Red Bull Helps Singer Improve Its 911 Classic Turbo Targa & Cabriolet

Singer has lent the help of Red Bull F1 engineers to improve its new Classic Turbo Targa and Cabriolet.

Singer are known for their classic Porsche builds, but unlike many other restoration companies out there, they have gone to the lengths to not only make their builds look nice but also drive well too. For their latest Classic Turbo Targa and Cabriolet project, Singer has enlisted the help of Red Bull to make them feel as tight and fun to drive as any modern convertibles.

For those who aren’t familiar, Singer’s Classic Turbo programme takes your old 964-gen Porsche 911 and transforms it into a wide-bodied performance machine that combines classic aesthetics with modern performance.

That said, some of the biggest complaints for this project, particularly for both the Cabriolet and Targa 964s, are their chassis rigidity, with the heavy weight of modern components on these cars making them easily flex and shake, affecting the overall handling performance.

To curb this, Red Bull Advanced Technologies, the brain behind Red Bull’s triumphs in Formula One (F1) and its other motorsport ventures, has come up with some solutions. The RB engineers started by digitally scanning and modelling the original 964 chassis, followed by running some simulations to pinpoint the weak spots on the structure.

Once the engineers identified and located these spots, they designed 13 carbon fibre reinforcing pieces to help strengthen the 964 chassis. These carbon fibre pieces are then bonded into the original steel monocoque during Singer’s restoration process.

As a result, Singer claims these carbon fibre bits helped to improve the 964’s torsional rigidity by up to 175%, which is no small feat that will surely bring immediate real-world performance improvements. More importantly, this also helps both the Classic Turbo Targa and Cabrio to drive as well as their fixed-roof counterparts without compromising either their weight or aesthetics.

Speaking of which, we can see that these improved Singer Classic Turbo Targa and Cabriolet look exactly the same as before, with both models featuring a slightly modernised take on the 964 without ruining its iconic silhouette. 

“Our clients are some of the most discerning drivers in the world. To achieve the standards they have come to expect, we work only with the best, and our search for expertise in this area led us to Red Bull Advanced Technologies. Since 2009, our approach has brought heritage together with cutting-edge engineering, and Red Bull’s mastery of advanced materials, simulation, and structural analysis perfectly exemplifies this approach,” said Mazen Fawaz, chief strategy officer at Singer.

Meanwhile, Red Bull Advanced Technologies technical director Rob Gray said, “The challenge from Singer was to increase the stiffness of the open-roof Type 964, giving it the same dynamic performance as the coupe whilst minimizing additional weight. The careful balancing of performance against weight is extremely familiar to us, and we’re delighted to have been able to support Singer and their clients with this solution.”