The Porsche 911 996 has just left on an expedition. It is the first water-cooled Adventure Range model, and Kalmar Automotive claims it is more affordable than the air-cooled 911. And it has the ground clearance of the Porsche Cayenne, which makes it a street-legal race car with no off-road limitations.
The team, which specializes in restoring sports cars and converting them into special purpose-built adventure vehicles, had the original air-cooled Kalmar RS, with the RS lettering standing for Rally Special, as a starting point.
The model was part of the Adventure Range lineup. Now, the RS-6, a water-cooled variant for the first time, comes to show what a classic sports car can do.
After 12 months of testing, the vehicle has finally made its debut. It was the first time that the RS-6 set its wheels outdoors, and it happened at the Arctic Circle for several laps around the frozen lakes and through forests of Lapland, dealing with temperatures as low as -35 degrees Celsius (-31 degrees Fahrenheit).
The RS-6 sports a lightweight construction, tipping the scales at 1,440 kilograms (3,175 pounds), which makes it capable both on the road and on rough terrain. It is capable of traversing mountain passes covered in snow and ice and arid deserts, but also of throwing itself, head first, into corners along winding roads.
Each conversion is carried out according to the customer's requests, and each is powered by the Mezger water-cooled Porsche flat-six engine. The procedure can be carried out on any 996-generation Carrera 2, Carrera 4, or Turbo versions, on both left- and right-hand drive. The car can be specced with either the six-speed manual or the Tiptronic auto box.
The modification starts with some extra oomph, which takes the output to at least 300 horsepower. Several tuning options, offered by Kalmar, can take it all the way to 500 horsepower. The limited-slip differential is standard.
The modded Porsche sports adjustable inverted shock absorbers that lift it to a whole 210-millimeter (8.3 inches) ground clearance. That is as much as the second-generation Porsche Cayenne has. The list includes a custom spring set, roll center adjusting subframe kit, engineered top mounts, upgraded driveshafts, and a strut brace.
Photo: Porsche
An optional adaptive shock absorber upgrade with continuously monitored valving and adjustment depending on the surface is also available. Customers can also check the box for the hydraulic lift shock absorbers, which allows them to lower the height by 50 millimeters at the press of a button or lift it back up when going off-road in just a few seconds.
The car rides on 16-inch narrow alloy wheels with either all-terrain tires or World Rally Championship-style spiked Michelin winter tires.
There is also a roof-mounted survival kit for when things go south in the wild. The company can even come up with a custom livery according to the customer's preferences.
But what comes standard is the thick underbody protection with additional shielding for the front-mounted water-cooled system. A set of Recaro sports or race bucket seats will be on board, together with a roll cage.
The model, looking rugged and ready for any adventure, is now available for order. Conversion starts at 45,000 euros, which is the equivalent of $49,031 on top of the price of the car. Donor cars are available at a lower cost.
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