- Kalmar’s latest Porsche-based creation is the 9X9, a radically made-over 993 coupe inspired by the 1980s 959 supercar.
- Comfort, sport and lightweight configurations deliver between 523 hp and 917 hp from 992-gen naturally-aspirated and turbo’d powerplants.
- Nine examples of the three different variants are planned, priced from around $2.1 million.
Porsche specialists used to be content to throw a ducktail and a longer hood on an 1980s 911, slap a $50k sticker in the window and wait for the orders to roll in.
But these days they’re way more ambitious, dreaming up Porsches that the Stuttgart automaker never actually made, but might have done in a parallel universe, and charging millions of dollars for the privilege of ownership. Two such cars made their global debut at Monterey this week, including this, the Kalmar 9X9.
More: Tuthill GT One Is A Modern Take On The Porsche 911 GT1, Limited To 22 Units
It’s unfortunate for Denmark’s Kalmar that it premiered its car on the very same day that Tuthill unveiled the even more sensational GT One, which you can read about by clicking the link above. But the 9X9 still demands your attention, not to mention a huge amount of respect for the engineering that’s gone into it.
Like Tuthhill’s car, the 9X9 is loosely based on a mid-1990s 993-generation 911 and receives an entirely new carbon-fiber bodyshell. But while the the GT One takes its inspiration from the road car Porsche was forced to build to homologate its 1998 Le Mans-winning 911 GT1, the 9X9 tips a hat to the wildest Porsche from the decade before, the 959.
There appears to be almost nothing left of the 993 donor, because in addition to the new carbon body, the 9X9 features double-wishbone pushrod front suspension, optional rear-axle steering, adaptive dampers, titanium brake calipers and carbon fiber rotors. The engine and transmission tech is also contemporary, being lifted from the 992, but with a ton of horsepower added.
Kalmar is offering the 9X9 in three very different forms. The fastest and most powerful is called simply 9X9 and comes equipped with all-wheel drive, a seven-speed PDK dual-clutch transmission and a 3.8-liter flat-six from a 992 Turbo S. But instead of delivering the same 641 hp (650 PS) as a stock S, Kalmar’s version whips up 917 hp (930 PS) for a claimed 2-second zero to 62 mph (100 kmh) time.
The 9X9 Sport delivers a less insane 641 hp courtesy of a tuned 3.0-liter turbo engine from a 992 GTS and takes 3.7 seconds to hit 62 mph. But it’s also lighter (1,300 / 2,866 lbs versus the bonkers version’s 1,375 kg / 3,031 lbs), and this time you get a choice of seven-speed manual or PDK.
And lastly, there’s the 9X9 Leichtbau (lightweight), which is like a backdated GT3. The 523hp (530 PS) naturally-aspirated 4.0-liter six comes from the 992 GT3 and it sends those ponies to the rear wheels alone via a six-speed manual transmission or optional PDK. Kalmar says it weighs just 1,250 kg (2,756 lbs) and does 62 mph in 3.5 seconds.
One thing all three versions share is a crazy amount of downforce – a claimed 1,480 kg (3,263 lbs) peak figure is quoted, though Kalmar doesn’t state what speed it needs to generate it. For some context a stock 992 GT3 RS only makes 860 kg (1,896 lbs) at 184 mph (296 kmh).
Kalmar says it will build nine examples of each version, and by the time customers take delivery they’ll have parted with at least $2.1 million, we hear.
