over 500 completed builds under its belt, Theon has delivered only 20 cars so far, with 10 in the current spec/build pipeline at a pace of around five to six cars per year.
My first exposure to Theon came in my own backyard in Southern California—specifically Angeles Crest Highway. My tester looked incredible and initially ran brilliantly, but soon developed a stumble, perhaps due to its tune not being optimized for U.S.-spec pump fuel. Fortuitously, I found myself in the U.K. months later, so I went on a mission to give the slope-tailed restomod a second chance. Here’s how it went.
Design
Improving on a classic Porsche 911’s impeccable lines without killing the Bauhaus vibe is a tall order. Theon Design’s cofounder, Adam Hawley, came armed for the task as a design veteran with a 20-year resume that includes BMW and Jaguar Land Rover, as well as a few aviation and marine clients to boot.
Hawley’s aesthetic is exacting, with limited tolerance for details that veer from his vision. Case in point: Theon engine bays, which exhibit extreme minimalism and appear clean enough to eat off of. “I hate that the red Porsche oil filter is right next to the yellow fuel filter,” he says, while my eyes roll over the details. “It just annoys me.” The solution? Tailor pigmented leather sleeves to hide the tinted bits. That attention to detail can be found in nearly every nook and cranny of these custom 911 restomods, including interior buttons and switches that transform most touch points from plastic to aluminum. Areas like the engine bay and front trunk are also spruced by finishes such as quilted leather, lending the vehicle a more precious, upscale presence than the stripped-down functionality of the donor vehicles.
Interior buttons and switches transform most touch points from plastic to aluminum.
Tom Shaxson, courtesy of Theon Design
While Theon Design’s subtly swollen exteriors and high-end finishes make its restomods resemble those of Singer at first glance, they’re oh-so-slightly off the bogglingly exquisite levels of craftsmanship and detailing found in their more established competition. That might be because Singer’s brand of customization has taken time to refine, but it also reflects that Theon’s $552,000 starting price comes in below many Singer builds, which more easily approach $1 million (average Theon examples achieve around $800,000 price tags).
Power Train and Hardware
A Theon restomod can be equipped with a range of air-cooled flat-six engines—3.6-, 3.8-, or 4.0-liter powerplants producing up to 420 hp, depending on tune. Engines pair to five- or six-speed gearboxes sourced by Hewland, which are designed as equivalent replacements to the coveted G50 transmissions found in vintage 911s. Upgrades can include gearboxes reverse engineered to more exotic 993 RS transmissions. Suspension can be optioned as KW coilovers or semi-active systems by TracTive with in-cabin adjustability.
The air-cooled, 4.0-liter flat-six engine inside our latest tester from Theon Design makes 420 hp.
Tom Shaxson, courtesy of Theon Design
Theon’s extensive reworking also includes countless unseen parts, from every carbon-fiber exterior panel (though most clients choose to leave the doors in steel to retain Porsche’s signature thunk door shut) to carbon-fiber tubs bonded to the footwell for reinforced chassis stiffness. Weight-savings tactics include aerospace-spec wiring looms that replace the donor cars’ massive units, and save 26 pounds in the process.
These 911s are also engineered for improved balance in order to counteract the limitations of their rear-engine configurations. By shifting components such as the air-conditioning hardware and power-steering pump to the front of the vehicle, the increased weight on the nose improves handling. Most Theon 911s retain enough creature comforts to feel relatively plush, which explains why some carry up to 220 pounds of leather alone.
Performance
At only around 2,600 pounds of curb weight, Theon Design’s reimagined 911s achieve power-to-weight ratios comparable to a 991-series 911 GT3. Behind the wheel of a recent build, I find that my tester feels snarling and spritely, eager to accelerate, and easy to flick into corners. While there are still detectable traces of a classic 911’s light-front-end feeling, Theon’s builds turn into corners more securely and deliver considerably more lateral grip. The feeling is retro yet capable, planted but dynamic.
This Theon Design 911 restomod achieves a power-to-weight ratio comparable to a 991-series Porsche 911 GT3.
Tom Shaxson, courtesy of Theon Design
The tactile sensations from the driver’s seat—throttle response, steering feel, and shifter action—are excellent. And yes, my 4.0-liter tester in the U.K. redeemed itself with a free-revving engine that delivered a fat powerband with crisp responsiveness. As a whole, a Theon build feels quite well put together and satisfying to drive, though it does lag a degree or so behind the seamless, watertight fluidity exhibited by the 911s reimagined by Singer Vehicle Design, which benefit from a longer development period and more finely tuned parameters. The difference isn’t earth-shattering, but it’s present.
There is quite a bit of variability to Theon’s tuning and performance, from suspension damping and ride height to wheel/tire combinations and of course engine tunes. Hawley cites a Chile-based client who owns two very different Theon builds: a Targa with a milder tune, and a coupe that’s rowdier and higher strung. “It’s like Jekyll and Hyde,” Hawley says, describing the differences in the cars (and perhaps the owner’s personality as well).
The tactile sensations from the driver’s seat—throttle response, steering feel, and shifter action—are excellent.
Tom Shaxson, courtesy of Theon Design
If the current model range isn’t oomphy enough, Hawley says the upcoming Theon R will scratch a different kind of itch. These fender-flared, big-spoilered hot rods will produce in excess of 500 hp from a 4.0-liter power plant and weigh under 2,200 pounds.
Is it Worth It?
Enthusiast interest in stock air-cooled Porsche 911s has led to skyrocketing prices of late, and the restomod movement has benefited from the heightened mystique of this small but powerful market. While many cannot comprehend how enhanced classics can command several times the value of a modern 911 with greater performance, Theon makes a strong case through the intangibles: just-so aesthetics, elevated tactile feedback, and finely tuned sights and sounds that make the experience of analog driving feel more special than the modern equivalent. For those evocative factors alone, a half-million-dollar Theon can not only feel worth it, but priceless.
A Theon build feels quite well put together and satisfying to drive.
Tom Shaxson, courtesy of Theon Design
Specifications
Vehicle Type:
In Production Since
Powertrain
- 4.0-liter air-cooled flat-6
Performance
- 0-60 mph: 3.7 seconds (estimated)
- Top speed: N/A
Price as Tested
Click here for more photos of this Theon Design restomod Porsche 911.
A reimagined 964-generation Porsche 911 from Theon Design.
Tom Shaxson, courtesy of Theon Design
