Lab Eleven Porsche 911 restomod rolls into Jay Leno’s Garage
From Singer to Kalmar, there’s no shortage of high-quality Porsche 911 restomods to choose from. Lab Eleven is yet another entry in this genre, and on a recent episode of “Jay Leno’s Garage,” Axel Weller, the company’s U.S. distributor, explained what makes these particular Porsches special.
The car shown in this video—the only Lab Eleven 911 in the U.S. at the time of filming—looks like something from the early 1970s, but is in fact a 993-generation 911 from 1995. Weller said Lab Eleven uses the 993 as a base because it is the last, and thus most modern, air-cooled 911 generation.
Each chassis is completely stripped down and rebuilt with a mix of components from different 911 generations, including 930-style flared fenders and moldings around the wheel openings that serve as a nod to the Carrera RSR. To save weight, this R model has an aluminum hood and rear deck lid, as well as roll-up windows. The curb weight is just 2,640 pounds.
Instead of bespoke carbon-fiber pieces, though, Lab Eleven uses original Porsche parts wherever possible so that owners can easily source replacements from the automaker’s classic division. Modifications are done with the blessing of Porsche, according to Weller. Cars are assembled in Milan, but are sent to Porsche for inspection and receive a certificate of authenticity from the company.
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Customers can choose from a few engine options. The car shown here has a 3.8-liter flat-6 producing 350 hp, which is sent to the rear wheels through a 6-speed manual transmission and limited-slip differential. A 3.6-liter version is also available, and Lab Eleven is developing a 4.0-liter engine as well.
The interior of this car features period-correct Recaro bucket seats upholstered in a combination of fabric with the distinctive Porsche Pepita pattern (which is also applied to matching luggage) and Italian leather. Air conditioning is incorporated into the period-correct dashboard, along with a Porsche-sourced Bluetooth radio.
Customers can supply their own donor cars or have Lab Eleven source one. The lead time for each build is about six months. Lab Eleven currently has a few cars under construction—including a Targa model.