When Singer unveiled its All-terrain Competition Study (ACS) in January 2021, a WRC-inspired off-road racing machine, Porsche fans and, really, everyone, were hot for it. Unfortunately, Porsche corporate was bothered. Within two months, the Safari 911 was scrubbed from Singer’s website and social pages. Literally not seen or heard about since (at least not on a viral scale like before), a Singer ACS has quietly been listed for sale in the U.K.
Two Singer ACS vehicles were commissioned by Richard Tuthill, the former rally pro who now heads the renowned eponymous family business, Tuthill Porsche. At Tuthill’s request, a 1990 Porsche 911-based ACS in Parallax White was fashioned for “high-speed desert rallying,” while a Corsica Red variant was for “high-speed, high-grip tarmac events.”
Although the ACS was developed using his personal specs, Tuthill had no qualms about other Singer clients requesting the same build. But the Singer ACS was too perfect and too Porsche, said Porsche’s legal team.
Essentially, a cease-and-desist was issued because the automaker’s name was prominently displayed on the Singer vehicle. In an emailed response at the time, Porsche USA said it had a responsibility to its customers “to ensure that Porsche products – designed and engineered by us – can be clearly and easily identified…We do this by ensuring only products created or directly licensed by us can carry the Porsche name.” The spokesperson further noted, “Now and again, reminders are needed.”
Kind of a wild request then (and now) considering Singer only works on classic 911s, specifically the 964, and its other builds carry the Porsche name, logo, and badging. Nevertheless, Singer removed every mention of the ACS from its marketing channels as well as redistributed new press images with the “Porsche” lettering digitally removed from the vehicle. Coincidentally, Porsche’s own 911 Dakar was announced the following year. Although its high all-terrain stance looks similar to the Singer ACS, underneath it all, they’re two very different beasts.
Offered for the first time is the famous Parallax White off-roader, with the sale being handled by high-end vehicle sales and service specialist Joe Macari. Singer nor Tuthill released pricing during its debut; however, Tuthill has said the ACS will cost “a bit more” than your standard Singer, which can easily hit the million-dollar mark as is.
The Singer ACS featured carbon fiber body panels, 5 mm-inch undercarriage protective plates, front and rear clamshells, competition-spec carbon fiber bucket seats, race-spec GPS, a monocoque chassis, an FIA-spec roll cage, two full-size spares of its 16-inch all-terrain tires…the rally-ready mods list goes on. Its twin-turbo, air-cooled 3.6-liter flat six delivered 450 horsepower and 420 pound-feet of torque. However, based on the need, the powertrain could be tuned to release more horses. The Singer ACS was outfitted with a 5-speed sequential gearbox, permanent all-wheel drive, and a long-range fuel tank.
The listing shares specs and images but nothing regarding the vehicle’s whereabouts since Porsche told Singer to stand down. Based on the photos, the ACS looks immaculate and likely was stored and maintained at Tuthill’s company or in a personal garage. And, honestly, the vehicle looks depressed indoors. Being one of two in existence, and with some drama to its name, don’t be surprised if the Singer ACS is sold for more than a million or two. Hopefully, whoever puts down the cash can also afford to get it dirty, and often.