Marsien Turbo-Based 911 arrives to fight singer’s ACS

In February, Marc Phillipp Gemballa – a new company founded by the son of the late Uwe Gemballa who ran the Porsche tuner of the same name – teased a rally ready machine powered by a Ruf engine, provisionally named “Project Sandbox”. This week we get our first glimpse of it, and it has since been given a more formal nickname: Marsien.

Yes, in this case Marsien is meant to refer to “Martian”. Well like ACS of the singer, this Porsche is a tribute to the Dakar 959 rally car that combined cutting-edge technology with rock-solid durability.

Marc Phillipp Gemballa uses a 992-gen 911 Turbo S as a car donor with these builds, but it replaces a lot of them. The body panels, for example, are all replaced with new carbon fiber ones. The original MacPherson struts are discontinued in favor of double wishbones.

And then there’s the engine. By the time Ruf’s six flat mavens are done with, he’s developing 740 horsepower and 685 lb-ft of torque. However, you can get more if you want; an option increases power to 818 HP. Marc Phillipp Gemballa says it’s good enough to get the car to 60 mph in 2.6 seconds – on asphalt, anyway.

Each Marsien will come with two sets of wheels and tires, one of which is designed for off-roading. The Marsien doesn’t seem to ride as high as the ACS, or seems adept at clearing the same ground with its longer overhangs and more road-oriented handling down the bumper. However, drivers have the option of increasing the ride height from 4.7 inches to 9.8 inches with the push of a button, thanks to a hydraulic system.

Le Marsien wears his inspiration on his sleeve. The rear spoiler integrated into the body is an obvious callback to the 959, especially when painted white. Marc Phillipp Gemballa will however allow you to have your Marsien in literally the color you want, or no color at all if you prefer to go the unpainted carbon fiber route. With the company planning a run of just 40 cars priced at around $ 583,000 each (which doesn’t include the price of the 911 Turbo, be warned), it’s fair to assume that each of these will look very , very unique.