When it comes to Porsches, less is often more.

Throughout its history, the German automaker has offered its customers stripped-back, homologation, and celebration models ready for the track. This backdated 1984 European-market Porsche 911 from Japan is a nod to those cars.

Its owner – Iso-san – knows all about crafting vehicles to a specific vision. Working from home during the COVID lockdowns in Japan and with extra free time, Iso-san, did what many of us did and started shopping around for a new project. He contacted Honda-san at Garage J – a Porsche dealer that will gladly build a car to your desired specs – several times to check his available stock. One car kept coming up in conversations.

But Honda-san – who values every car that crosses his threshold – told Ito-san: “This car chooses its owner. You’ll need to see it in person.”

When the opportunity to visit J Garage finally allowed, what Iso-san found in a dusty corner of the shop was a tired 1973 Carrera RS backdate replica needing some TLC. Some modifications were questionable, which didn’t sit well with Iso-san. This is a man with a discerning eye for quality.

You see, Iso-san builds prototype cars for a living. I’m not talking about scale models in his basement; he’s a project manager for one of Japan’s big four motor companies. While contractually obliged not to disclose which automaker, Iso-san’s most recent creation was a sleek, black, futuristic vehicle. But I digress. Burn this after reading.

When Iso-san enlisted Honda-san’s help to reimagine the 1984 Carrera 3.2, the brief was clear: simplicity and understatement were key. Off came the ducktail spoiler, the poorly painted blue 930 Turbo 16-inch wheels, and the Carrera decals, which the car had been sporting like a cheap knockoff jersey.

Of course, there’s nothing wrong with replicas, but this one wasn’t fooling anyone, and Iso-san wanted a fresh start.

For inspiration, he looked back to the Porsche lineage before the RS, specifically to the 911 S’s predecessor – the unofficially named 911 ST.

‘ST’ was the internal model designation for the track-only, FIA-homologated model delivered exclusively to Porsche racing teams from 1969 to 1971. These cars combined the 911 S’s 2.2L engine with the stripped interior of the 911 T. Instead of paying for the ST model name, Porsche kept the S name on paper.

ST cars boasted bigger, more powerful engines – up to 2.5L by 1970 – polycarbonate windows, aluminium and fibreglass body panels, and a tachometer reading to 10,000rpm. They also featured custom intake manifolds and high-lift camshafts, and made up to 270hp in race spec. Though Porsche later offered an ST ‘Sport Standard Version’ package through dealers, genuine ST models remain extremely rare, with only around 20 to 25 examples ever built.

At 960kg, the ST works cars weighed about 70kg less than their road counterparts. While Iso-san’s version might not be that trim, it benefits from Porsche’s ‘lightweight body,’ which used thinner sheet metal. For Porsche fans seeking inspiration from the brand’s back catalogue, the ST is a cool place to start.

Another notable difference between Iso-san’s car and the ST works cars is the wheel arches – they’re flared 2 inches wider than stock on the racer. But this build isn’t meant to be a millimetre-perfect ST replica, rather a respectful nod. Subtle touches like the livery – or lack thereof- the stripped-out interior, and the rear plexiglass reflect the spirit of the original STs.

It’s what isn’t present in this ’84 Carrera that is the biggest tribute to those stripped-back works cars of the 1970s.

Other ST-inspired modifications include RS door panels, a 300km/h speedometer, 928 S4 callipers, a custom roll cage, and modern upgrades like an ATS carbon LSD, Clubsport engine mounts, and race-spec manifolds and muffler. Hearing this car growl down the road evokes the nostalgic roar of 1970s Porsche race cars.

Iso-san and I would love to see the arches flared on his ST-inspired daily driver. He just needs a bit of encouragement to make that jump, so drop a comment to vote for an extra 2 inches of track width.

Toby Thyer
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