Words: Nathan Chadwick | Photos: Singer Vehicle Design
Say hello to Singer’s DLS Turbo project. Inspired by the 934/5 endurance racers of the 1970s, there’s also a nod to the latest turbocharged Porsche endurance racing car, the Type 963. Singer sponsored one such car at this year’s Le Mans 24 Hours, which led the racing for some time.
The 934/5 is one of the most storied racing Porsches ever; in 1977 it dominated the SCCA Trans-American series
The 934/5 is one of the most storied racing Porsches ever; in 1977 it dominated the SCCA Trans-American series, winning six of that year’s races on the way to overall championship glory. For Singer Vehicle Design‘s new version, the familiar 911 964 is used as a base; the engine is disassembled down to the block and then restored. The resultant powerplant is a 3.8-litre, four-valve-per-cylinder flat-six fed by twin turbochargers with electric waste gates, air-to-air intercooling and a horizontally mounted, electrically powered fan. Singer says it will produce 700bhp at 9000rpm.
As per other Singer restorations, the rest of the donor car is disassembled before the chassis is assessed, cleaned, strengthened and prepared prior to the next stage beginning. This involves fitting carbonfibre bodywork, which is influenced by computational fluid dynamics analysis so it cleaves the air most effectively. There’s a central front intake and hood vent to optimise cooling performance, while rear intakes and NACA ducts cool the brakes and turbos.
Singer has provided two takes on the DLS Turbo project – the orange car pictured above is more track focused, and features a high-downforce rear wing with an adjustable upper element, while the frontal area benefits from a larger splitter. The road-focused car, finished in what Singer calls Moet Blanc (below), has an aero-optimised ducktail spoiler and frontal area designed to reduce drag. Owners can choose from either set-up, which are interchangeable if the driver fancies taking their DLS Turbo on track.
Each car’s driving experience will be tailored to the needs of the customer; a six-speed manual transmission comes as standard, but track-orientated suspension and individual dampers with remote adjustment are available. Stopping comes in the form of carbon-ceramic discs and lightweight monobloc calipers. You have a choice of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 or 2R tyres, which encircle 19in (front) and 20in (rear) forged-magnesium centre-lock wheels. The DLS Turbo’s exterior and interior colours are entirely bespoke to each customer’s needs.
“I was 12 when my father’s friend showed us his Super 8 film of the 1977 Watkins Glen Six Hours,” says Rob Dickinson, Singer’s executive chairman and founder. “As the familiar face of a Porsche 911 morphed into impossibly boxed hips, gaping intakes and a giant double-planed rear wing, I can still remember the shock and the realisation that this was the ‘other’ life of the 911 – the racing car. Since Singer began, I’ve wanted to return to that moment, collaborate with our clients and celebrate that car – the 934/5. The results of turbocharging our advanced four-valve, high-revving DLS engine have been quite spectacular, and combining it with all we have learned about lightweighting and vehicle dynamics has provided the perfect canvas to honour the Type 934/5 and its vital role in the genesis of the 911 as a racing car.”
The familiar face of a Porsche 911 morphed into impossibly boxed hips, gaping intakes and a giant double-planed rear wing
You can see the car up close on its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, which takes place from July 13-16, 2023, or on the Monterey Peninsula in northern California for Car Week in August. More details on Singer are available here.
