THEON DESIGN UNVEILS LATEST TARGA COMMISSION: GBR005

Over 6000 hours in the making: Theon Design unveils latest entirely bespoke Porsche commission – GBR005 Targa

• Theon elevates open-top air-cooled Porsches to new heights with bespoke 911 Targa
• Fully restored and enhanced from a 964 donor, built to precise customer specification
• Features Theon’s most potent 3.8-litre motor yet – 407bhp air-cooled flat-six, lightweight carbon body, and six-speed manual ‘box
• Coupé like stiffness thanks to carbon fibre chassis strengthening system
• Superb stopping power thanks to 993 RS brakes; transformed dynamics via
  five-stage adaptive TracTive dampers
• Showcases Oxfordshire-based Theon’s OEM-grade design and engineering expertise

 

 

(Deddington, UK – November 2024) Theon Design has revealed its latest entirely bespoke Porsche 911 (964) commission, codenamed GBR005 – the company’s newest open-top Targa model.

The carbon bodied, six-speed manual machine packs the firm’s evolved, highly tuned 3.8-litre naturally aspirated motor, producing 407bhp. With a specific output well beyond the magic 100bhp per litre threshold, it takes air-cooled driving pleasure to new heights.

Finished in the original 1970s Porsche colour of Signal Yellow, Theon Design’s latest Targa build has been created to sit in an existing customer’s collection alongside his Coupe commission. It’s been conceived to deliver a rounded ‘touring’ driving experience, capable of transforming from an engaging yet cossetting daily driver to a razor-sharp sports car in an instant, with a motorsport flat-six howl.

As with all Theon Design builds, GBR005 is an entirely bespoke creation, enhanced from the ground up at Theon’s facility, located in the centre of Oxfordshire’s ‘motorsport valley’. Each Theon Design commission represents a client’s Porsche 911 fantasy realised, combining OEM+ design and engineering capabilities, hand-crafted luxury touches, with cutting-edge technology and manufacturing processes.

GBR005 has been carefully crafted with Theon’s customary obsessive attention to detail and
laser-focused engineering rigour, with every element honed to deliver the sensory thrills of open-top motoring without any of the traditional dynamic compromises.

To ensure the Targa drives with the signature Theon fluidity and control, GBR005 deploys Theon Design’s innovative bespoke carbon fibre strengthening ‘tubs’ solution, which are bonded to the floor of the chassis, transforming torsional rigidity – on a par with a Theon coupe – while keeping additional weight to the absolute minimum.

Theon co-Founder Adam Hawley explains: “With our Theon Targa commissions, we’re determined to set all-new standards for what an open top, air-cooled, Porsche 911 driving experience can look, feel and sound like. We’ve been focused on honouring distilling the signature air-cooled Porsche Targa recipe, elevating the benefits and systematically ironing out any of the foibles.

“We’ve forensically worked through the entire car as we always do at Theon, optimising every element – components you can see and those that are buried deep beneath the skin. We’re delighted with the result: this is an analogue, classic 911 that combines the sensory richness of Targa motoring – including more of that fabulous flat-six howl – with razor sharp, uncorrupted handling and modern GT3 levels of performance. It’s quite the cocktail.”

The Theon Process

GBR005 takes a Porsche 911 (964) Carrera 4 Targa as its base. The donor car is entirely stripped back to bare metal before being meticulously restored over the course of over six thousand hours by Theon’s team of expert technicians and craftspeople.

The subtly enhanced body for GBR005 is made entirely from carbon fibre, aside from doors which remain steel for side impact protection. As with all Theon builds, each panel has been digitised and modelled in 3D design software to ensure a perfect fit.

Thanks to the carbon panels, use of carbon for the underfloor strengthening and myriad other weight saving measures, GBR005 tips the scales at just 1190kg with all fluids on board – some 300kg lighter than the donor car.

Showstopping engine

For GBR005, Theon Design’s engineering team has introduced an evolved version of its air-cooled flat six motor, taking power, response and driving thrills to a new level. The unit’s new heads are cast out of motorsport-grade aluminium, then fully CNC machined inside and out. Thanks to the CNC machined port designs Theon has delivered significantly improved airflow and air speed, for enhanced performance and response.

Other improvements include revised intake and exhaust valve sizes to further optimise performance, offering significantly improved cooling over the original heads to enable more consistent running temperatures. Thanks to the unit’s comprehensively revised head, the 3.8-litre motor’s specific output has been pushed well beyond the magic 100bhp per litre threshold, with peak power of 407bhp at 7700 rpm. Peak torque of 285 lb/ft arrives at 6650 rpm, with a strong spread of twist throughout the rev range. Thanks to the car’s super light kerb weight, performance is always effortless.

