Yes, yes, we know – it seems like everyone is getting into the re-inspired 911 movement these days. And given the popularity of older air-cooled Porsches, it’s not really surprising.
In fact, it actually makes a lot of sense. You pick up the dream 911 you’ve always wanted to own, and then you discover that there’s a ton of stuff that can and will go wrong. You either fix things one by one, or you hand the car and a wad of cash over to someone that will fix it all up for you, and along the way give it a fresh, new custom feel.
That’s what Koa Speed in Japan offers.
Teaming up with Watanabe-san at Supermachine, they will take your 911 and give it a proper ground-up restomod. For their 911T demo car, that included an all-metal RSR wide-body look.
It’s not as exotic as a Singer build, but something that gets the job done. The end result is very pleasing, with nice detailing that you can’t help but admire, much like the salmon color and the custom-widened Fuchs wheels in contrasting pistachio green.
Those massive rear fenders were all hand-shaped and beautifully integrated into the body to give a minimalistic yet purposeful race-car-for-the-road feel.
A simple ducktail is all that’s needed to complete the rear end treatment.
But it’s what hides underneath the badge-less grill that gives the Koa Speed RSR its true substance.
Watanabe-san hand-built the 930 3.3L turbo engine, which with its modern day components comes on song nice and early and has a linear and useable power delivery topping off at 450hp.
I was pretty impressed by the overall quality and attention to detail, but that’s not surprising given that Watanabe-san has put his name to some of the best American customs and hot rods in Japan. He easily ranks as one of the best automotive fabricators in the country.
Little touches like the laser-etched Koa Speed logo on the vintage-style fuel cap is one of those things that people appreciate.
As is the interior.
The execution, color aside, felt like a mix between RUF and Singer, and I just kept nodding in appreciation at everything my eyes saw.
Check out the customized 930 tachometer with the integrated boost gauge, and that billet shifter.
The freshly restored and repainted shell was treated to custom-colored carpets, the piping on the edges matching with the green of the contemporary Recaros.
The braided center portion of the seats is carried over to the dash, door cards and rear seats, and as you can see there’s also half a roll cage to give a boost of rigidity to the older shell.
Koa Speed finished this whole project in record time. Three weeks prior to the show, when I just happened to stop by Supermachine to pick up some parts, the shell was bare and unpainted.
Now they have to dial the engine in and get it all set up, then I will definitely need to go out for a drive in this thing.
Dino Dalle Carbonare
Instagram: speedhunters_dino
dino@speedhunters.com