Theon Design has revealed its latest bespoke Porsche 911 commission, a carbon-bodied coupe created for a British customer.
Highlights
- Better power to weight ratio than a 992 GT3 RS
- Carbon Fibre body finished in pure, timeless color combination of Ivory White paint with Grand Prix White stripes
- Powered by air-cooled 4.0-litre flat-six producing 420bhp – well over 100bhp per litre
- Features dramatic open engine trumpets, delivering evocative intake rasp akin to a 1970s RSR race car
- Tailored for British roads with TracTive adaptive dampers, touring-focused spring setup and smaller, 17” wheels
Finished in the elegant classic Porsche color of ‘Medium Ivory’, the 4.0-litre, 420bhp, 1150kg machine was created in close collaboration with the client to be a pared-back, timeless interpretation of the ultimate road-optimized, air-cooled Porsche 911. The commission’s classic, reserved exterior, belies searing, modern performance: it packs a better power to weight ratio than a 992 GT3 RS.
Blending cutting-edge British motorsport engineering DNA and technology, with exquisite, hand-crafted luxury and OEM-grade design details, Theon Design’s latest build strikes a balance between thrilling performance and real-world useability, with more compliant damper settings, and smaller, 17” wheels ensuring it is at home on pock-marked British roads.
As with every Theon build, this latest car has been crafted over the course of 18 months, enhanced from the ground up at the company’s HQ in the heart of the UK’s ‘Motorsport Valley’. Based on a 911 (964) donor, the car was taken back to a bare shell before being transformed with obsessive attention to detail. Every last component – those you see and those buried deep beneath the skin – has been sympathetically optimized in a considered, deliberately ‘Porsche’ way by Theon’s passionate team, with no stone left unturned in the pursuit of perfection.
The resulting car leverages, and carefully honors, over 60 years of Porsche engineering and design heritage – right down to the exquisite, period correct yellow chromate protective coating on all mechanical components – while also incorporating the latest road car and competition-bred technologies. It delivers all the modern performance you could ask for – 0-60mph in under 4 seconds, effortless in gear punch – allied with a textured, richly satisfying analogue air-cooled 911 driving experience.
Led by Co-Founder Adam Hawley, a former senior designer for luxury OEMs such as BMW, Jaguar, Land Rover and Lotus, each Theon commission is individually designed and built, conceived in a personal, one-to-one consultation process with Hawley himself over countless hours.
Working directly with Hawley, every last detail is tailored for the customer: from the car’s precise dynamic setup and character of the air-cooled flat six motor, to the pattern of the weave for the leather trim. There really is no limit to the level of detail you can go into; a Theon build is a truly personalized, bespoke thing.
Theon Design Co-Founder Adam Hawley explains: “Our latest commission, built for a British customer is a refined, timeless take on our air-cooled 911 recipe. The client wanted to create a 911 that spoke softly – classically elegant to look at and subtle to the untrained eye – but carried a big stick; this build has performance to keep a 992 GT3 honest on a twisty road. The ‘Medium Ivory’ paint with Grand Prix White stripes and Copper Brown Metallic PORSCHE script harks back to the 1970s whilst also looking entirely contemporary, delivering an understated aesthetic with a dash of motorsport purity, hinting at its performance capabilities.
“Mechanically, we’ve optimized it specifically for British roads, with touring-focused suspension that delivers exceptional compliance over our uniquely challenging surfaces. The 4.0-litre motor has been specified with open trumpets, to deliver an evocative, addictive intake rasp that recalls the 911 RSR race cars of the ‘70s. It all adds up to create a sophisticated, truly rounded machine that is just as at home loping along a motorway as it is howling along Welsh B-road.”
Air-Cooled Porsche Perfection, Forged in Motorsport Valley
Based in the heart of the UK’s famed ‘Motorsport Valley’, home to F1 teams and world-class motorsport suppliers, Theon Design leverages competition know-how and cutting-edge technology to create the ultimate in bespoke air-cooled 911s. Its location provides unparalleled access to the most advanced materials, manufacturing processes, and engineering knowledge.
Starting with a donor 911 (964), each car is first stripped back to bare metal and 3D scanned by the company’s engineers, before being rebuilt from the ground up with full seam welding – giving transformed torsional rigidity and structural strength. The reinforced platform is then cloaked in Theon’s signature lightweight carbon bodywork – designed by Hawley. The beautifully proportioned panels blend aerospace and motorsport composites technology to deliver a shell that’s exceptionally light and rigid.
The panels for this commission are finished in elegant Medium Ivory paint, which creates a clean, sophisticated aesthetic, complemented by classic Grand Prix White stripes that honor Porsche’s racing heritage. The 20-stage paint process takes 300+ hours to complete. It is then sealed in with a full PPF coating, to ensure the car be used freely, with total peace of mind.
The build features other carefully integrated aesthetic details which elevate the whole. There is matching champagne detailing for the wheels, rear-engine cover grille, mirrors and headlight rings, while the glasshouse brightwork features Theon’s contemporary Polished Eclipse Chrome finish. Distinctive Copper Brown metallic brake calipers add a further dash of color, matching the painted text of elegant PORSCHE script on the doors and engine lid, and gently evoking a ‘70s aesthetic. The calipers are nestled behind bespoke 17-inch Fuchs-style wheels, which are lightweight three-piece split rims finished in champagne, filling the sculpted arches perfectly. The result is a cohesive, beautifully resolved machine that combines classic minimalist elegance with modern performance capability.