Exploring the upper reaches of the rev band reveals a wilder side to the engine’s character; it pulls with ferocity all the way to the limiter. The driver can enjoy a thrilling flat-six howl from the latest version of Theon’s custom, switchable and fully ceramic-coated exhaust. With the roof removed it’s even more life affirming; it reminds you why you love driving.

The updated, bespoke exhaust system gives GBR005 a quieter, more reserved character in normal use, then offering a full motorsport style flat-six cry when the valves open. The valves can be activated either manually via a switch in the cabin, or opened automatically when pushing on.

With a lightweight, single-mass flywheel, GBR005 also has utterly immediate throttle response, while the slick six-speed manual gearbox – built to 993 RS specification is a joy to row up and down, with carefully repositioned pedals inviting you to heel-and-toe when downshifting – if only to hear the flat-six motor cry.

Innovative chassis strengthening

Theon Design’s innovation runs throughout the car. A bespoke carbon fibre bracing system, added to the floorplan delivers exemplary underfloor strengthening. The elegant, lightweight solution transforms structural rigidity without adding undue weight – using the same carbon construction technology deployed in F1 and other forms of elite-level motorsport.

The strengthening system takes the form of two ‘tubs’, created using a laminate ‘sandwich’ of toughened epoxy prepreg carbon fibre and aerospace-grade Nomex honeycomb—conceived to be as strong and light as possible. The tubs are first designed in CAD to perfectly fit the floor of the Targa chassis before being formed to the tightest tolerances using a 5-axis CNC machine.

No stone is left unturned in the pursuit of total rigidity when it comes to a Theon Design build, with the carbon laminate orientation and thickness optimised through CAD structural simulation software to ensure the stiffest possible construction. Once fabricated, the tubs are permanently bonded to the existing chassis and bulkheads to deliver maximum driving stability, even in the most demanding conditions.

Open top thrills without compromise

The Targa model’s carbon strengthening results in transformed levels of structural rigidity, delivering a stable, exceptionally rigid platform. Thanks to this torsionally resilient base, Theon has been able to replicate the signature handling precision of its acclaimed Coupe commissions – now with an
open-top car. GBR005 drives with modern sophistication and precision – with a superb range of dynamic capabilities thanks to a switchable, five-stage Active Controlled Electronics (ACE) damping system from market leaders TracTive.

The switchable damping system is carefully calibrated for this specific Targa model over countless test miles, ensuring it delivers across a wide range of environments. For GBR005 the suspension features softer springs, for a more cossetting ride, whilst retaining superb control.

The carefully calibrated combination of suspension hardware and software elevates the open top air-cooled driving experience to new heights, with exceptional control whatever the scenario, roof on or roof off.  Thanks to the switchable TracTive dampers, GBR005 can seamlessly shift from a long-legged and compliant cruiser when cruising along the motorway in top gear, to being totally controlled and ‘tied down’ when you’re out for a spirited B-road drive.

Defined by attention to detail

Theon’s signature, laser-focused attention to detail is evident in all areas of the build – even those elements housed and hidden deep beneath the car’s carbon fibre skin.

Every element is honed and enhanced to perfection. For instance, an aerospace-grade wiring loom snakes beneath the sculpted body – saving around 40kg, while modern dual air-conditioning compressors, and an all-new electro-hydraulic power steering pump are relocated to the front of the car, tucked low down to aid the 48:52 front to rear weight distribution.

Thanks to a power-to-weight ratio of 341bhp per ton – better than a 991 GT3 – outright performance is modern supercar quick, with a full 993 RS brake setup providing exemplary stopping power.

A thing of beauty inside and out

As with all Theon Design commissions, Hawley – drawing on his background in OEM car design – has obsessed over every aesthetic detail to deliver a cohesive, perfectly formed Porsche 911 shape. The result of the team’s labour is a timeless design that fuses classic cues with modern purpose and aggression.

For the GBR005, the carbon body is finished in a vibrant, historic Porsche colour of Signal Yellow, with contrasting PORSCHE script in Porsche Stein Grey Metallic – and matching ‘ghost’ stripes along the sills and bumpers. The colour of the stripes is also matched to the 993 RS brake callipers, which nestle behind 17-inch Fuchs wheels, wrapped in Michelin Pilot 4S rubber – filling the sculpted arches perfectly.

