Theon Design unveils its first-ever 911 Targa

You’ll be familiar with Theon Design’s story by now. For the better part of a decade, the Oxfordshire-based 911 restomod outfit has been turning 964s into rolling works of art for well-heeled clients around the world – with two of its bespoke creations having been commissioned by patrons in Britain. Now, the company is adding a third UK 911 notch to its belt with its first-ever 911 Targa build. Take a moment to collect your jaw from the floor.

Known as GBR003 (no prizes for guessing why), the firm’s drop-top is finished in bespoke pastel blue with a slightly lighter shade used for the Porsche-branded side stripes, contrasting perfectly with ‘liquorice leather’ inside with houndstooth (sorry, ‘Pepita’) seat centres. Theon never fails to deliver an arresting design, but the elegant colour combination paired with the Targa’s (traditionally stainless steel) roll bar and dome-like rear window is rather special.

As is the case for all of its commissions, the design is merely the cherry on a perfectly baked cake. The 964 again serves as the donor car, with GBR003 based on the underpinnings of that generation’s Carrera 2 Targa. Once in Theon’s hands, the company stripped the car back to the bare metal, where ‘thousands of hours’ were put into its restoration, a good chunk of which would have been spent on strengthening the chassis to make up for the roof’s absence. It’s done that by developing a new bracing system, which takes the form of two ‘tubs’ comprised of aerospace-grade Nomex honeycomb and Formula 1-spec carbon fibre that’s been sandwiched together before being bolted to the chassis and bulkheads. The cost is a 60kg weight increase over the hardtop, but at 1,228kg it’s far from a heavyweight.

Then there’s the engine. Like GBR002, the new Targa features Theon’s air-cooled 4.0-litre flat-six, although power dips ever so slight to 409hp at 7,100rpm and 320lb-ft at 5,500rpm (3hp and 5lb ft down on its predecessor). However, the ceramic-coated exhaust system has been tweaked for GBR003, with valves that can open or close to adjust the volume and ferocity of the engine sound. The valves can operate automatically, opening when venturing towards the upper end of the rev range, or can be manually switched from inside the cabin. Roof off and valves open at all times, then. 

As you might expect, the rest of the spec sheet reads like the ultimate Porsche restomod parts wish list. Including, but not limited to, 993 RS-grade brakes and a six-speed manual gearbox, which is paired with a lightweight, single-mass flywheel for extra snappy shifts. The pedals, meanwhile, have been pushed closer together to make heal-and-toeing easier, while the five-stage TracTive adaptive dampers have been specially set up for the Targa platform. Even the wiring has been overhauled with, again, aerospace-standard looms that save 20kg over the original configuration. So when Theon suggests it has left ‘no stone unturned’ with its first Targa, it means it.

Theon co-founder, Adam Hawley, said: “With our first Targa commission, the whole Theon team has been determined to set new standards for an air-cooled open-top Porsche 911 driving experience. We’ve been totally focused on honouring and distilling the air-cooled recipe, forensically honing every element to create a rewarding, analogue classic 911 that combines the sensory richness of Targa motoring with razor-sharp handling and visceral modern performance.” If that sounds like your kind of jam, prices for the Targa start at £415,000, or £25,000 more than the coupes – and that excludes the donor car. The build takes 18 months, too, but if this is what you end up with it ought to be well worth the wait.