Thornley Kelham’s European RS Is A $750k 911 Restomod Inspired By The 997 GT3 RS 4.0

I know, I know, it’s another 911 restomod. But you’ve got this far so you obviously think Thornley Kelham’s backdated Porsche deserves further inspection, and we’d agree. Maybe, like us, you remember the gorgeous outlaw-style Lancia Aurelia CSL these guys revealed in 2021, or maybe it’s because of the RSR-style nose (with a hint of 993 GT2) makes TK’s European RS look a little different from some of the other retrofied 911s out there.

And there are plenty, including, of course, cars made by Singer, to whom everyone in the space owes a debt of gratitude. But unlike the California company, which bases its builds on the early 1990s 964-generation 911, Britain’s Thornley Kelham starts with that car’s predecessor.

Related: Thornley Kelham Teases Range Of High-Performance “Reimagined” Classics

Going the 964 route gives access to equipment like anti-lock brakes and power steering, but Thornley Kelham says it chose the older 911 donor because it’s lighter, and anyway, the firm offers an electric power steering system if owners don’t like the idea of wrestling with those fat front tires through the quick-ratio, 2.5-turns, manual rack.

The body is then stretched by a fabricators to cover a track that’s 112 mm (4.4 inches) wider at the front and 214 mm (8.4 inches) at the back, the doors and front hood are skinned with aluminium, and carbon bumpers and a carbon ducktail rear spoiler are added as part of a 2,500-hour journey to a fully-finished shell.

On the other side of the polycarbonate rear and rear-quarter windows you’ll find one-piece carbon Recaro buckets, a Momo Prototipo steering wheel, a lightweight climate control system and a set of gauges that look just like the Porsche originals but are re-engineered to mate with the new electrical system.

Builds start at around $750,000, which gets you a hand-built 993-era flat-six motor opened up to 3.8 liters and fitted with billet cylinder heads, forged Mahle pistons that give a 11.8:1 squeeze, special cams and individual throttle bodies. That lot revs to 8,000 rpm and makes 385 hp (390 PS) and 290 lb-ft (393 Nm), but opening your wallet opens more possibilities.

One is a torquey, 24-valve 4.0-liter engine that pumps out 400 hp (406 PS), or you can go the other way and opt for a 10,000 rpm 3.8-liter screamer. All engines drive the rear wheels through a six-speed manual transmission with a custom, repositioned gear shifter and Wavetrac LSD.

Other options include an adaptive damper system for a suspension setup that features bespoke front wishbones claimed to be based on the modern 911 GT3’s lower arms and comes standard with JRZ four-way coilovers, Eibach springs and adjustable anti-roll bars. You can also specify carbon ceramic brakes and Michelin Cup 2 rubber if you’re planning on hitting the track.

A taste of what’s coming next

Thornley Kelham is only building 25 of these European RS 911s before moving into slightly less obvious territory that’s more along the lines of the firm’s Lancia Aurelia, the first car in the European series. The 911 is project number two, and later this year we’ll get a look at cars three and four, a restomodded Porsche 356 (European SL) and a Jaguar XK (European GT).

So why did Thornley Kelham decide to to build a run of modified 911s, something that’s been done many times before, when the Aurelia and XK show they’re capable of being more original? The idea came from a single commission from an architect who’d previously bought an Aston Martin DB4 from the company and returned with a request to build him the best 911 on the planet.

He also owned a 997 GT3 RS 4.0 and wanted an older Porsche that had some of that RS flavor. That car took four years from conception to completion, but now other millionaires can fast-track their way into something similar as a result of what was learned along the way.