Kalmar Automotive

There is no shortage of companies that reimagine Porsche 911s and the automotive scene today, seems to be saturated but in a good way, with car companies that focus on tastefully resto-modding classic Porsches and giving them a unique twist. Names like Singer, Theon, Gunther Werks, REEN, and Gembala are a handful, that come to mind. But how to stand out amidst so many? Dutch company, Kalmar Automotive may have the answer. In the summer of 2024, the company unveiled its most groundbreaking project yet – the Kalmar 9x9.

Porsche has a long history of rallying, and its lineage includes models like the iconic Porsche 953 – the original 911 Dakar. For the 992 generation, the German automaker decided to have another crack at the 911 Dakar formula. The rally-inspired 992 was produced in just 2,500 examples, and they are all sold out. That said, these 992 Dakar models started popping up on the auction sites for more than twice the original, $222,000 asking price. Most examples seen on classic.com cost north of $350k. But thankfully, there are plenty of alternatives to the Porsche 911 Dakar. It seems every other day we are getting an off-road version of the Porsche 911 from some company. Let’s suppose you are looking for something more affordable or closer to the original, 953 Dakar. In that case, there are a few companies out there, making fully-functional Porsche 911s that can easily tackle rough terrain while still being refined enough for daily use.

While the Monterey Car Week has already witnessed its fair share of automotive showstoppers, few have dared to redefine the custom aftermarket genre quite like the Kalmar 9X9 and the Tuthill GT1 this year. While the 911 restomod scene is quite mature, this trend is now extending to other iconic models from the Porsche stable. Kalmar Automotive based out of Denmark, is calling their latest creation, the "world’s first retro hypercar," a bold statement that perfectly captures the essence of this beast. Inspired by legendary cars of the past like the over-engineered 959 owing to that distinctive fixed rear wing, the 9X9 blends classic aesthetics and cutting-edge performance.

The Porsche 911 carries one of the most iconic and recognizable designs in the automotive world. The combination of simplicity, clever engineering, performance, and relative attainability has solidified it as the ultimate, daily-drivable sports car. Classic 911s, in particular, have a fanatic cult following. They are also some of the most popular platforms to be reimagined, which is why Porsche themselves have been playing catch up. Companies like Kalmar are taking the classic, air-cooled 911 formula and infusing it with modern tech while keeping the aesthetics and overall feel as close to the original form as possible.