An air-cooled 4.0 boxer six that spins up to 9,300 rpm
The ‘Dynamics and Lightweighting Study’. That’s how Singer their last reimagined Porsche calls 911. The name already indicates what it is all about: weight has been made lighter, dynamics have been studied. Singer developed his own double wishbone front suspension for the DLS to improve grip and precision of the front axle and steering. They made sure that the iconic ducktail spoiler now actually serves an aerodynamic purpose, by raising it 22 millimeters and raising it a few degrees more upright.
With a relentless approach to mass, and generous with shockingly expensive materials, the DLS weighs just over 1,000 pounds. Given the name and the effort already made, you would think that the engine might be the only one left out of harm’s way. Porsche’s air-cooled, 406 hp 4.0 six-cylinder boxer, which could also be found in previous Singer restorations, is not exactly lacking in charisma, sound, power or response. And yet…
Why Singer grabs 2021 Engine of the Year award
While there are countless elements that make the DLS so spectacular, the engine easily stands out. It is a technical masterpiece: an air-cooled 4.0 boxer-six with four valves per cylinder (something Porsche itself did not dare with that generation of street engines). Those valves are made of sodium-filled titanium, the exhaust of Inconel and titanium, and the well-known fan on the back is housed in a magnesium housing. Completely redesigned primarily by Williams Advanced Engineering, it runs 9,300rpm and sounds divine. The kind of sound that gives rise to addictions. The new power is 500 hp.
Read also: This is how the Singer DLS sounds
How can you ever stop driving when with a simple foot movement you can treat your ears to such richly layered, howling pure, furiously orchestral, stormy shrill tones? What if he’s lost some of the deep rumble and familiar air-cooled panting? No matter where you are in the rev range or what gear you select (another delightful exercise), this bike performs like no other. A motorsport machine with the manners of a grocery car. He is irresistible.
