This is a 500bhp fully electric Porsche 964

By topgear, 31 May 2021

Porsche has gone on the record as saying its 911 may be among the very last cars in the world to be electrified. But that’s not stopped anyone else from proving them wrong unofficially.

The latest ‘retro sports car with batteries squeezed in’ is this, the Everrati Signature wide body. It’s an early Nineties Porsche 964-gen 911 with 500bhp worth of electricity supplanting its traditional flat-six engine.

Everrati insists this has all been done with the utmost respect. “Using modern engineering techniques and integrating advanced EV powertrains, we further enhance each car’s performance,” says Everrati’s founder and CEO, “while ensuring they have a similar driving ‘feel’ with weight distribution – and overall weight – mirroring that of the original, enabling automotive icons like the Porsche 911 (964) to be reborn for the coming age of zero-emission mobility, yet with soul intact.”

Which all sounds jolly good, though it does somewhat reinforce the impression the 964 is the least-loved 911 generation – they’re already sacrificed in Singer’s reimagination procedures, and given Everrati plans on the Signature being more than a one off, a few more are being fundamentally changed here.

EVERRATI
EVERRATI

Though it’s key we point out the heart transplant is reversable. If you’ve room in the loft and can resist putting the scalloped-out engine and gearbox from your 964 on eBay, then they can always be slotted back in if you decide electricity just doesn’t work for you.

In newly plug-in form, the Signature is apparently lighter than when it was a stock 964, a feat achieved with the help of new carbonfibre panels. The rear wheels alone handle the electric motor’s 500bhp and 500Nm, figures more akin to a brand-new 992 GT3 and which call for a hugely uprated Brembo brake system, albeit with regen abilities built in. The driver chooses how strong the energy recuperation is, and the Signature can be driven as a one-pedal car if you so wish.

The battery is 53kWh and range is quoted as 240-plus kilometres, though expect that to drop if you’re exploring the four-second 0-100kph time frequently. We’re told a 10 to 100 per cent charge can take an hour on a fast DC charger.

Each car Everrati makes will be an individual commission, with an entry price of £250,000 (RM1.5m). Superb? Or sacrilege?