And still they roll in, day-by-day, sometimes hour-by-hour… evocative of simpler times, perfected with modern materials and engineering solutions, built with stunning attention to detail and blissfully free of autonomy, of superfluous driver assistance systems and all the other stuff that puts layers between driver and car. We are officially in the age of the Restomod. Isn’t it great?
Well, probably. We love the philosophy behind restomods and the growing variety of shapes and manufacturers providing the spark of inspiration (Porsche-based projects still dominate, but are no longer the only game in town), but it’s hard to know how much substance exists behind the glossy carbon fiber. Are they driving machines or just ornaments? As they search for more performance and grip do they miss the crux of why these cars appealed in the first place? I guess, pretty simply, is this new breed overpolished Instagram fluff or should we consider the whole restomod movement as a real threat to conventional new sportscars and supercars?
In the coming weeks, we hope to find out. We will travel far and wide in search of answers and delve deeper into this new world than just those rather lovely 911s re-imagined by Singer that have become the restomod archetype. In so doing we hope to explore just why these projects have become such a draw. Crucially, we’ll also find out whether they’re any better than the cars on which they’re based — beyond some fancy weaved leather trim and tighter shutlines — and how they compare to the shockingly fast, competent, and exciting new supercars that push into the future as confidently as the restomods reach towards past glories.
It feels like the performance car has reached a fork in the road: Should you turn right to a frenzied feast of torque vectoring and face-melting performance or left for more cerebral, tactile thrills? The siren call of the restomod is certainly very strong indeed.
