Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet reimagined by Singer – without the help of Red Bull?
Singer’s lopping the top off its reimagined 911 Carrera Coupe for a 75-car run
One day, if not today, Singer will run out of Porsche 911s to reimagine. Following the various Classic Turbo, flatnose, DLS and Carrera Coupe models the Californian outfit has announced over the last couple of years, is the latest – the Porsche 911 Carrera Cabriolet reimagined by Singer.
The model is inspired by Porsche’s own widebody variant of the 1980s 911 Carrera Cabriolet and like that car, will be limited. Singer will produce just 75 examples. The mechanical fundamentals are as you’d expect, similar to the Carrera Coupe – a 4-litre flat-six based on that of the 964 donor car, with four valves per cylinder, variable valve timing and water-cooled cylinder heads, good for 420bhp and an 8000rpm redline. That power is sent to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual transmission. It also gets Bosch ABS, traction and stability control and four-way electronically adjustable dampers.
Visually it’s very much per the Carrera Coupe with the roof lopped off. Even down to the varying levels of aggression you can order for your carbonfibre bodywork, with or without a ‘whaletail’ spoiler, jutting chin spoiler and wider front intakes. The Cabriolet also features inlets in the rear arches and the option for extra spotlights at the front.
As with the Coupe, Singer is working with Cosworth on engine development, though it hasn’t suggested that this car feels the benefit of its collaboration with Red Bull Advanced Technologies. Only last week the work that RBAT had been doing to develop 13 strengthening elements for Singer's monocoques was detailed, though only Classic Turbo Cabriolet models were referenced as receiving them.
Singer’s claim is that the Classic Turbo Cabriolet, thanks to the pieces RBAT developed, will feel as good to drive as the coupe. That’s a claim the Carrera Cabriolet would surely benefit from too – much more than can be said for Porsche’s original 911 cabriolets.
Nonetheless, Singer’s claim is that the Carrera Cabriolet’s monocoque does feature steel and composite strengthening elements developed with its own simulation and structural analysis tools, applied right at the beginning of the process.
The Carrera Cabriolet also gets a new Z pattern folding roof mechanism, for a smoother look (when up or down) and operation than the original Cabriolets. It hides beneath a subtle hump that puts us in mind of the old Porsche 911 Speedster.
We can only imagine what’s next, or what Singer is to do once all the old 964s have been bought up and ‘reimagined’. Singer 993 or 996 anyone?
