Marsien: A Limited Production 959-Inspired Desert Runner
Dubbed the ‘Ultimate Adventure Supercar,’ the $750k work-of-art Marsien promises uncompromising on and off-road performance.
When Porsche released the 959 back in 1986, the car had one agenda: set the performance standard for ages to come. The emerging supercar market at the time was at a crossroads and Porsche made sure their claim to dominance was heard.
The fastest and most advanced sports car ever created at the time of its release, the 959 would shape Porsche’s future into the new millennium. Nowadays, the vehicle is unanimously viewed as a bonafide legend of automotive engineering.
What if we told you that an emerging tuning company was shooting their shot at creating the modern equivalent of the 959? Well, look no further than the Marsien (French for Martian) by Marc Philipp Gemballa, son of late Porsche specialist Uwe Gemballa.
Built to redefine the concept of a modern-day supercar, the Marsien takes note from its inspiration to create a magical driving experience both on and off road. Its neo-retro styling looks absolutely stunning and a lot of work has gone into the details of development.
Future Is Now–and it Ain’t Cheap
The Marsien was previously codenamed Project Sandbox. It was foremost tested on the breathtaking dunes of the Arabian desert. With only 40 units to be built (half already sold before launch), the new model seeks to be even more exclusive that then original 959.
At the core of the Masien is a 2021 Porsche 992 Turbo S (not included in the base price). So as you might imagine, performance is not the only thing that is astronomical about this car. The Marsian upgrade to your Turbo S will run a cool $583,000 USD on top of the $180,000 base price.
As half are already sold, it seems that price is not an issue for serious buyers who are willing to pay handsomely for an out of this world driving experience.
Well what exactly makes this thing so special and worthy of that value? Let’s explore a couple of the key features that make this vehicle standout.
KW, Akrapovic & RUF Collaboration
Undoubtedly, the first thing that any individual notices about the Marsien is the beautifully sculpted body. Built entirely of Formula 1-quality carbon fiber, the design is both futuristic while still echoing the original features of 959.
While most of the design was done in house, several other companies helped turn this dream into a reality. On the engine side, RUF assisted in boosting the already potent Turbo S flat-six to a whopping 750 HP and 685 ft/lbs of torque.
As if that wasn’t enough, there is also a second upgrade level which pushes power to 830 HP thanks to upgraded turbos and tuning. This upgrade package still complies with strict European emissions regulations. That’s impressive.
Project partner Akrapovic also supplied a full titanium exhaust for each model, releasing the glorious flutters of the turbos while dropping the overall weight of the rear end.
Unique Double Wishbone Suspension
The most important part of any on-off road vehicle is the suspension. For this experts KW Suspension were called in to help make a system robust enough to handle heinous traction conditions.
They created a completely bespoke double wishbone front suspension system with active damping control as well as adjustable ride height. From dunes to pavement in no time.
Thankfully, there is full underbody protection via aluminum skid plates for those owners who do decide to thrash the Marsien off-road as intended.
Although not the star of the show, the interior also is very elegant whilst decked in carbon fiber and alcantara, featuring a variety of unique details such as a Carrera GT-style middle console.
We really do appreciate the time and effort that was put into this new supercar. While the price might be somewhat extreme, there really is no other product on the market like it and the niche is there.
So is this the prodigal son of the ground-breaking 959? Maybe not exactly, but damn does it look special (we’ll take one in white).
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