Kalmar brings its bespoke 911s to US with help from Canepa

Kalmar Automotive is a Danish company that specializes in restomodding Porsche 911s, particularly the 993 generation. It’s now teamed up with California’s Canepa to enter the U.S. market, starting with its 7-97 Classic.

Kalmar’s 7-97 range, which includes the Classic coupe, plus Cabriolet, Targa, and rugged RS-R variants, is built from either a 964- or 993-generation 911. The range takes inspiration from the original 911 S/T from the 1970s, and honors Joest Racing’s number 7 Porsche LMP that won outright at the 1997 24 Hours of Le Mans, hence the “7-97” name.

The version bound for the U.S. is known as the 7-97 C1 (Canepa 1), to signify the partnership with Canepa which has been named Kalmar’s sole representative in North America. The first example is already on display at Canepa’s showroom in Scotts Valley, California, and more will be shipped out in the coming months.

Rather than chasing outright performance, Kalmar’s builds tend to focus on delivering an engaging, analog driving experience that’s absent in many modern sports cars, much like what fellow 911 restomodder Singer does. There’s also an extreme attention to detail that you won’t find on most modified 911s. For example, Kalmar’s team removes the rain gutters from the donor 911 and redesigns the decklid to give the car a more streamlined look that, according to Kalmar, reduces both drag and wind noise.

Most of the body panels are carbon fiber, helping to drive down the weight of the car to just 2,500 pounds. That’s for a rear-wheel-drive configuration, but the 7-97 C1 is being offered with all-wheel drive as standard, meaning a slightly heavier weight of 2,675 pounds. Even lighter versions are available should the customer desire.

Power comes from an air-cooled 4.0-liter flat-6 rated at a maximum 401 hp and hooked to a 6-speed manual transmission. The engine is a work of art on its own thanks to Kalmar’s bespoke air intake system. The engine also benefits from items like a crankshaft from a 997-generation 911 GT3, drive-by-wire individual throttle bodies, and mechanical lifters.

Other performance features of the 7-97 C1 include adaptive suspension, carbon-ceramic brake rotors, and a traction control system with an available Sport mode.

Inside, the car comes with Recaro sports seats and leather trim that extends all the way to the door sills and is also found in the front trunk. Modern conveniences include a Bluetooth audio system, rain sensing wipers, power steering, and air conditioning. Kalmar can also add airbags with an external surface designed to match the original dashboard.

Kalmar said it builds no more than 12 examples of its 7-97 per year for worldwide sale. It means the wait time for a car might be a long one.