No one is denying that this is fantastic, but do all classic sports cars have to go electric?
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Everrati Porsche 911 964 Widebody Cabriolet from front diver side corner
The electrification of non-electric cars is big business today. Look at the Charge Mustang, the ICON Derelict Mercury, Lunaz’s electric Rolls-Royce Silver Cloud, and the countless companies that will build an electrified Porsche 911. Perhaps the latter is such an oversaturated market that someone had to step in and do something different. So Everatti, an England-based company that specializes in converting classic Porsche 911s, Mercedes Pagodas, Land Rover Series II and Ford GT40s into electric vehicles, has just made the world’s first all-electric conversion of a classic 911 Cabriolet.
Facts, figures and power
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Everrati Porsche 911 964 Wide Body Cabriolet from behind
The top-tier electric drivetrain for the Wide Body Cabriolet is capable of generating 500 horsepower and 368 pound-feet of torque, all of which is sent to the rear wheels and enables a sub-four-second run from 0 at 60mph. The 500 horsepower setting is supposedly good for 200 miles of range on a full charge thanks to its 62 kWh battery, however there is a 440 horsepower setting that could probably go further, although Everatti didn’t provide a number for that model. Everatti says that preserving the feel of the original 964 Cabrio was a top priority, so they have an adjustable TracTive suspension option with a few preloaded settings the driver can choose from.
The process of building a machine like this begins with fully restoring the donor car and making it look like it just rolled off the factory floor. This particular model is apparently inspired by the 911 you looked at on bad boys with black paint, silver five-spoke wheels, and a black-on-white interior. From there, it’s pretty similar to any other EV-converted version of the Porsche 911 we’ve seen before. The Wide Body Cabriolet won’t just be made across the pond in the UK though, as Everatti has teamed up with Aria Group, a high-end, low-volume manufacturer that helps with projects like this. The partnership means the model will be made in both the US and England.
Why build a 964 Porsche 911 Cabrio EV?
The main thing that sets it apart from other electrically converted classic 911s is that it’s a convertible, which means it stands out because no one else will build it. There are already several companies involved in converting 911 coupes or Targa to electric power, including Everatti. Everatti said they want to continue building these types of cars to preserve them in a way that still allows them to be driven while trying not to let the drawbacks of electric power, primarily weight, interfere with the feel of the original car.
However, not all classics need to be converted to electric vehicles. Much of the excitement of classic sports cars is the distinctive engines they had, especially Porsches. Removing that is removing at least a third of the fun. Arguably some classics should be EVs, Everatti is at it with Land Rover and SL Pagoda, cars where the engine was never a party piece, but in classic 911s and Mustangs, the engine was front and center, or maybe back and center. Either way, let’s leave the big engines alone and keep them running as long as possible, and the boring ones can be swapped out and go down the pages of history.