Italian coachbuilder Ares is known for two things: turning classic cars into modern drivers, such as the Ferrari 412, the De Tomaso Pantera, and for its roofless S1 Project Spyder. Now, the design company has put its hand to another cult classic: A one-off Porsche 911 Turbo from the 964 generation is the design studio’s new project – and it is absolutely awesome.
2021 kicked off with a cool new V8-Powered Land Rover Defender for Ares and the folks over from Modena have one more January surprise.
When the Porsche 964 Turbo was launched in 1991, it faced an uphill battle to win its fans over: this new generation of the iconic sports car from Stuttgart had been handed the baton from the first 911 to bear the Turbo badge on its rear bonnet – the legendary 930 – a car that changed the sports GTs panorama forever.
The 964 has always been a desirable iteration of the 911 lineage. With its cult status well-cemented in automotive history, it now acts as the base for a new restomod courtesy of Ares, which has overhauled the 911. The luxury coachbuilder has chosen the 911 964 Turbo, interpreting and modifying it, both in the aesthetics and mechanics; ultimately imparting its DNA which imbues every one of its creations.
Said to be a ‘unique creation, born from an enthusiast’s vision who wanted to realize his dream car’ and ‘an object of desire, as exciting to drive as it is to look at’, the Ares model is arguably one of the cleanest restored Porsche’s around
The car features many visual and performance upgrades but manages to retain the original Turbo’s DNA. The most notable appearance modification has to be the added fixed ducktail spoiler mounted on the redesigned hood. It gives the coupe that retro vibe the 911 Carrera 2.7 RS has.
Another touch in the same direction is the set of new wheels. The two-tone silver-black alloys have a design that’s reminiscent of Fuchs rims used in the same Carrera 2.7 RS from the mid-1970s. Other exterior updates include a new set of headlights and the quad pipes at the rear.
Inside the cabin, the Modenese craftsmen have created a new interior upholstery in leather and tartan fabric, decorated with a houndstooth motif, a gentle nod to the German manufacturer’s racing cars from yesteryear and one that Ares had already used on its Porsche 911 Targa GT3. Special attention has also been paid to the interface between car and driver: with new gauges and a PCCM infotainment system, specifically designed for classic Porsches.
Power comes from a base 3.6-liter flat-six engine that’s had its intercooler and turbocharger. But Ares has made tweaks to the car’s engine. More precisely, they’ve added a larger turbo and intercooler, increasing the factory output of 360 horsepower (268 kilowatts) to 425 hp (316 kW).
In terms of performance, although the 964 Turbo never lacked numbers, but unfortunately, the tuners are not providing details about the coupe’s performance capabilities after the performance upgrade. But it will probably be fast, very fast!
No pricing details are available either for the Porsche 911 964 Turbo, but you won’t be able to buy this car – it’s a one-off customer order. Come into the beautiful world of Ares.
Yakymour 