RSR-Inspired Soundtrack
Theon Design’s signature obsessive attention to detail is evident in every aspect of the build: those you see and those that are buried deep beneath its carbon skin. The heart of the car is the comprehensively overhauled air-cooled 4.0-litre engine, a flat-six marvel that produces 420bhp at 7,600rpm as well as a 324lb/ft of torque.
This potent, free-revving powerplant breathes through dramatic open engine trumpets, carefully shaped to optimize torque delivery, whilst also delivering a wonderful, evocative intake rasp that vividly recalls the RSR race cars of the 1970s.
A state-of-the-art ignition system delivers enhanced power and response from the flat six, while Theon’s signature independent throttle bodies ensure instant throttle response and visceral performance. The switchable exhaust system allows the driver to select between a discreet quiet mode, ideal for crawling through a village early in the morning, and the full flat-six symphony when you want to hear the motor in all its glory.
The naturally aspirated masterpiece sends power to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox built to 993 RS specification with modern enhancements, ensuring every gear change is a pure, analogue delight. Combined with carefully repositioned pedals – tailored to the customer’s exact requirements – the car invites heel-and-toe downshifting. The pedals are also moved in line with the steering wheel, minimizing the offset that is a quirk of the older RHD 911s.
A Tailored Chassis; State of the art Brakes
With a Theon commission, the chassis is another area where the owner has total freedom to tailor the car to their exact requirements, working with the engineering team to ensure it is ideally set up for how the car will be used.
This latest commission has been calibrated with British roads specifically in mind – from motorways to crumbling country lanes. It has been equipped with softer, touring-focused springs, and a carefully calibrated TracTive semi-active damping system, to deliver exceptional control and compliance even on the roughest of roads. Everything from the suspension geometry to precise settings for the 5-stage adjustable dampers – controlled on this car via a beautifully tactile, steering column mounted dial – has been configured precisely, refined over countless test miles in collaboration with the owner.
The modern hardware, incorporated into a dramatically stiffened, lightened shell, and bespoke calibration take the car’s dynamic sophistication to new heights. The five-stage, motorsport derived setup offers a new-found breadth of ability; the ride can be seamlessly transformed at the touch of a switch; slackened off for a long-legged, comfortable gait when desired, or tightened up for precise control on more spirited drives on smoother tarmac.
Braking performance is transformed thanks to a Porsche 993 RS brake setup, providing exceptional stopping power, pedal feel, and response. These are nestled behind the 17-inch wheels, wrapped in high-performance Michelin Pilot Sport rubber, with a healthy amount of sidewall adding plushness to the ride.
Exquisitely Handcrafted Cabin
Moving inside, the same exacting level of attention to detail has been lavished on the car’s fully carbon fibre interior, which has been impeccably trimmed in the finest leather. The cabin features wonderfully tactile nubuck Tobacco leather, offset by contrasting Licorice semi-aniline hides. Exterior color-matched Ivory stitching provides a subtle visual connection to the car’s elegant exterior.
The car has been specced with Theon’s sporting Recaro CS seat option which strikes a fine balance between support and touring comfort. The seats feature satin carbon fibre backs and distinctive woven leather centers combining the Tobacco and Licorice tones with contrasting Ivory stripes; even the belt holes and tilt handles are trimmed in rich Licorice leather. The dashboard features a matching woven leather insert stretching across its face, creating visual cohesion throughout the cabin.
The interior is filled with subtle enhancements that embody Theon’s approach of improving things in a way that is sympathetic to Porsche’s heritage. For instance, Theon’s proprietary Interior Aluminum Pack sees key touchpoints – including vents, door handles and control knobs – reverse-engineered from the plastic Porsche originals, now machined from beautifully tactile, billet aluminum. Cool to the touch and pleasingly weighted, these elements take interior quality to a new level, but in a familiar and authentic ‘Porsche’ way.
The build also features a rear seat delete, with the resulting space transformed into a leather-trimmed, carbon fibre storage deck, featuring an aesthetic carbon fibre tray and complemented by a bespoke, interior-matched luggage set – making this 911 a truly practical proposition for longer road trips.
The audio setup of each Theon build can also be tailored to the nth degree, with this customer opting for a sophisticated Audison-based system. Rather than a traditional head unit, the commission features an elegant new Audison audio control knob positioned at the front of the center console, maintaining the cabin’s uncluttered, analogue aesthetic. This controls an Audison amplifier driving six Focal speakers throughout the cabin, plus dual subwoofers integrated into the rear seat delete area. The system, which has been carefully configured over a day of testing with the owner, delivers exceptional acoustic performance, sure to delight even the most ardent audiophile. Contemporary convenience is provided by an extended center console incorporating wireless phone charging capability.
Prices for Theon Design commissions start at £420,000 for Coupes. Each car is a totally unique collaboration with the customer and takes 18 months to build. Price excludes donor car, shipping and local taxes.
