Photo: Manny Khoshbin | YouTube
Manny Khoshin met Marc Philipp Gemballa, the man who invented a new kind of supercar. One with off-road capabilities, that costs over half a million dollars. He built the Marsien, based on the Porsche 911 992 and inspired by the Porsche 959 rally car. It has more power than the 911 Turbo S and more ground clearance than the Porsche Cayenne.
The Marsien was on display at Monterey Car Week. Now, its creator, Marc Philipp Gemballa, has brought it into Manny Khoshbin’s driveway. With its sleek, aggressive silhouette, a leather, suede, exposed carbon fiber cabin, and roll cage, the car screams performance.
The one Marc Philipp brought is number 40 of 40, the last one to come off the assembly line, and it sports a unique paint job, which seems to change color depending on the light and the angle from which you look at it. None of the other 39 have it.
Marc is none other than the son of Uwe Gemballa, who founded a tuning company bearing his name in 1981. He is now the managing director of Marc Philipp Gemballa GmbH.
The company was shut down by authorities following the disappearance of Gemballa Sr. He was eventually found dead in South Africa. CEO Andreas Schwarz and investor Steffen Korbach purchased the rights to the brand and name in August 2010 and re-established the company as Gemballa GmbH.
Photo: Manny Khoshbin | YouTube
Uwe's son founded a company that bore his name and launched the impressive Marsien. The model is based on the 911 Turbo S and is inspired by the rally version of the Porsche 959. However, none of the original body panels were retained. There are 85 individual carbon fiber panels that make up the exterior.
The car sits 4.72 inches (12 centimeters) off the ground, but in off-road mode, ground clearance can go up to 9.84 inches (25 centimeters). For some context, the Porsche Cayenne Off-road It sits 8.2 inches (21 centimeters) above the ground. It feels like two cars for the price of one.
The model is built around a custom chassis, developed specifically for this by Kilogram Automotive. It features a custom double wishbone front suspension and a multi-link rear suspension optimized for off-road use. The car is equipped with an air compressor that helps the driver inflate and deflate the tires when driving off-road.
The name “Marsien” is a reference to the red sand deserts of the United Arab Emirates, where the prototype, codenamed Project Sandbox, was tested before going into production. The startup made just 40 of them, trying to keep them as exclusive as possible.
The Marsien is powered by a 3.7-liter boxer engine from the 911 Turbo S, with some upgrades from Ruf Automobile to pump out up to 880 horsepower. An eight-speed automatic transmission sends power to the rear wheels. That's enough for a 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) sprint in 2.6 seconds and a top speed of 208 mph (335 km/h).
However, the car that Marc Philipp brought to Manny has 830 horsepower. A custom Akrapovic titanium exhaust lets out all the drama of the boxer engine. The model is equipped with the original brake system and a central limited-slip differential.
The Marsien rolls off the production line in Neckar, Germany. Prices in Europe start at €495,000, which translates to $552,462.
