The eye-catching Porsche 911 Turbo S-based Marsien from Marc Philipp Gemballa was recently showcased at the Concours d’Eleganza Villa d’Este on the shores of Lake Como. It may not have been the most outlandish vehicle at the event but it certainly caught the eyes of many.
As mentioned, the car is based around the 911 Turbo but the Porsche’s 3.8-liter twin-turbo flat-six has been modified by RUF and now pumps out 740 hp. However, those customers who want a little extra grunt can have those figures increased to 818 hp and 686 lb-ft (930 Nm). The Marsien can sprint to 62 mph (100 km/h) in just 2.6 seconds and a 205 mph (330 km/h) top speed.
Read More: Marc Philipp Gemballa’s Marsien Is An 830 HP, $700k Off-Road Porsche 911
Power and performance figures like these are not uncommon for a tuned 911. What makes the Marsien intriguing is the fact that it was conceived as a successor to the Porsche 959 that raced in the Paris-Dakar rally.
With this in mind, the Marsien has a special suspension system brought to life by KW that features a double-wishbone setup at the front, solid-piston dampers with intelligent active damper control, and the ability to raise the suspension from its stock height to give the car 250 mm (9.8-inches) of ground clearance. The vehicle has also been configured with Gravel, Mud, Sand, and Snow modes and will be sold with both on-road and all-terrain tires.
The bodywork of Gemballa’s Marsien is also all new and made from lightweight carbon fiber. It gives the vehicle a dramatic new look yet still remains recognizable as a 911-based model. The rear end is probably the most intriguing part of the design thanks to the wing that is seamlessly incorporated into the bumper.
Marc Philipp Gemballa intends on selling 40 examples of the Marsien, each with a starting price of €494,500 ($585,000), but that doesn’t include the price of the donor 911 Turbo S.