AUTOMOBILES
Singer All-Terrain Competition study is The Coolest Car Ever | BY SOMNATH CHATTERJEE
I
f you do not know about Singer and its creations then you have indeed missed out on some of the most beautiful cars ever made. If Porsche 911’s of a certain vintage are alluring to you then the Singer based ‘re-imagined 911s’ are certainly going to make you go weak in your knees. Founded in California in 2009, Singer has catapulted the Porsche 911 into a designer canvas where stunning craftsmanship and materials are lavished onto it with a singular focus towards driving perfection. Singer re-imagined Porsche 911’s are an unique concoction that have taken the collector car world by storm; hence in just a decade, Singer cars are now a ‘must-have’ for any collector. Every car is personalized and the attention to detail is frankly astonishing but the core ethos is always what the Porsche 911 stood for: which is putting the driver at the center. These are more than just a restoration but a ‘restomod’ where modern day engineering is infused into a classic car. Its latest creation has also taken automotive world by storm by imagining what a modern-day 911 rally car would be like. It is called as the ‘All-terrain Competition study’ and based on a client request, they turned an air-cooled Porsche 911 into Dakar ready racer. Porsche has had a history with rallying and its Cayenne is not the only car that they have made that can take on any kind of terrain. Porsche went rallying in the 80’s which resulted in creations like the 911 SC/RS and the 959 rally cars. Singer collaborated with known UK-based Porsche off-road specialists, Richard Tuthil for this car and this car was assembled at the Tuthil facility. The specification sheet seems to be ripped out from a rally spec special with pretty much everything changed from the basic 964 911 donor car.
You have a permanent AWD system along with increased ride height option and suspension travel. Plus like any Singer, lightweight materials including carbon fiber panels are used while the basic structure of the car has been strengthened for heavy off-road use. There are forged aluminum 8x16” wheels with BF Goodrich AllTerrain tires plus the 3.6L twin turbo-charged, air-cooled, Porsche flat-six makes 450hp and 420lb ft torque. The gearbox is also proper race-spec with a 5-speed sequential dog-box enabling flat-shifting. For desert racing there is also a longer range fuel tank installed while the interior gets FIA specification seats and harnesses alongside a full roll cage. Two cars have been commissioned including a Parallax White - focused on highspeed desert rallying and a second – in Corsica Red - made for high-speed racing. The ACS also stays true to the principle of “form follows function” with a brutal yet minimalistic charm courtesy the 959 rally car inspired look. It is clearly designed to win desert races and not sit pretty in the owner’s garage. This also isn’t a one-off as the ACS study would be available to others who would like to convert their 911 into this off-road spec as well. Singer also says that the price for this car ultimately depends on the exact specification being chosen by the owner. Unlike other Singer creations, the ACS probably has drifted towards the extreme with its capabilities and personality but that also makes it one of their best creations. Many important components have been created specifically for this car including the four wheel drive system and the sheer complexity along with the level of fetishes being showered by Singer for the ACS means a car like this will not be made by any mass-market manufacturer. That is the beauty of craftsmanship and bespoke coach-built cars which Singer has brought back in a big way. Amen to that!
24 | UPSCALE LIVING MAGAZINE | SPRING 2021
