porsche 959

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The return of Gemballa?

If names like 911 Extremo, Avalanche, Mirage GT, or MIG-U1 ring a bell, you probably know Uwe Gemballa’s creations from the past, back in the Eighties two famous families already partnered up to create some of the world’s most impressive Porsche engines, Uwe Gemballa and Alois Ruf … today these families join forces again.

Uwe’s son, Marc Philipp Gemballa (not associated with Gemballa GmbH) set up his own company to create an off-road capable sportscar based on the Porsche 992 Turbo S, and he’s going to partner up with RUF Automobile GmbH for the creation of an upgraded engine … the Porsche sourced six-cylinder boxer unit will be tuned to deliver over 750 hp and 970 Nm of torque.

This new Marc Philipp Gemballa GmbH car is called the ‘Sandbox Project, powered by RUF’, and while the car hasn’t been officially launched on the market, ten units are already sold simply based on 3D-renders. This will be the first project from this young entrepreneur takes the famous Porsche 959 ‘Paris-Dakar’ racecar and reimagines it as a new off-road supercar.

“We enjoy working with my father’s trusted business partners. Many of them rank among today’s leading suppliers in the automotive industry, and in addition to their decades of experience, they know the standards we strive for and perfectly understand what matters. My father trusted the technical expertise as well as the high-quality standards and the well-proven working methods of Alois Ruf. Consequently, the choice to partner with RUF Automobile for the engine development was a natural decision for us. I am pleased that we can continue this very special friendship and partnership”, says Marc Philipp Gemballa

An official World Premiere is scheduled for Spring 2021, but only 40 units will be built of the Sandbox, powered by RUF, and the initial ten units are even more special ‘Launch Edition’ models, these are all sold out already, only the remaining 30 units are still available … no MSRP has been listed, however.

Marc, now 27, starts a new era with his company Marc Philipp Gemballa GmbH, exactly ten years after his father, Uwe Gemballa passed away, being raised with supercars around him, he worked at companies like Aston Martin, Mercedes-Benz, and Porsche … but now he intends to create the next evolution of supercars, not just a focus on extreme high hp figures, or being the fastest on the ‘Green Hell’ track … his Sandbox vision is a supercar that can be taken off-road … just like the legendary Porsche 959 Paris-Dakar cars.

After two years of development, he created a contemporary supercar with an almost timeless design, offering comfort and daily driving possibility for a road car that can be taken off-road too, to build his vision Marc gets the support of his father’s worldwide network of clients, dealers, suppliers, and partners. Alan Derosier as a designer, KW Automotive for the suspension, RUF Automobile for the engine work, Michelin to supply the tires, world-renowned Akrapovič for the exhaust, VELA Performance as an engineering partner, and KLK Motorsport as aerodynamic specialists.

February 18, 2021 / Comments Off

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1988 Porsche 959 Komfort

RM Sotheby’s once again fails to disappoint. Up for auction on its lost is this svelte 1988 Porsche 959 Komfort. It’s believed to be one of just 20 to 25 bespoke units that came out of Porsche’s “Special Wishes.”

That department specifically caters to the automaker’s top clientele who want to go above and beyond just the available specs and modifications. In a way, it’s the special “menu” accessed only by Porsche’s very important clients.

The car above, as mentioned, is one of them. Dr. Friedrich Christian Flick owned this bespoke masterpiece. Born into an lineage of a prominent German family, Flick amassed one of the world’s most significant art collections, comprised of around 2,500 prized works by artists. It’s no wonder, then, how he acquired a taste for the delicate, the sublime. He ordered Porsche to coat the car in black, among other things. It’s one of the only three in that color.

Then he asked that every interior surface covered in leather — even the air vents and electronic window switches — and his wishes were Porsche’s command. He also opted for sports seats with an electric height adjustment, a caramel brown interior motif, heated front seats, and an alarm system. The car comes with a special CDR-210 radio, exclusive at the time, and a special steering wheel featuring the Crest. You’ll also find black carpeting and matching black stitching on the steering wheel and seats.

The car passed three pairs of hands since, but has been regularly maintained and serviced, according to RM Sotheby’s.

ON AUCTION

Photos courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

June 5, 2019 / Comments Off

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Would you pay this much for a Porsche 959 that ran into a tree?

Among the cars up for auction this week during Monterey Car Week is this 1987 Porsche 959 Komfort. The winning bid was expected to be between $450,000 and $550,000, but apparently potential buyers were a little iffy on it. It went for $425,000 instead. We really can’t imagine why.

Yet, as it turns out, if you look real close, you’ll notice some front end damage. As Car and Driver reports and Mecum confirms, it ran into a tree. To be more specific, the fully enclosed trailer it was being transported in broke free of its hitch and fired itself off the road into a tree. See, should’ve just driven the damn thing. Lord knows its next investment-seeking owner won’t.

As the above video from Mecum Auctions shows, the 959 can still move under its own power as long as what appears to be a Home Depot moving dolly is mounted near the right front wheel. Sorry, where the right front wheel used to be. That’s gone now, and the steering knuckle and brake rotor are no longer attached. But hey, the engine’s still in the back, so no worries there.

Only 294 units of the 959 Komfort were built, and this particular one has only 3,657 miles on it, which probably means the wildest journey it ever took was inside that trailer.

In case you’re wondering, and why wouldn’t you, a 1987 Porsche 959 Komfort that didn’t get flung into a tree was sold at auction earlier this year by RM Sotheby’s in Arizona for $1.16 million. Another sold in Monaco for the equivalent of $973,845. So yeah, that was an expensive hitch-up oopsie.

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August 24, 2018 / Comments Off

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Porsche to offer new 3D-printed parts for classic models

Sourcing replacement parts for classic cars is never easy, especially when it comes to small-volume models. Porsche is trying to come up with a workaround and is now offering a limited number of 3D-printed parts for some of its classic cars, including the 959 supercar from the ’80s. In total, Porsche will offer nine 3D-printed parts and is examining the possibility of 20 more. Porsche Classic offers roughly 52,000 parts for various models.

Only 292 Porsche 959s were ever built, meaning parts were in limited supply from the start. Porsche will use selective laser melting to create the release lever for the clutch. A light beam will melt steel powder, forming the part one layer at a time. The 3D-printed parts must meet the same requirements as the original components. That means resistance to oils, fuel, acid and light. Additionally, the parts must be pressure tested. The release lever can withstand several tons of pressure. Size and fitment are determined on test vehicles.

Porsche says it will use 3D printing for parts when supplies are either low or completely gone. Parts are reproduced using the original tooling. When those tools are available, new ones are sometimes created. For models like the 959, creating all-new tooling is cost prohibitive and inefficient, leading to the 3D-printing process.

Pricing on these new parts isn’t yet available, but you can pursue currently available products on the Porsche Classic website. Info and parts are available on models from the 356 to the Carrera GT. Just last month, Bugatti announced that the Chiron’s brake calipers would be 3D-printed. Expect more 3D-printed parts in the future.

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February 12, 2018 / Comments Off

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