You’re probably tired of seeing countless old Porsche 911s turned into seven-figure restomods by the likes of Singer, but don’t worry, this is not that. While most Porsche creatives chop up and modernize old 930s and 964s, Ruehle Sportwagenbau goes the opposite direction, turning the relatively modern 997 (introduced in 2004) into something that closely resembles those dwindling 930 Porsches. The result is called the F97 and is clearly inspired by the 1973 Carrera RSR, but without the asthmatic air-cooled engine and questionable crash safety. What’s more, the price is relatively low – at least compared to million-dollar Singers with multi-year wait times.
One Of The Most Rounded Modern 911s As A Base
As Porsche-philes will know, the 997 is notable for being both the first 911 to offer a PDK dual-clutch transmission and the last to come with hydraulic power steering, striking a fine balance between modern technology and classic feedback. Ruehle takes the customer’s chosen donor car and replaces the bodywork with new replica steel, not carbon fiber, panels that widen the body while giving it classic looks (complmented, in this case, by Fuchs-style wheels), and while the 997 Carrera range’s standard power figures of between 321 and 380 horsepower are more than enough, the German outfit can swap in a custom 4.3-liter flat-six, too, though it should be noted that this would break smog regulations. Inside, the car shows its dual nature with classic gauges and a Momo steering wheel in a redesigned dash while retaining the 997’s modern center console and auxiliary switchgear. This example wears tartan upholstery on Tombstone seats to further reinforce the notion that the car is over half a century old.
Not Cheap, But Relatively Affordable
The ultimate cost of the build depends on the customer’s choices inside and out, but shipping your 997 to Germany for conversion (using Ruehle’s Montclair, California-based outlet as intermediary) isn’t super-cheap; Carscoops reports that builds start at $399,000. That’s not within everyone’s reach, but it’s certainly closer than any Singer, and that applies to the wait times, too. While a new Singer build will take at least two years to reach your driveway, Ruehle takes around six to eight months. That’s to be expected given that far less of the car is reengineered and refinished, though we suspect that those taking the opportunity to go mad on options may wait a little longer. Still, it’s better than buying a real RSR, which, according to Classic.com, averages $600,000 on the used market.
