Q. When is a 911 not a 911? A. When it’s a Porsche 912. Long before the Cayman and Boxster – and before even the 924 and 914 – this was a budget version of the world’s most famous sports car. It looked like a 911, but had a four-cylinder engine in place of the usual flat-six.
There’s nothing ‘budget’ about the Kamm 912c, a Hungarian restomod priced from £312,000 – or £278,000 if you provide your own Porsche. You may have seen the 912c prototype reviewed in the press last year, but this is our first look at the production version, complete with lots more carbon fibre and an uprated engine.
We’ve already seen countless restomod 911s from the likes of Singer, Theon Design and Paul Stephens AutoArt, but a 912 is an intriguing alternative. One of its chief advantages is light weight: Kamm quotes just 750kg with fluids. For context, that’s nearly 400kg lighter than a basic Ford Fiesta.
Punching above its weight
The 2.0-litre four is rebuilt by Swiss motorsport experts JPS, revs to 7,200rpm and produces 190hp. That’s a specific output of 95hp per litre, or ‘the highest horsepower per litre of any air-cooled street engine’. For comparison, the iconic 1973 Porsche 911 Carrera 2.7 RS mustered just 78hp per litre.
With electronic fuel injection, a Life Racing ECU and DBW throttle bodies, the motor is said to deliver ‘constant performance levels in all environments’. Open the rear lid and it looks mouth-watering, too, especially the unadorned carbon fan shroud.
In terms of body and chassis mods, you’ll find Lexan polycarbonate windows, TracTive semi-active coilover suspension and AP racing brakes, including a hydraulic handbrake. Steel-look alloy wheels are optional, or you can choose classic Fuchs or 917-style split-rims.
Want more carbon fibre to accentuate the 912’s small ‘c’? A fully carbon body shell is available, improving rigidity and further reducing weight.
Hungary for more
Inside, the simple cabin prioritises functionality and feedback, with classic Porsche-replica seats, lightweight carpets and electric air conditioning.
A carbon fibre gear lever stirs the five-speed ‘box, which has a racing-style dog-leg first gear. The other key touch-points are a three-spoke Momo steering wheel and AP Racing pedal box.
Each 912c is built to order in Budapest and fully bespoke. The first production car is destined for the USA, with two build slots remaining for 2023. Kamm founder Miklós Kázmér said: “The 912c is designed to be as usable as a modern car but retains the driving experience of a classic racing car. We provide reliability and performance with the analogue feel you would expect from a sports car of the sixties, and this makes it unique in the restomod sector.”
We’ll be driving this first production Kamm 912c next month, so come back to Motoring Research soon for our first drive verdict.
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