FEATURE OEM DESIGN how ‘oem+ design’ lies at


the heart of every bespoke commission


Theon Design examines the design process that goes into creating every restored and enhanced Porsche 911 (964) commission, an approach that blends the digital world with the physical: a philosophy it calls OEM+


A


t the heart of Theon Design is founder, Adam Hawley, a car designer with over two decades of experience working at a


range of prestigious OEMs, including BMW, JLR, Lexus and Lotus, on both concept and production cars. Hawley also worked on the Airbus A380. “At Theon Design, we are beyond obsessive on


detail,” explains Hawley. “We are a design-led company with a single-minded objective: to enhance a classic Porsche by applying the robustness of an OEM-like approach, but with the craftsmanship that can only come from a small team of experts. We like to call this OEM+ and it ensures the highest possible quality, finish and overall aesthetics.” With every commission, Hawley and his expert


team respectfully pay homage to Porsche’s rich heritage, injecting contemporary design using modern techniques, an approach that can be found in all areas, and means the company stands by its ethos of 'Purity of Purpose’.


Bringing oem+ design to life


At the start of the process, Hawley looks at every single component, whether it’s a body panel, bumper or seat, and asks a simple question: how it can be improved? Complexity is removed, lightness added


3 DESIGN SOLUTIONS OCTOBER 2021 4


throughout, and Porsche models looked to for inspiration. “This can often deliver simple solutions and allow us to integrate classic design with a hint of the contemporary, while ensuring all the components visually sit well together,” says Hawley. Ideas are sketched both by hand, and in


Photoshop, until Hawley creates the perfect form. Then the process of making it real can begin. Components are built in 3D design software, to confirm the look and fit with surrounding parts. The CAD data allows Hawley to view different aspects of the vehicle and the components from any angle, giving a total view of the component, ensuring not only that the aesthetics work, but the tolerances are as tight as possible. Once satisfied, design confirmation


prototypes are created either by 3D printing or CNC machining. These can then be installed in a vehicle to confirm everything is as expected and the part looks correct in the flesh. It’s from here that moulds or final parts for the cars can be created.


restored then enhanced


Each Porsche 964 donor car is completely stripped and all its components arranged ready for modification, painting, powder


coating or chromating back to the original Porsche colour and style. If a part cannot be restored or modified, it is replaced entirely. To ensure all the panels fit correctly to the


body, cars are placed on a jig so that Theon Design can confirm that the chassis is straight. The front end is then modified so that a genuine Porsche ‘long bonnet’ can be used. Like all panels, the front bulkhead panel is fitted to the car using the original Porsche methodology. Wheel arches are then added, and whether steel or carbon, created using 3D CAD models. For steel-bodied cars that require wheel


arch modifications, wooden formers have been cut from 3D design data, ensuring that the car can be built to much tighter tolerances. The steel is hand-formed by Theon’s highly-skilled craftspeople and newly-made arches then joined to the original panels using Porsche welding techniques. For carbon-bodied cars, all panels are


manufactured from moulds machined from the 3D design data, and the arches produced with the same welding and bolting flanges as the original Porsche components.


Precision manufacturing


The manufacturing processes for both steel and carbon components ensures perfect fit, finish


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