When Singer Vehicle Design unveiled its DLS Turbo Services to the public at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2023, there was disbelief. Here was a Porsche 911 that claimed 710 horsepower and revved to 9,000rpm. Yet it began life as a car first registered more than three decades earlier. More surprising still was not the performance, but the confidence with which Singer presented it. This wasn’t a prototype or proof of concept. The DLS Turbo arrived as a fully formed idea in a market where the boundaries between restoration, reinterpretation, and collectible had already begun to blur.
Engineering Legacy, Reimagined
Singer’s work has always started with the Porsche 911 of the 964 generation, widely regarded as a sweet spot in the model’s long history. It retains classic proportions and analogue feel. Yet it benefits from coil-spring suspension and modern fundamentals. For the DLS Turbo programme, each donor car is stripped to its bare monocoque and shipped to Singer’s facilities in the UK. There, the chassis is assessed, reinforced, and prepared for performance levels far beyond anything imagined when it left Stuttgart.
At the heart of the project sits a deeply reworked version of Porsche’s M64 flat-six engine. Originally a 3.6-litre unit, it is expanded to 3.8 litres and extensively redesigned. The most striking change is the adoption of four valves per cylinder and water-cooled cylinder heads. These were developed during Singer’s earlier Dynamics and Lightweighting Study. To this, Singer adds twin turbochargers with electronic wastegates and variable turbine geometry, along with air-to-water intercooling. The result is an engine that produces around 710bhp and 750Nm of torque. Yet it remains capable of spinning to 9,000rpm. In an era where turbocharging often dulls response, the achievement lies in preserving urgency and control alongside sheer output.
The bodywork is equally considered. Constructed almost entirely from carbon fibre, it is shaped using computational fluid dynamics to manage airflow and stability at speed. Buyers can specify either a road-focused configuration, with a subtle ducktail and restrained front treatment. Alternatively, they can choose a more aggressive track-oriented setup featuring a large rear wing and deeper front fascia. Unusually, some owners choose both, supplied in bespoke flight cases. This modular approach reflects Singer’s belief that a car can be both a static collectible and a dynamic machine, depending on the owner’s intent.
The Sepang Commission
Among the small number of DLS Turbo restorations is this example, known as the Sepang Commission. Finished in paint-to-sample Wolf Blue, it demonstrates the degree of visual and material control available to Singer’s clients. Exposed carbon fibre elements are tinted dark blue to complement the bodywork. Meanwhile, champagne-anodised brightwork introduces warmth without excess. Even the turbofan magnesium wheels and rear decklid badging, executed in solid brass, contribute to a coherent palette.
Inside, the same discipline applies. Bone leather is used extensively, offset by dark blue-tinted gloss carbon fibre and matching anodised metalwork. Touring seats combine Alcantara centres with leather backs. The steering wheel mixes materials to subtly echo the exterior.
Everything is chosen to serve a unified idea. This reflects Singer’s long-held belief that detail matters only when it contributes to the whole.
Presented fresh from restoration and with running-in mileage completed by Singer, the Sepang Commission is supplied with both road and track body configurations. It is, in effect, two cars sharing a single identity.
The Sepang Commission is currently offered for sale by RM Sotheby’s, with bidding opening on 18 March 2026. It carries an estimate of £2.7 million to £3.9 million (approximately $3.45 million to $5 million).
Market Context and Collector Appetite
The market for high-end restomods has matured rapidly over the past decade. Singer has played a central role in that evolution. Early projects were often viewed as indulgent reinterpretations, admired but kept at arm’s length by traditional collectors. That perception has changed. Today, Singer’s most ambitious commissions are traded alongside established blue-chip classics, often at comparable values.
The DLS Turbo sits at the top of this hierarchy. It occupies territory once reserved for rare competition Ferraris or historically significant Porsches. Demand remains strong, driven by limited availability, long commissioning lead times, and Singer’s reputation for consistency. Importantly, buyers are not simply acquiring performance. They are buying into a narrative of authorship, engineering credibility, and cultural relevance.
That said, the category is not without risk. Values are closely tied to Singer’s standing and the broader appetite for reimagined classics. As with contemporary art or limited-production watches, shifts in taste can have an impact. Authenticity is less about originality and more about provenance, specification, and the clarity of the build story. For collectors, due diligence matters as much as it would for any seven-figure acquisition.
A New Kind of Reference Point
The DLS Turbo suggests a future in which the most valuable cars are not defined solely by age or untouched originality. Instead, they are judged by the quality of their thinking and execution. Singer’s approach does not reject heritage. It studies it closely, then builds upon it with modern tools and expectations.
For collectors, this raises an interesting question. If the classic car once represented a fixed moment in time, projects like the DLS Turbo propose something more fluid. They invite participation, interpretation, and use, without sacrificing seriousness or value. Singer has set a new standard. The DLS Turbo is not a curiosity. It is a marker of how far the idea of the collectible car has moved, and how much further it may yet go.
Photo credits (right-hand side: © RM Sotheby’s
