Porsche 914 Restomod Service Adds A Cayman Flat-Six And Modern Suspension

The 914 isn’t exactly a revered part of Porsche‘s history, but that doesn’t mean the little mid-engined sports car is lacking potential. That’s certainly the view of Fifteen Eleven Design, the classic offshoot of a Derbyshire-based motorsport outfit Mellors Elliot Motorsport, which has just announced an extensive restomod programme for the 914.

We say extensive, as it doesn’t sound like there’ll be a whole lot left of the donor car once the process is complete. The most headline-grabbing aspect is the engine, which will be the 3.4-litre naturally-aspirated flat-six from the 981 Cayman S. Providing 295bhp, it’s as near as damn it three times as powerful as the 2.0-litre six found in the 914/6.

Since that kind of power output in a bog-standard 914 chassis would be a recipe for a massive accident, the Cayman-borrowing doesn’t end there. The suspension architecture is lifted from the 914’s descendant, enhanced with manually adjustable coilovers.

The weedy stock brakes are to be binned in favour of four-piston Brembo brakes with drilled and ventilated discs, which will hide under 18-inch Fuchs alloys wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tyres.

The car’s platform will be strengthened to take all the extra power and additional loads made possible by the modernised chassis. Meanwhile, It’ll be abundantly clear from the outside that this is no ordinary 914 thanks to the fitting of widened carbon fibre body panels and a Moby Dick-inspired signature for the daytime running lights.

The car is set to use a redesigned front bumper to help package the new radiator and oil cooler and feature a neat active ducktail spoiler. The finishing touch will be a clear Targa roof, covering a bespoke leather cabin with Recaro bucket seats.

Fifteen Eleven tells us the car being worked on now will weigh in around £230,000 by the time it’s done in June. Orders are open now with a six-month lead time for completion.