Old cars look great, but they don’t always drive great, at least not by the standards of modern cars. So it’s easy to see why we’ve witnessed a boom in restomods in recent years. But the recent trend has gone way beyond simply slapping on a set of bigger brakes, modern tires and squeezing some more power from the motor.
Modern restomods like Singer‘s 911s are refined and sophisticated and are often crafted so well that they look and feel as if the original automaker just kept on honing the concept rather than moving to a brand new design. They might go, stop and steer better than the originals, but they also feel more modern inside, sometimes with artfully integrated digital dials, state-of-the-art climate control, navigation and media systems, and a level of interior finish that would blow the minds of owners of untouched cars. They’re done so well that they become genuine alternatives to modern supercars – and often cost even more.
Related: New Singer DLS Turbo Might Just Be The Greatest 911 Ever
As I write this we’ve just clapped eyes on the incredible 700 hp (710 PS) Singer DLS Turbo, a reinterpretation of Porsche’s classic 934/5 racer from the 1970s, and next week we’ll get a proper look at an updated Lamborghini Diablo from Milan-based Eccentrica. Though we don’t know much about the Diablo beyond what we can glean from the darkened pictures, the fact that it’s been co-created by the guy that designed two other stunning mega-buck restomods, Nardone Automotive’s Porsche 928 and Automobili Amos’s Lancia Delta, means it should be a knockout.
But what other neo-classic performance legends should get the restomod treatment? And are there any cars that should be off-limits when it comes to modifying? McLaren F1s are so valuable that we can’t imagine anyone messing with one, and no one seems to have dared touch an original Countach in recent years since the collector market went crazy. But what about Jaguar’s XJ220, or a Ferrari F355, a Lotus Esprit or an original Honda NSX?
And since Singer has resurrected the Porsche 935/4, what other classic race cars would you like to see reborn for the road? How about a BMW M1 Procar or fat-arch Group 5 E21 320 but with a road car interior and drivability? Or a Zakspeed Ford Capri, Trans-Am Jaguar XJ-S or an R30 Nissan Skyline Super Silhouette? Leave a comment and let us know.
