A LEGENDARY Porsche sports car is set to be reimagined for the 21st century – some 37 years after it was first released.
The supercar is an icon of the 1980s and, at the time of its debut, was the world’s fastest street-legal car with a top speed of 197 mph.
The incredible Porsche 959 was sold between 1986 and 1993, and just 292 units were ever built – according to Porsche themselves.
Among the car’s famous owners included Bill Gates, the billionaire owner of Microsoft, comedian and Porsche aficionado Jerry Seinfeld, and even famous Ferrari F1 driver Eddie Irvine.
Now, in 2024, the 959 is a seldom seen collector’s item worth millions.
However, 959-ownership might be about to get a tiny bit easier – if you’re happy to sit behind the wheel of a high-class knock off.
That’s because engineering firm Kalmar Automotive from Estonia have revealed their own take on the iconic 959 – called the 9X9.
Set to be available in standard, Sport and Leichtbau forms, just nine examples of this extra special motor will be created as special tribute to one of history‘s most famous fast cars.
The top-spec of these will feature a bonkers 3.8-litre twin-turbo motor capable of delivering an eye-watering 930 bhp to all four wheels.
If that isn’t enough, the experts at Kalmar have tweaked the car’s bodywork to generate a claimed 1,450kg of downforce.
Possibly to keep things retro, the 9X9’s interior combines digital displays with analogue dials with both the navigation system and radio removed – although Bluetooth remains to allow for phone calls and media playback.
The company says each one will be coachbuilt to be totally unique, and that buyers can expect to take delivery in July 2025.
Jan Kalmar, the founder of Kalmar Automotive, said: “The 9X9 is Kalmar Automotive’s tribute to one of the greatest road-going sports cars of the millennia, enhanced to the highest possible degree that technology today allows.
“The result is our creation of a brand-new class of vehicle, retro-hyper-car.”
A similar project is being worked on to recreate the Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500 – one of the best-loved fast Fords.
Elsewhere, a seldom seen car brand is set to release a luxurious sports convertible in a bid to rival the likes of Ferrari and Bentley.
