This carbon-bodied 412PS Theon Design GBR002 is gorgeous

29th November 2023

Russell Campbell

This is the Theon Design GBR002, and it's an incredibly strong argument to head straight to the bank and remortgage the house.

The GBR002 lands from an automotive utopia where achingly pretty retro looks, Fuchs wheels and petit proportions meet modern engineering unmuzzled by regulations and built for you, exactly how you want it. As such, price is the only area the GBR002 and a high-spec modern-day GT3 RS link arms – it starts from £380,000.

The GBR002's body is a beautifully sculpted alternative to the slashes and gashes of an RS, but this OEM+ classic is no less high-tech. Laser scanned, its carbon-fibre body panels match the chassis like a Savile Row suit, only with the weight of a Lycra jogging bottoms. At 1,169kg wet, the GBR undercuts a factory 964 by 200 kilograms and is a whopping 350kg lighter than your mate's RS.

It sets the pace for an engine that sounds like an absolute delight. The air-cooled, 4.0-litre boxer produces 412PS (303kW) at 7,200rpm and 442Nm (326lb ft) at 5,800rpm, and Jenvey independent throttle bodies should provide the earthy howl the engine deserves.

A plenum and cooling fan finished in gunmetal, not to mention a ceramic-coated switchable exhaust, provide the engine bay with the jewel-like finish missing from under a modern 911's service hatch (although modern ignition and engine management systems should mean Theon's machine is no less reliable).

Tapping into the responsiveness of a naturally aspirated flat-six on throttle bodies should present no issues, as the GBR002 get a single-mass flywheel. It feeds power through a six-speed manual gearbox and Wavetrac limited-slip differential. Stopping, meanwhile, is provided by a full RS brake package.

Last on the list is a five-stage TracTive Active Controlled Electronics damping system, which, we're told, means Theon Design's 911 is as happy comfortably cruising the motorway as it is shredding B-roads.

The interior follows the same recipe as the exterior. The 964's purposeful design meets milled aluminium switchgear, Recaro CS front seats, deep-dish Nardi steering wheel and a modern DAB radio with wireless charging and phone connectivity backed by a powerful Focal amp and six speakers.

Theon even modernises the basics. There's a lightweight Mil-Spec wiring harness, dual-compressor air-conditioning and a new electric power steering pump, all located low in the front of the car for better weight distribution.

The 002 follows in the tyre treads of Theon's first UK build – the GBR001 – and while commissions start from £380,000, there are no limits to how far the company will go to provide you with your dream 964-based 911. As a result, the 18 months it takes to build the car could be some of the longest months in your life.