Kalmar 9X9 first drive review

The 9X9 that Jan has just driven 800 miles from Turin to Chorleywood is the same prototype revealed at The Quail back in August. Built to ‘Turbo’ spec, it combines the lengthened body shell of a 993 with the 3.8-litre flat-six from a new 992 Turbo. Aided by bespoke intake and cooling systems, ceramic turbocharger bearings and a lightweight Inconel exhaust, it develops a staggering 930hp.

There’s more 992 hardware hidden beneath the carbon fibre composite panels, too. The Turbo’s PDK dual-clutch transmission and four-wheel-drive system are also carried across, along with technology such as active engine mounts and rear-axle steering. Weighing in at 1,410kg, the 9X9 can rocket to 62mph in just 2.0 seconds and reach 211mph. Jan also predicts a Nürburgring lap time of 6min 45sec on Michelin Cup 2R tyres – on par with a new 911 GT3 RS.

If the Turbo isn’t to your taste, Kalmar offers two further versions of its radical restomod. The 9X9 Sport uses a 650hp version of the 3.0-litre turbocharged engine in the current Carrera, alongside stiffer suspension and the option of a seven-speed manual gearbox. Then there’s the hardcore, driver-focused Leichtbau, with a 4.0-litre naturally aspirated motor from the 992 GT3, plus a six-speed manual ’box and rear-wheel drive. “Extreme weight reduction measures” mean it tips the scales at just 1,275kg.

I meet Jan at DK Engineering, the sole UK agent for the 9X9. Nothing lasts forever, they say, even cold November rain, but today’s deluge shows no sign of abating. Factor in high winds and waterlogged roads and you have conditions that would deter most hypercars from leaving their heated garages. Still, what better test for a Porsche that promises daily usability?

From the front, the 9X9 is unmistakably 992-derived, right down to that car’s dynamic PDLS headlights, while its chopped tail evokes the classic 959. Few would call it beautiful, but its aggressive air intakes and squat stance radiate a steely sense of purpose. Smeared in a thick layer of road grime, it resembles the sort of homologation special that flourished in the 1980s, when Group B rallying – for which the 959 was originally developed – was in its pomp. 

This work-in-progress prototype wears centre-lock alloy wheels (19 inches at the front, 20s at the rear), but Jan says production cars will have 959-style magnesium rims. The brakes are huge carbon-ceramic discs made by Carbo Brake in Germany, which are gripped by 3D-printed titanium calipers. Front suspension is by double wishbones and pushrods (“like a pure race car”) with a multi-link arrangement at the rear. TracTive adaptive dampers offer five levels of adjustment and can reduce the car’s ride height at high speeds – again, just like a 959. 

Despite being the most luxurious 9X9 derivative, the Turbo’s interior errs towards what Jan calls “Scandinavian minimalism”. Its simple dashboard blends 993 architecture with 992 switchgear, the analogue central tacho flanked by two digital screens that can mimic a classic 911 five-dial display. The driver and passenger are held in place by carbon fibre Recaro buckets, but the rear seats are replaced by a luggage shelf. Mod-cons include electric air conditioning and a cleverly hidden Bluetooth audio system.

Many of us would feel a tad trepidatious when driving a one-off, £1.7 million piece of “automotive haute couture” for the first time, particularly in weather that would make a duck swim for shelter. However, the 9X9 soon puts me at ease, its intuitive PDK gearbox and four-wheel traction conspiring to deliver swift, unflustered progress. The rear axle steering is a real boon when manoeuvring, too. 

So far, so 992 Turbo. But find a sufficiently long straight, bury your right foot and the Kalmar could make even a 650hp Turbo S disappear from its mirrors. Going back to our ‘Group B’ analogy, the eruption of boost feels like the dizzying, hedonistic rush delivered by rally cars of that era, just without the wait-for-it turbo lag. Oh, and with the welcome reassurance of PSM stability control. 

Since posing at Pebble Beach, this prototype 9X9 has covered 12,000 hard-driven miles on European roads and racetracks to hone its chassis setup. It shows. The nose turns in with caffeinated response and unwavering focus, feeling more like a GT3 RS than a Turbo. Its steering is lucid and direct, its chassis poised and precise. The trick dampers also help to counteract heave and body-roll without ruining the ride, which feels impressively supple on Hertfordshire’s broken B-roads.

Yes, for carving canyons in sunny California, a Sport or Leichtbau would probably be more fun. But right here and now, somewhere in the Home Counties, and in a climate that is decidedly more ‘British’, I’m glad to be driving the Turbo. Like its 992 namesake, it seems impervious to the conditions, with an ability to cover ground that is almost unmatched. Being able to keep both hands on the wheel, even when shifting manually via the paddles, also helps here, as do the modest dimensions of the 993-based body. 

My only real issue with the 9X9 concerns its brakes. While they hardly want for stopping power, the pedal feels abrupt and tricky to modulate. “Racing drivers love this setup,” Jan explains, “but it isn’t so well suited to the road.” Production cars will use a different master cylinder, I’m told, to provide a more progressive feel.

Kalmar’s “everyday hypercar” pitch initially sounded like an oxymoron, but it’s worth remembering that’s exactly what the Porsche 959 achieved. And while it didn’t have the aesthetic or visceral impact of the rival Ferrari F40, the 959’s status, both as a technological tour de force and a driver’s car, has only grown over time. 

The 9X9 reimagines (yep, there’s that word again) the 959 for the modern era, building on its performance and capability without losing sight of the original’s ethos. Many people will prefer a more traditional 911 restomod, and they will be spoilt for choice if so. Yet for offering an alternative take, with a knowing and respectful nod to the past, the Kalmar 9X9 deserves a place – alongside a real 959 – in your Porsche dream garage. 

Photography by Alex Penfold for DK Engineering