The Targa’s entirely bespoke cabin reflects Theon Design’s commitment to hand-crafted quality, elegantly combining the finest materials for a cossetting yet sporting driving environment. All substrates in the interior are fashioned from carbon to save further weight, then wrapped in sumptuous leather. GBR005 features Theon’s ‘touring’ seat option, optimised for comfortable fast road driving, with sculpted rear buckets that draw inspiration from those in Porsche’s 928.

Both front and rear seats are trimmed in the finest liquorice coloured semi-aniline leather, with yellow stripe Tartan, offset by dark grey Alcantara elements. Each Theon cockpit embodies the firm’s approach, drawing upon and honouring the full sweep of Porsche’s rich heritage, bringing the various elements together into a beautifully resolved, wholly cohesive package, for an elevated but resolutely ‘Porsche’ driving environment.

The interior is discreetly equipped with modern creature comforts, including a Focal 6 Speaker and amplifier system – all controlled via your phone, which slots neatly into the magnetised (and leather trimmed) holder on the lower dash. Theon has also revised the Targa roof, which has been re-built to the tightest tolerances to ensure a perfect fit with the strengthened 964 shell. Now finished in a modern mohair material, the Targa top folds up neatly and slots into a bespoke, beautifully trimmed bag, which fits snugly in the ‘frunk’.

Hawley concludes: “Our latest Targa commission, GBR005, takes the open-top, air-cooled Porsche driving experience to a new level. Thanks to our innovative bonded carbon tub system, there are none of the dynamic drawbacks that you typically get with a convertible. We’ve been able to achieve the rigidity and handling precision of a coupe, with the added sensory rush of an open top car.

“With the roof removed, you can savour more of the fire-breathing 3.8-litre flat-six, which is now more potent, more thrilling, than ever before – delivering our highest specific output to date. With a Theon targa it’s driving in technicolour, a sensory delight that’s satisfying and rewarding whatever the scenario.

“Then, when the stars align and you’re on that perfect road with the roof down, the flat-six howling and the thin-rimmed steering wheel wriggling in your hands, it really is something else. We like to think it’s analogue driving at its absolute best.”

Prices for Theon Design commissions start at £410,000 for Coupes, and £430,000 for Targas. Each car is the result of a unique collaboration with the customer and takes 18 months to build. Price excludes donor car, shipping and local taxes.

 

 

 

About Theon Design

Theon Design, founded by Adam Hawley and Lucinda Argy, specialises in delivering bespoke commissions based on the Porsche 911 (964). Hawley, a car designer who has worked for numerous OEMs globally, and Argy, a marketing and business development specialist, started the business in 2016. Operating from a state-of-the-art facility in Deddington, Oxfordshire – nestled in the heart of the UK’s ‘Motorsport Valley’- Theon Design’s expert in-house team builds bespoke commissions for a global clientele, leveraging cutting edge technologies and premium suppliers.

Theon comprises experts in automotive design, engineering, engine and chassis development, along with trim and vehicle manufacturing. It is driven by a desire to build the perfect air-cooled Porsche 911, one that combines the aesthetics and analogue driver involvement of a classic with modern comfort, driveability and performance.

Over the last two years, Theon Design has significantly expanded its production capabilities with the opening of a new, purpose-built facility, and a series of expert new staff joining the team. Theon Design’s expansion is driven by surging international demand for its bespoke, exactingly developed, design-led Porsche 911 (964) based commissions, which are offered for sale in every major global territory.

The price of a Theon commission does not include the donor car (which is either supplied by the customer, or Theon can assist with sourcing a vehicle if required) and local taxes. The company also offers full Porsche restorations.

Theon Design is fully respectful of Porsche’s engineering ethos and model heritage. Out of respect for Porsche, and to respect Porsche’s trademark rights, Theon Design cars should never under any circumstances be referred to or described as a “Theon”, “Theon 911”, “Theon Porsche 911” or a “Porsche Theon 911,” or in any other manner that suggests that it is anything but a Porsche® 911®.”

Theon Design is not connected in any way with Dr. Ing. h.c.F Porsche AG. It does not imply that any Theon Design commission is the product of Porsche AG. Porsche and the Porsche crest are registered trademarks of Porsche AG. The Porsche® name and crest and 911® are trademarks of Dr. Ing. h.c.F. Porsche AG, and any other products mentioned are the trademarks of their respective holders. Any mention of trademarked names or other marks is for purpose of reference only.