Porsche’s Forgotten Icon Reborn With An Unexpected Twist

The Porsche Carrera GTS, more commonly known with its internal codename, 904, is a rare piece of homologated sports car royalty from the mid-60s. Six decades later, Dutch company Aerfal Automotive wants to bring it back as a stunning restomod with modern technology and Porsche underpinnings.

The reborn classic is penned by French automotive designer Alan Derosier, known for projects like the Stratos-inspired Kiska APG-1 supercar and the Dakar-ready Marc Philipp Gemballa Marsien. CGI-expert Antoine Brigot, who works as a 3D artist for Avatr, was responsible for the modeling.

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The exterior stays true to the mid-engined proportions and sexy curves of the original, with a few tasteful revisions on the cooling intakes, LED lights, and vintage alloy wheels. The doors open together with big chunks of the roof, allowing easier access to the two-seater cabin. The interior will please fans of the analogue era with a minimalist dashboard, retro dials, and a combination of leather and titanium.

Porsche built 106 roadgoing examples of the 904 between 1964 and 1965 as a homologation special. This means that sourcing a genuine chassis would be too expensive. Aerfal founder, Daniel Robledo, told Motor1 that their restomod will be based on the humble 914 instead. The mid-engined sports car that was developed by Porsche and VW is a lot easier to find, with 118,978 units leaving the factory between 1969 and 1974.

The goal of the project was to answer the question “What if Porsche’s visionaries of the 1960s had access to the tools of today?” This meant that the 914 base wouldn’t be enough. Thus, the chassis will receive reinforcements from Multimatic, while Porsche specialist Tuthill will work on the suspension and chassis setup. Furthermore, The restomod will use parts sourced from Brembo, Michelin and BBS.

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More importantly, the reborn 904 will be powered by a “rebirth of the legendary flat-eight” engine found in the original racecar with the rumored involvement of Cosworth. The air-cooled, naturally aspirated mill will be expanded from 2.0 to 4.0 liters, with a target output of 400 horsepower.

“This is not about chasing numbers, but about creating an engine that breathes character, a soundtrack and sensation that connects the driver directly to Porsche’s primal racing heritage”, Aerfal notes.

At the moment, Aerfal’s 904 only exists in the digital world, but the company plans on building a prototype and will soon start receiving pre-orders. Pricing, planned production numbers, and a target date for the first deliveries have yet to be announced.