Photo: Fifteen Eleven Designs
There's nothing worse than a sports car that underperforms and underdelivers. With that in mind, it's no secret that the Porsche 914 is the black sheep of the family. With the same air-cooled engine found in the old-school Beetle and performance figures to match, even the bespoke Porsche-engined 914/7 variant failed to be a performance beast. Thus, the car has a reputation to match. But that doesn't mean there's no sporting potential hidden within the 914.
Say hello to Fifteen Eleven Designs. Based out of the town of Bakewell in Derbyshire, England, Fifteen Eleven's 40 years and change of combined experience make them one of the most skilled and talented restoration shops in all of Central England. From Morris Minors to vintage Maseratis, to Ford Escorts and even vintage Formula One cars, there really isn't anything out there produced in Europe in the last 70 years or so that Fifteen Eleven Hasn't wrenched on. So, they're the perfect outfit to squeeze some more fun and power out of a Porsche sports car that had anything but either.
First things first, the initial order of business was to take a very typical 914 rolling chassis and strip it off all drivetrain components, interior trim pieces, and the suspension components underneath to make room for a whole suite of new hardware. Starting off strong, the engine in this restomod 914 is a far cry from the VW unit that probably sat under the rear hatch before. These days, that engine bay is occupied by a 3.8-liter Porsche flat-six out of a late 2000s 987.2-series Cayman S and a six-speed manual transmission. With forged piston and steel connecting rods all kept in check by a Life Racing ECU, there's as much as three to four times the horsepower on offer than what a stock 914 from the 70s would've been.
Thanks to three-way adjustable coilovers and 987.2 Cayman-spec suspension components and a rear limited differential. There's every chance in the world that this 914 is a generational talent in canyon carving. With a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires to round things off, you could probably turn a decent lap time in a van on a rubber that is aggressive. But the real party piece of Fifteen Eleven's 914 is the creature comforts and finishing touches they applied inside and out.
With tasteful LED front headlights and fog lights and wicked Fuchs 18-inch wheels, this is a sports car that looks every bit as mean as it really is for a change. The beautifully-stiched leather and Alcantara interior with a wooden shift knob is just the icing on the cake. How much would it cost to commission a build like this? We're thinking a quarter million dollars every day of the week. Worth it? You bet.
First things first, the initial order of business was to take a very typical 914 rolling chassis and strip it off all drivetrain components, interior trim pieces, and the suspension components underneath to make room for a whole suite of new hardware. Starting off strong, the engine in this restomod 914 is a far cry from the VW unit that probably sat under the rear hatch before. These days, that engine bay is occupied by a 3.8-liter Porsche flat-six out of a late 2000s 987.2-series Cayman S and a six-speed manual transmission. With forged piston and steel connecting rods all kept in check by a Life Racing ECU, there's as much as three to four times the horsepower on offer than what a stock 914 from the 70s would've been.
Thanks to three-way adjustable coilovers and 987.2 Cayman-spec suspension components and a rear limited differential. There's every chance in the world that this 914 is a generational talent in canyon carving. With a set of Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 tires to round things off, you could probably turn a decent lap time in a van on a rubber that is aggressive. But the real party piece of Fifteen Eleven's 914 is the creature comforts and finishing touches they applied inside and out.
With tasteful LED front headlights and fog lights and wicked Fuchs 18-inch wheels, this is a sports car that looks every bit as mean as it really is for a change. The beautifully-stiched leather and Alcantara interior with a wooden shift knob is just the icing on the cake. How much would it cost to commission a build like this? We're thinking a quarter million dollars every day of the week. Worth it? You bet.
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