Gemballa’s 959 Supercar Based On New Porsche 911 With 740-HP Ruf Engine

Few cars have captured the imagination of enthusiasts in the way that the Porsche 959 did. Fans have been calling for a successor to this legendary machine for a long time, but if Porsche won’t oblige, there are other specialists who will. Prolific Porsche tuner Gemballa has hinted at building an off-road capable Porsche 911 for some time but has also been working with Ruf to create the ultimate tribute to the iconic 959 rally car. The son of Uwe Gemballa, Marc Philipp Gemballa, is one of the protagonists of this story, and although details are still scant, we now know a little more about the endeavor, codenamed Project Sandbox.

The teaser image above shows what the project will look like and confirms that you can turn a Porsche 911 into something extreme with ease. Then again, Singer already did just that in its own, hyper-detailed way. But while that car relies on the styling cues of older Porsches, Project Sandbox will be based on a 992 911. It is expected to feature KW off-road suspension and Michelin all-terrain rubber, along with a mean yet functional body kit that includes a 959-inspired curved rear wing. There will also be a chunky rear diffuser with Akrapovic exhaust finishers for another hint of the project’s motorsport DNA.

The engine will be upgraded by RUF and is expected to pack north of 740 horsepower with up to 686 lb-ft of torque. Of course, AWD will be necessary to make this car any good on loose surfaces, and although performance claims haven’t been made in terms of acceleration, a 0-62 mph time of around three seconds flat should be easily achievable. Prices are yet to be confirmed too, and while all ten of the launch editions have already been accounted for, another 30 that are part of the initial production run, which is slated to begin this year, are still up for grabs.