CUTTING-EDGE CHASSIS TECH, ADAPTIVE ALL-WHEEL DRIVE and a record-breaking top speed helped the Porsche 959 earn instant icon status. Designed to form the basis of a Group B rally car, it was the epitome of automotive engineering excellence in its day. Now, just shy of four decades since the 959 made its debut at the 1985 Frankfurt motor show, Estonian firm Kalmar Automotive has unveiled its own, modern take on Porsche's ground-breaking supercar.
Named the 9X9, it will be offered in three distinct forms, with just nine examples of each being built. Ranging from the 'standard' 9X9 to Sport and Leichtbau (lightweight) variants, the line-up is intended to offer something for almost every use case. The product of a three-year development programme, the 9X9 is said to blend the charm and attention to detail of contemporary coachbuilding with the benefits and performance of the very latest powertrain and chassis tech.
While you might therefore assume the 9X9 is based on the latest 992-generation 911, it in fact uses the 993 of the mid to late '90s as its starting point. Kalmar says this choice is primarily to make the homologation process easier, particularly in the US. While a near threedecade-old platform doesn't seem to go hand-in-hand with a cutting-edge, modern 959 alternative, the 9X9 is a long way from a 993 under the skin. A new spaceframe is added in order to improve rigidity, with subframes taken from the 992 to allow for considerably more flexibility when it comes to mounting the car's high-tech suspension. The entire electronically assisted steering system (column included), front-axle lift and even rear-wheel steering are taken from the 992, too.
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BEST BUYS BMW M CARS
THE PERFORMANCE CAR LANDSCAPE WOULD HAVE looked very different over the last five decades without BMW. Its M division, founded in 1972, has produced some of the best driver’s cars ever to hit the road, and in the process has provided a stream of benchmark models for its rivals to chase. In recent years, stricter emissions regulations, downsizing and electrification have seen some of those rival cars falter, yet by and large BMW’s M machines have remained strong. In fact, some rank among the greatest the department has made think of the eCoty-winning M2 CS and M5 CS while others are the only options worth recommending in their respective segments. Price tags have risen with performance, however, putting those latest offerings out of reach for many, but the marque’s popularity means there are numerous earlier M models available on the second-hand market for far more attainable figures. Here are four of our favourites.
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