Kalmar Automotive is a Porsche coachbuilder that offers the classic-looking 7-97 starting at around $550,000 and the much wilder, 959-inspired 9X9 that begins at about $2.2 million. The 9X9 debuted at The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering, during Monterey Car Week in 2024. Since then, the company has been preparing the production version of its new model.
The 9X9 is available in three trims. The standard version has a turbocharged 930-horsepower 3.8-liter flat-six engine and a PDK dual-clutch gearbox with all-wheel drive. The Sport trim has a turbocharged 3.0-liter flat-six with 650 horsepower. Finally, the Leichtbau uses a naturally aspirated 4.0-liter with 530 hp and a six-speed manual gearbox powering only the rear wheels. The company only plans to make a total of 27 of them – nine of each version.
The 9X9 Takes On Europe
In November, company founder Jan Kalmar completed a 1,864-mile (3,000-kilometer) journey across Europe in a 9X9 prototype. The goal was to test the vehicle on public roads to achieve the vehicle’s ambition of being a usable road vehicle while offering hypercar levels of performance.
Kalmar did the drive in just three days. The trip took him from Turin, Italy, to Paris, France. Then, he hopped across the English Channel to London, England, for the 9X9’s unveiling for the British press, including a media test drive. After that, he returned to France to visit the company’s engine builder, Lorrtech. The last bit of the journey was to Alès, France, where additional vehicle testing was about to begin.
The 9X9 has cruise control and an adaptive suspension, making it comfy on long road trips. Although, this one didn’t have a heater, which probably made for a chilly drive when the temperatures dropped as low as 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 Celcius) while traveling through the Alps.
“Thanks to an amazing all-wheel-drive system and stability management system, the drive over the Alps was uneventful,”
This 9X9 prototype wasn’t flawless along the way. A water hose broke on London’s M25 orbital road, and Kalmar had to mend things himself. Another headache occurred when a badly calibrated fuel level sensor caused the car to run out of gas. He was just 13.7 miles from the finishing point in France and had to call someone to bring him some extra fuel. Kalmar also wants to improve the in-cabin sound levels.
Even More Testing Of The 9X9
Kalmar also took the 9X9 to the Nürburgring in November to participate in the regular industry pool times for vehicle testing. The team wasn’t trying to set any records, though. The track was wet, and the crew didn’t allow the test driver to use the curbs or go through the banked Karussell corner. Also, this 9X9 had a reduced engine output from the 930 horsepower from the production model. Kalmar expects the final vehicle to be capable of a seven-minute lap around the Nordschleife.
Kalmar is working on the first production-spec 9X9s now. Look for deliveries to start in 2025.
TopSpeed’s Take
The Kalmar 9X9 is an intriguing vehicle because it’s a modern version of the classic 959. The development work isn’t done yet, but the car is shaping up to be something special.
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