With stricter emissions regulations, combustion engine bans coming into force in the future and changing attitudes to electrification, the restomod scene has exploded with new electric possibilities. You can now get no end of classic cars modified or completely overhauled to run on e-power.
But Everrati is convinced its electric creations aren't as simple as just swapping out a combustion engine for an electric powertrain.
'We take some of the world's most beautiful and seminal cars, restore and re-engineer them, always operating with full respect for the brands that created them,' says Everrati boss, Justin Lunny.
We've driven a prototype of Everrati's latest creation – a 964-generation 911 – to see if an electric icon can really work.
What's Everrati?
It's a technological and engineering company founded in 2019, designed to cater to those who want to keep their classic cars but make sure they're ready for the electric age. The company has had previous projects with the Mercedes SL and Land Rover Defender and, more recently, has diverted its attention to classic and retro generations of the 911.
But what Everrati strives to do is not just restore and redefine a classic by making it electric but keep as much of the DNA from the original as possible. Fun is the priority here, with Everrati seeing the benefits of an EV powertrain like instant torque and throttle adjustability being front and centre with its sports car projects. The advantages of holier-than-thou zero-emissions running, cheaper running costs, (predicted) cheaper maintenance costs and the ability to whizz around clean air or congestion zones for free are mere bonuses.
So, with this 964-generation 911 project, the targets have always been about maintaining the car's weight and weight distribution, its retro looks and its Porsche feel inside.
So how has Everrati done that?
You'll need at least £250k to start the process. The team take a 964 donor car (either one you already own, or one Everrati will source for you to perform the restoration on for an extra cost), strip it down to parts and water blast, then rust protect, the chassis, seam-welding it in the process. The front and rear wheelarches, doors and bonnet are recreated with carbonfibre to keep weight down.
Speaking of weight, Everrati has the aim of keeping the each of the electric 911s it makes as close to the standard car as possible. The 53kWh battery pack is split into two, housed beneath the front and rear bonnets to maintain the car's 40:60 front/rear weight balance. A single e-motor drives the rear wheels, producing 500bhp and 369lb ft (even more power than the 964 Turbo S could ever claim). Everrati claims around 150 miles on a single charge – not a huge number, but the team see this as an 'A-to-A car' – something to go for a drive in when you have some free time, rather than an entirely usable daily driver – given the clientele will almost certainly have fat enough wallets to have more than one car in the garage.
Everrati says the entire process can also be reversed, if the owner changes their mind, allowing the engine and transmission to be refitted. If you stick with the EV powertrain, the team also offers to refurbish the engine and keep it in storage, or even make it a piece of art for your home.
As for dynamics, Everrati includes electronically adjustable suspension, allowing you to attack a B-road with a stiff setup or go grand touring with a squishy motorway one. Every model built also features a Quaife differential for the driven wheels and renewed Brembo brakes with drilled, ventilated discs.
Inside, it's still very much a 964 – clean and simple but with all the key switchgear in the same place – albeit with a few changes. The original seats are overhauled with four-way electrical adjustment, Porsche's Classic Communications Management system is installed in the dashboard to allow for thoroughly 21st century tech like Apple CarPlay, DAB and navigation. The dials are in keeping with Porsche's original design, but the info displayed is very much geared (wired?) towards the electric powertrain, showing the car's state of charge, power and cooling. Our test prototype was swathed in Alcantara, too.
Does it do clever EV things?
It does. There's regenerative braking if you lift off the throttle, with the option to enable regen fierce enough to drive with one pedal. Everrati has engineered in both AC and DC charging via a CCS socket, allowing your electric 911 to be charged at up to 100kW and a 10 to 100 per cent charge possible in under an hour.
When the car launches, it will have both Sport and Eco modes for the powertrain, with Sport being the default and Eco restricting throttle response.
As an aside, Everrati is also developing a sound system capable of emitting engine noises that you can modify via an app tuned to the car's speed, even including throttle blip sounds when you slow down. The tech was in its early stages when we tested it, but the team want the finished product to have speakers both outside and inside the car for the best experience. You can, of course, turn it off if you're so inclined.
Mike Kerr, Everrati's engineering director, who's had roles at Lotus and McLaren (including being the brains behind the new Artura's gearbox), told us that future development ideas include programming in torque steps to the motor to mirror the gear changes of the donor car. Everrati is also open to the possibility of better battery chemistries coming along that can increase range being fitted into the 911 creation after it's already been restored.
Come on then, how does it drive?
Well, first things first, turning the starter key to the eerie sound of silence is a little odd. Your mind takes a few minutes to adjust to a gorgeously restored 964 being active and ready to drive without a so much as a whisper. But it takes mere yards at the wheel to get over it as other, better, sensations wash over you one by one.
First is the steering. It's just so gorgeously weighted and accurate; sharp turns require a little muscle as your hands grip the petite Alcantara wheel, but you know exactly where the wheels are. Even on a straight road, the slightest flex from your bicep or twitch of your wrist translates into a microscopic change of direction. That's not a complaint: it's incredibly rare to find something modern with such alert steering in a modern car, bar the electronically assisted rack of a Ferrari Roma or 488 Pista. Gorgeous.
The suspension works exactly as intended, allowing you to firm up or slacken off the damping. We tried the setup in its hardest format and a more road-ready tune – the former added a sharper edge to the dynamics, allowing you to carve up corners with precision, the latter meant I could cruise in peace on a dual carriageway. There's some tyre noise, of course, but an original would have some, too.
As for the performance, it's... well, it's electric. Obviously. The way this thing shifts is more than enough to keep most supercars honest in a flat out drag race. And, very much unlike the wayward 964 Turbos of yore, the grip on tap allows you to hoof it mid-corner with confidence. The regenerative braking on the throttle took a little time to get used to, and I suggested to the team that an on-the-fly ability to change how much regen (allowing the car to coast on the motorway, for example) would be a bonus.
Of course, it's not a flat-six, with all of the additional involvement that brings to the mix. The addition of the 'engine' sound system helps to curb that to some degree, but there'll still be some classic car faithful that won't be able to get on with the lack of a combustion engine. Regardless, the Everrati 964 is eye-widening in how it delivers pace.
Everrati 911 Signature: verdict
Purely on objective terms, the small range, cost and the removal of one of the most iconic traits of a 911 – its flat-six engine – will be enough to cast this Everrati creation aside for some.
But the 911 even as a brand-new car is on borrowed time; even Porsche is looking at how to electrify its icon in-house. And behind the wheel of Everrati's creation, I couldn't stop smiling. The steering, suspension, atmosphere inside and sheer pace of the 964 Signature are plenty enough to involve you. It's still very much a 911 in the way it drives, which is something Everrati can be truly commended for – the stereotype of EVs being naturally heavy and inert to drive is simply untrue here. It also means it's entirely possible for OEMs to create fantastic-to-drive EV sports cars.
If the idea of futureproofing your classic for the zero-emission age sounds appealing, and you have plenty of dosh, it's at least worth giving Everrati a call.
(carmagazine.co.uk)
