The air-cooled restomod scene has become a veritable arms race in recent years. Every week there's a new workshop promising even more horsepower, even bigger turbos and even more insane acceleration. And right in the middle of all this noise stands the British house Theon Design from Oxfordshire, playing by its own rules. Instead of chasing the highest number on the power meter, these Brits obsessively deal with scale, balance and a level of personalization that shamelessly defies the famous Singer.
The air-cooled restomod scene has become a veritable arms race in recent years. Every week there's a new workshop promising even more horsepower, even bigger turbos and even more insane acceleration. And right in the middle of all this noise stands the British house Theon Design from Oxfordshire, playing by its own rules. Instead of chasing the highest number on the power meter, these Brits obsessively deal with scale, balance and a level of personalization that shamelessly defies the famous Singer.
Their latest masterpiece is Porsche 911 generation 964, which has been rebuilt almost entirely from carbon fiber. Let's be honest: this aging air-cooled coupe develops less power than a modern 911 GT3. And yet, in terms of power-to-weight ratio, it gives it a run for its money.
Carbon everywhere – except on the doors
The carbon bodywork brought the dry weight down to a mere 1,146 kilograms, a few hundred kilograms below the modern 911. It sounds like the dream of every engineer who hates excess weight.
Theon could easily shave off a few more kilos if they also replaced the doors with carbon ones. But they consciously decided to keep the original steel ones. The logic? Pure, unyielding passion. The doors of a classic 911 have a very special feel and sound when they close, and the workshop was not willing to sacrifice that music for a few kilos saved. Hats off to such stubbornness.
Air-cooled boxer, worth 421 horses
Behind the rear axle sits a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter air-cooled six-cylinder boxer engine that produces 421 horsepower and 324 pound-feet of torque. It all travels to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. No turbos, no hybrid stuff, no gearshifts. In short, exactly the recipe that purists have been begging modern Porsche to remember for years.
It's all controlled by a MoTeC electronic throttle control unit that feeds six carbon intake trumpets and offers a choice of driving modes. Most of them are civilized and expected, but in between there's a five-way semi-integrated TracTive suspension with a front axle lift system to keep this low-slung coupe from getting knocked off its feet on every driveway. So in theory, it's perfectly suitable for everyday use.
Analog cabin with hidden technology
Inside, carbon fiber trim is hand-wrapped in Liquorice leather with vivid Lizard Green stitching, and a pair of Recaro RS seats reign supreme. Period-correct machined aluminum details are found throughout, and the instruments are color-coordinated with the exterior.
The best trick is hidden in the carbon center console: it offers wireless charging and a phone holder, while the vintage Becker Mexico head unit secretly powers a Hertz amplifier and six Focal speakers. The analog illusion remains intact, while underneath it hides a surprising amount of modern technology.
Technical information
- Model: Theon Design Porsche 911 (964) Commission
- Engine: naturally aspirated 4.0-liter air-cooled six-cylinder boxer
- Power: 421 hp and 324 lb-ft of torque
- Gearbox: 6-speed manual
- Drive: the last one
- Dry weight: 1,146 kg
- Suspension: TracTive semi-gloss, 5 settings
- Rims: 17-inch, anthracite and black
- Production: 6 orders worldwide for 2026
Price and availability
Theon will deliver just six of these orders worldwide in 2026, each consuming around 6,000 hours of work. Prices start at 430,000 British pounds (around $577,000), and that figure intentionally excludes the donor 964, shipping, and taxes. Since a clean donor car costs somewhere between $90,000 and $150,000, you'll want to budget a little extra. Trust me, it'll be worth every penny.
