| First Drive | Oxfordshire, England | Autofarm 911 S |

Styling from the '70s, engineering from the '80s and power out of the '90s combine in Autofarm's beguiling 911 Recreation.

In the Metal

This beautifully proportioned shape is essentially a late '60s to early '70s 911 S. But it's not, as despite the classic looks there's a more modern 911 under the old school lines. Based on a 3.2 Carrera of 1980's vintage, this Autofarm 911 is a recreation. Not a replica note, a recreation, the Oxfordshire firm essentially building a new car such is the level of obsession and attention to detail in the process.

The result is a very interesting proposition. It's a car that passes muster visually as a bona-fide classic 911, but has some more modern mechanicals, better performance, greater reliability and, crucially, benefits from proper rust protection. There's correct bumpers to the right 15-inch Fuchs alloy wheels and wide side-walled tyres, along with period badging and lights, making this car look every inch the genuine vintage machine. If the classic exterior lines fool you then the interior might give the game away. You'd have to really know your old 911s though, and with every generation evolving nothing really jars in the slightly more modern cabin.

What you get for your Money

That's entirely up to you. Autofarm will find you the right donor car and give you advice and guidance on what you can do with it. Pick your classic 911 and have it recreated into something you can drive everyday. That can be a '73 RS, an ST, RSR or anything you desire. Here it's a 911 S, a subtle, beautifully proportioned variant from the late '60s and early '70s. The detailing is spot on, as Autofarm's staff are exacting in their work, ensuring things are as correct as possible. Underneath that period-correct look is a more modern 911 - in this case with 964-series 3.6-litre power and brakes from a Boxster.

Driving it

Power output at around 250bhp is modest by today's standards, but it doesn't feel tardy at all. Thank the light weight for that: while this recreation is a more modern 911 underneath, the car it's based on lived in the pre-lard era of motoring. The result is a car that feels utterly different to anything you can buy today. The response from the engine is fantastic, the revs flaring quickly with just the merest brush of the floor-hinged accelerator. There's a mechanical feel to the whole process of driving too, the connection to the engine in particular feeling alien to those used to more modern, muted cars.

That immediacy is true of the steering as well. There's heft at the rim, but the steering wheel is alive with information as to what the front wheels are doing.

It's wet, and conscious of the lack of electronic stability aids and anti-lock brakes you need to gently push the Autofarm 911, slowly learning how fast you can drive it through the bends. Faster than you'd imagine, which largely down to the excellent communication on offer. There's plenty of grip, and while taut, the suspension copes with undulating, poorly surfaced tarmac with a finesse that few, if any, current sports cars can muster.

Braking is where you need to be most careful, though the Boxster's discs and callipers are more than up to the task of washing off the easily gained speed. Push them too hard and locking front wheels are a reminder that the car is light, the road's surface is slick and you don't have the safety net of ABS. That's a huge part of its appeal though. You also need to think gearshifts through, easing their downshifts with judicious heel-and-toe blips and feeling the available grip before simply mashing the pedal. As an antidote to somewhat anodyne modern motoring there's little better.

This particular car is owned by a customer in London. It is parked on the street, the lack of preciousness about its use something to be admired. Its thin pillars and upright windscreen give tremendous all-round visibility, while the narrow body partners that to make this car as good for the hustle and bustle of city driving as it is on winding country roads.

Worth Noting

The choice really is yours as to what you want with your 911 Recreation. You can have as hot an engine as you like, or merely concentrate on the bodywork and styling. Autofarm finesses each build and is working on adding more options - such as automatic windscreen wipers and headlamps.

The aim is to build a modern classic you really can drive and enjoy every day. To do so requires time and money, but given the obsessive detail and talent that goes into creating these one-offs, and the potential cost of the cars their styling apes, they look like decent value. How much exactly is difficult to pin down as every build is different, but you could have an Autofarm 911 for around the same price as a contemporary Porsche 911 Carrera GTS.

Summary

Old cars are great, but use them and they lose value, are usually unreliable and sometimes recalcitrant to drive. An Autofarm 911 does a great deal to fix that, having all the looks and charm of those oh-so-desirable original 911s, but without the headaches. You're buying into a process, that being to build your perfect 911, cherry picking the bits you want to do, and the result really is rather special.