Zeigler/Bailey opens Melbourne Engine Room

MELBOURNE appears to be becoming something of a home for the cottage industry that is the ‘resto-mod’ Porsche 911.

Joining offerings from similar startups – including the recently revealed Wiedergeboren 911 – Zeigler/Bailey has announced the commissioning of its Cremorne-based Engine Room, the facility to become the dedicated assembly site of its locally designed Z/B 4.4 flat-six engine.

The facility, which Zeigler/Bailey likens to that of a prestige watchmaker, will produce a uniquely Australian air-cooled flat six engine displacing 4.4 litres and running a single overhead camshaft per bank activating two valves per cylinder.

The twin-spark cylinder head is CNC milled from aircraft-grade solid aluminium billet, as is the crankcase, cylinders, and cam covers. The crankshaft and camshaft are machined from steel billet, the engine running a dry sump lubrication system with a bespoke external main bearing lubrication design.

Zeigler/Bailey says the unit will produce 300kW of power and 500Nm of torque, with a coil-per-cylinder ignition, in-house billet throttle bodies and velocity stacks, and almost 1800 handcrafted parts forming an advanced, yet repeatable design to power its Porsche G-Series 911-based vehicles.

The Zeigler/Bailey Z/B 4.4, as it is officially known, is built on a bespoke platform with adjustable coil-over front and independent push-rod rear suspension, a Getrag five-speed manual transmission, limited-slip differential, and body panels crafted from carbon-fibre and steel.

It tips the scale at 1325kg (kerb), meaning performance is plentiful, while braking duties fall to Brembo steel rotors front and rear, with carbon ceramic stoppers offered optionally. The Z/B 4.4 rides on 17-inch forged billet aluminium and carbon-fibre hybrid wheels shod with very sticky rubber.

Inside, the nappa leather and tartan cloth seats are power adjustable, with carbon buckets offered optionally. The upholstery theme is continued on the dashboard and door cards, in a clear nod to the 1970s, while analogue instrumentation retains Porsche’s familiar format.

Elsewhere, the Z/B 4.4 offers an Alcantara headliner, titanium open-gate gear shift, a 9.0-inch touchscreen infotainment array with in-build data logger, reversing camera, Bluetooth connectivity, and six-speaker sound.

Zeigler/Bailey says it will build just 10 copies of the Z/B 4.4 each year to ensure its exclusivity.

The vehicle’s price tag is set to ensure it remains a thing of rarity, with a $1,600,000 sticker and a 12-month lead time placed on each example.