Theon unveils supercharged BEL001
How do you set yourself apart from other restomod 911s? With a supercharger, of course
We’re all familiar with Theon Design by now. The Oxfordshire-based small-scale carmaker has been making some of the most drop-dead gorgeous Porsche 911 restomods on the planet for a few years now, and is well on its way to being ranked among the very best in the field. The company is best known for its mega luxurious interiors, but it’s keen to show that it knows a thing or two about the oily bits underneath as well.
So for its latest commission, the firm has decided to do things a little differently. While most restomod 911s come with some form of naturally aspirated flat-six, Theon’s new BEL001 – a nod to the car’s wealthy Belgian owner – throws a supercharger into the mix. Out back is a 3.6-litre air cooled flat-six with a Rotrex supercharger providing a forced induction kick. Theon touts a power output of 400hp and 367lb ft of torque, which is managed through a 964-sourced five-speed manual gearbox and a limited-slip differential. Judging by Theon’s previous efforts, expect the supercharged BEL001 to sound incredible – especially as it comes with equal length headers and a stainless-steel exhaust.
Along with a heavenly exhaust note and a punchy engine, the BEL001 also comes with, what Theon likes to call, “semi-active suspension”. The overall setup, handled by suspension gurus TracTive, has been “exhaustively honed over countless hours on the undulating roads that surround Theon’s Oxfordshire base” – along some decent mileage on track – though drivers can switch things up by flicking between the five different damper settings. Meanwhile, the factory air conditioning has been ditched in favour of a modern, lightweight unit that’s positioned lowered down to improve the centre of gravity. With a full tank of super unleaded, it’ll tip the scales at 1,265kg – enough to make a modern 911 look rather portly.
Want one of your own? You’ll need to fork up £380,000 for the commission alone and you’ll need to provide a donor car. Oh, and taxes aren’t included. Then there’s the matter of the 18 month build process. We reckon it’ll be worth the wait…
it shows what you can do with cars, there are still plenty of originals around, so why not? I love these retro/resto cars better.
so PH, don't get shy because some bullies talk you down to post this say Porsches articles, just keep them coming when news arrives, the bullies don't have to read/open this news, why are they open, en write here in such post and bully it? let themselves try to bring news day in day out, btw they can do it, open articles themselves on the forum.
Original VW Beetle
Hilman Imp,
Skoda Estelle
Renault 8 (my personal choice)
Citroen 2CV
Their lightness would surely give great fun driving at real world speeds and let’s face it, they all have plenty of room for improvement. AND, maybe they’d be more affordable!
Further up the market, how about a Citroen DS restomod range? And aren’t the older Jaguar XJ’s gently rusting into the crosshairs of these talented engineering companies?
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