First deliveries of Marc Philipp Gemballa’s offroad-ready supercar, the Marsian, will begin later this year, with the creation based on the “almost sold out” limited-edition Porsche 911.
The 740bhp Marsien is based on the latest Porsche 911 Turbo S and draws inspiration from the radical Porsche 959 that achieved success on the Paris-Dakar Rally in the 1980s.
Ten Launch Edition models were sold out ahead of its unveiling, and the company has now confirmed that the remaining 30 are nearly all reserved. Final construction locations are being discussed with potential buyers.
Marc Philipp Gemballa is the son of the late Uwe Gemballa, whose own independent tuning company, Gemballa, was well known for its extravagant modified versions of Porsche cars, primarily the 911.
Le Marsien is currently being approved for European, Middle Eastern and American markets.
Marc-Philip Gemballa has already called his project an “unbelievable success”, with the cars selling out at “lightning speed”.
Formerly known as Project Sandbox, the Marsien takes its name from the French word for Martian, inspired by the Mars-like sand dunes of the United Arab Emirates desert, where the car was developed.
Tuning expert Ruf also got his hands on the supercar, upgrading the six-cylinder engine to produce 740 hp and 686 lb-ft of torque, allowing it to sprint from 0-62 mph in 2.6 seconds.
Customers can even opt for a ‘stage two’ upgrade that again boosts output to 819bhp, thanks to the addition of upgraded turbochargers, revised engine mapping and transmission changes.
Marc Philipp Gemballa said the engine still complies with the latest Euro 6 emissions regulations.
Prices for the conversion start at €495,000 (around £423,000), while the entry-level 911 Turbo S starts from £161,000 in the UK. Once options and taxes are added, Marsien buyers will likely face a bill well north of £600,000.
The base 911 Turbo S received a number of radical modifications to make it capable of tackling rough terrain. The suspension is fully bespoke and supplied by specialist KW Automotive, who have fitted double wishbones up front with solid piston damper technology and intelligent active damper control.
The dampers are said to react to conditions in 20 milliseconds, and drive modes for gravel, mud, sand and snow have been added to those already provided by Porsche for on-road driving.
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Source: www.autocar.co.uk
This notice was published: 2022-04-26 10:27:00
