Kamm unveils new 'comfort-oriented' 912T
Like the four-cylinder Porsche restomod idea, but need less edge? Time for T...
Great though the Porsche 912s by Kamm Manufaktur are, there’s no denying they’re pretty intense little sports cars. Loud, raw, thrilling, enormous fun - but not exactly easygoing. They feel built for Sunday morning thrashes and the odd track day, where they’d surely excel. However, that’s not what everybody wants to do with a reimagined classic; for those keen on calmer proceedings, there’s now this: the Kamm 912T.
That’s ‘T’ for ‘Touring’, like a new GT3 with Touring Package. But where that car is merely cosmetically altered, this T is a very different prospect to those 912s we’ve seen from Kamm thus far. The flat-four is a little bit less powerful than in a 912c, for example, at 163hp instead of 190hp, and revs to just 6,500rpm rather than screaming to seven thousand.
Torque is only down very marginally, from 151lb ft to 148lb ft, so expect the T to feel pretty easygoing by the standards of these little cars. Kamm has also fitted a quieter exhaust to complement the ‘slightly more relaxed feel’, as well as changing the 901 five-speed transmission with new gear ratios, linkage and shift mechanism for ‘a smoother, more touring-oriented driving experience’. It all sounds extremely pleasant.
Unlike the more focused 912c, the 912T doesn’t have much adjustability in the suspension; it uses a TracTive comfort setup for, well, a less firm ride than the road racers. That being said, with Brembo calipers all round, carbon in the construction to keep weight down to just 860kg and a ZF limited-slip diff, this still promises a whole lotta fun when the opportunity arises.
While familiar from previous Kamm commissions, the interior is more lavishly appointed than other 912s. This is all relative, of course - the doors are made of metal rather than carbon, the windows are glass rather than plastic - but should help the T deliver on the slightly more refined premise. The new seats have been created with Fusina Racing, the Smiths dials are the work of Caerbont Automotive, and the optional audio system - this is still pretty stripped out, remember - can boast Bluetooth as well as wireless charging.
Miki Kázmér, founder and CEO of Kamm, said: “Our team of designers and engineers relished the chance to create a slightly more comfort-oriented version of our 912. In the 912T we have crafted a timeless sports tourer that exudes style and sophistication, without compromising the purity of the drive.” Prices start at €245,000 plus the donor car, with production set to kick off early next year. This 912 would surely suit a Touring overhaul perfectly - the Champagne Yellow is already the perfect fit…
This is the sort of thing where I think I'd get more fun from actually building it than driving it (others opinions may vary of course.)
I understand the thought process behind the first iteration ... 4-pot = light weight, so you have the manically screaming lightweight track special vibe going on. You're sacrificing the engine (well, 1/3rd of it) in the name of lightness, rawness, and the laptime gains that come from that. And trying to build back in some of the lost character (and horsepower) by pushing the rev limit and exhaust silencing as far as can be tolerated.
But if you wanted a touring version of the same lightweight, raw 912, which wasn't chasing every last kg of weight reduction, or every last bit of mania from a high revving, barely silenced, 4 -pot ... then surely you'd pick a 911 with a flat 6 as your starting point?
This feels like a beautifully crafted solution desperately searching for a problem.
Fortunately for Kamm, I am highly unlikely to be splurging £300k+ on anything other than a house in my foreseeable future! So I'm not one of their potential buyers.
The eye-watering sums paid for restomods are a signal to OEMs.
It's time to leaf through the back catalogue of best hits. Choose a few to redevelop... et voila: quite a lot of customer interest will follow. And you won't need to advertise them; the world will do that for you.
As with the "comfort" envisioned for these 912 cars, punters don't necessarily need full-on performance; sense of occasion goes a long way.
Soon wave upon wave of cut-price cyber cars from China will wash ashore. Legacy OEMs will find it hard to compete. Except for that back catalogue. The favourites and best hits are, broadly speaking, hors concours. China can't touch 'em.
Reason for the above - when living in Switzerland I had a Carrera 3.2 with basically the same power-to-weight as this Touring, and while it was decent fun, it took a long time to wind up in 2nd gear coming out of a slow uphill hairpin & felt as though it ought to be able to rev beyond its 6400rpm limit. A reviver & slightly more powerful motor would've been just the thing. Since we're here, also with narrower tyres all round to lighten up the steering while not changing the front-back grip balance.
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