The Porsche 911, in all of its generations, is a legendary machine. As some would say, it has mastered the art of having the engine in “the wrong place”. The classic 911 models in particular that are the most intriguing and often subject to modernization by tuning studios. The Italian coachbuilding company Ares Design has chosen to let its creativity loose upon the 964-generation 911 Turbo, resulting in one of the most epic recreations ever. Of course, there are other studios that have their own interpretations of the 911, so what makes the Ares 964 Turbo so special?

Drivetrain & Performance

Ares Design’s second project for 2021 is based on the one year only Porsche (964) 911 Turbo 3.6. This version in particular was only produced in 1993 and developed 360 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 384 pound-feet (520 Nm) at 4,200 rpm. In its original form, the 964 Turbo 3.6 could reach 60 mph (97 km/h) in 4.6 seconds. It was also capable of reaching 174 mph (280 km/h).

The people at Ares Design have achieved this thanks to a bigger turbocharger and intercooler. No further details have been provided at this point, regarding the car’s performance, but the zero to 60 mph sprint is expected to be in around four seconds. The bump in power should also make the one-off Porsche capable of 186 mph (300 km/h). At this point, we can only speculate about the car’s capabilities.

Exterior

The Ares Design Porsche 911 (964) Turbo is a one-off. The tuning studio followed the vision of an enthusiast in order to create his dream car.

The most notable features of the bespoke 964 are the legendary ducktail spoiler integrated into the newly-designed engine cover, and two-tone silver and black wheels inspired by the Fuchs rims used in the Carrera 2.7 RS. The car also features chrome trim around various elements, such as the windows. The same goes for the headlight rims and door handles. All this makes the 964 Turbo look like an homage to the first-generation 911.

Interior

The interior further emphasizes the black and white theme of the exterior. Naturally, it is bespoke and completely reupholstered in leather and tartan fabric. The instrument cluster is overhauled with elegant and easy to read black on white gauges. The specialists from Ares Design have also made extensive use of Alcantara for the interior, including the dashboard. The lower dash section features a checkered texture, perfectly contrasting the rest of the dashboard. The steering wheel is arguably the most modern-looking interior piece. The 964’s 1980s-themed four-spoke steering wheel has been replaced with a sportier three-spoke piece, reminiscing of the 996 and Carrera GT models. The centerpiece also accommodates the Ares Design logo.

Conclusion

Since its inception, the Porsche 911 has always been in its own league. The 964, as a platform, currently represents the midway of the 911’s evolution. It’s the beginning of the model’s transition to sleeker more modern forms, but at the same time, it’s not in a rush to get there quite yet. This is precisely what makes the 964 a great platform for projects like the Ares Design 911 Turbo. That timelessness combined with the strife to move on leaves the 964 open to interpretation. You only need to look at the various Gunther Werks, Singer, and RWB projects based on the model. Now, Ares Design has introduced their own version of the 964, and as far as interpretations go, this is one of the cleanest ones out there.