Much more interesting than a traditional restoration are restomods, where a person or company takes a classic car and updates it with modern styling elements, drivetrains and tech features. Restomods are becoming increasingly common these days, and we’re starting to see stranger and rarer cars get the upgrade treatment. The latest restomod to hit our newsfeeds is Nardone Automotive’s redone Porsche 928, one of my favorite Porsche designs ever, and it’s by far one of the slickest restomods yet.

Created by French founder Thierry Nardone, a self-described expert car guy with a serene obsession with the 928, the Nardone restomod looks straight out of a sci-fi anime like Akira while remaining true to Porsche’s original design. A front-engine coupe with Porsche’s first V8 engine, more than 60,000 928s were produced from 1978 to 1995, and the Nardone restomod mixes cues from the earlier models and the later, more modern S4 and GTS variants.

The 928 has always been fabulous.


Nardone Automotive

The car’s bodywork is completely new and made almost entirely from carbon fiber. Its bumpers and side skirts are deeper than on the original 928, and while the light housings are similar the new LED graphics are very modern — I especially love that the froglike pop-up headlights are intact, and their mounts are really intricate. At the rear there’s a deep slatted diffuser and invisible exhaust tips, adding to the futuristic look along with a full-width light bar. The 18-inch wheels are a new interpretation of the 928’s classic manhole style, and they fit nicely under the Nardone’s wider rear fenders.

Its interior is even cooler. It has a super-slick gauge cluster with a central tachometer and ’80s-style blocky instruments, while the center console features Porsche Classic’s PCCM with Apple CarPlay. The climate and audio controls are reminiscent of a hi-fi stereo system, and the metallic finish and grated vents are echoed on the door panels. One of my favorite details is the metal shift knob, which still has a retro rubber shift boot. This particular car has peanut butter-colored Alcantara and Foglizzo leather covering nearly every surface, but I hope at least one customer chooses the 928’s psychedelic Pasha interior fabric.

I want to go to there.


Nardone Automotive

Porsche’s V8 engine is intact, though Nardone doesn’t say which specific version the restomod uses. Output has been increased to 400 horsepower and the engine gets a new ECU, and the original 5-speed manual transmission has been upgraded to a six-speed unit. The Nardone 928 also has an active electronic suspension setup, a limited-slip differential, new axles and upgraded brakes and electric power steering.

The Nardone 928 made its debut during Milan Design Week, and it will also make an appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed later this month. First deliveries are planned for 2024, with the Nardone 928 being built in partnership with design firm BorremeodeSilva and Podium Advanced Technologies, the companies that helped create the Automobili Amos Lancia Delta Futurista. As for the price? Nothing has been announced yet, but expect the Nardone 928 to cost well into the six figures.


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