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KALMAR CS-R

The Radical Adventurer

‘R’ for radical and true in every sense of the word, the KALMAR CS-R is the ultimate off-road SUV, capable of traversing the most extreme terrains known, and unknown, to mankind. Built for adventure, the CS-R is unique in its ability to explore the unmapped wilderness yet still achieve on-road comfort and excellent ride quality.

Based on the first-generation Porsche Cayenne originally created in 2003 as a modern-day agility car, it was chosen due to its air suspension and strong low-range drivetrain suited for optimum off-roading and of course exemplary as-standard engineering. However, the Adventure Range conversion by KALMAR Automotive exceeds its standard specification, elevating it with the artisanal craftsmanship of the KALMAR engineers to create a vehicle that can explore ultra-remote, under-documented areas of the world, still in complete comfort and safety.

The KALMAR CS-R’s precise specifications are defined by the customer to adapt it to match their vision. From additional storage space for overland endurance driving supplies through to a stripped rear interior compartment to keeping the convenient five-seat configuration for more practical everyday use, the KALMAR CS-R is built to fulfil the ultimate dream. The KALMAR CS-R is for those with a penchant for hardcore off-road driving, made possible by the increased ground clearance and added underbody protection. It won’t blend well into the urban background or go unnoticed, but it provides the perfect blend of on-road ability and supreme off-road performance.

KALMAR Automotive’s team goes to great lengths to ensure the CS-R is still a usable car on-road. The unique on- and off-road ability of the CS-R is the base that provides the initial package on which to build, and more importantly, enhance the capabilities of this very special and bespoke hand-crafted vehicle. If a donor car is available with the rare off-road technology package and dynamic chassis control elements, the result is an unrivalled basis for a superb on- and off-road vehicle. By radically reducing the weight of the notoriously heavy first-generation cars by almost 300 kg, even with the added safety protection elements, the team has achieved this by going to extreme lengths.

Optimum ground clearance levels are achieved through bigger tyres, a mechanical suspension lift and a subframe drop to retain workable angles of suspension and driveshafts – all without losing its impeccable Porsche handling DNA.

With thousands of kilometres of testing and experiencing the KALMAR CS-R on automotive expeditions around the world, the CS-R is built to fulfil the ultimate adventure. Focusing on ground clearance, safety, and underbody protection, yet still able to retain its comfort and speed levels on tarmac, this is a skill that no other car can match.

Perfectly and expertly built to exact specifications as per customer needs and desires, each KALMAR Automotive car is hand-made and optimised to excel on- and off-road.

The Exterior

Although based on the same model range but an earlier generation, the KALMAR CS-R differs greatly from its sibling, the KALMAR CS. With the additional underbody protection and further ground clearance, the extreme lift of up to 15 cm above the standard car in its highest mode is achieved via an in-house-developed subframe drop coupled to the spaced air suspension units.

The purposeful exterior appearance is further enhanced by significantly larger tyres that perform excellently off-road, but keep the car perfectly useable on-road, too. Combined with the modified front and rear bumpers, the car has a very different visual impact, a style that won’t go unnoticed. Further additions come in the form of auxiliary lighting that is a necessity in the depths of the wilderness, whether looking for wildlife in Africa or navigating a narrow pass through the Caucasus Mountains.

While the KALMAR CS-R is efficient as an everyday vehicle, it certainly won’t blend well into the urban jungle. With its perfect combination of on-road ability and supreme off-road performance, it makes it an unmissable companion for any extreme adventure.

The customer-selected unique livery also does nothing to help to hide in populated areas but will make the car stand out where it feels at home, far away from the ordinary tarmac roads.

The Interior

With the KALMAR CS-R’s fully bespoke options, the prime objective of the interior is to keep it as comfortable as possible but add usability when far from civilisation, and the all-important weight reduction is the key ingredient. With the car’s original interior fully stripped, over 400 kg of surplus equipment is removed to create the blank canvas necessary for the customisation possibilities. Original carpet and noise insulation are also removed to free up space and improve the serviceability and ease of cleaning.

Two-, three-, and five-seat configurations are possible for the KALMAR CS-R. The ‘base’ version, offering a two-seat configuration, opens a huge space in the back to accommodate all sorts of equipment needed when exploring far off the beaten track. The three-seat configuration, available with a centre-fitted rear seat, is based on previous KALMAR team experience gathered from the original KALMAR CS, utilised for its record-breaking Cape-to-Cape ‘Longest Drive’. Lastly, and if required, the CS-R can also accommodate its natural five-seat configuration, allowing the car to carry up to five people if necessary. The KALMAR team has also created its own custom, hybrid seats, where a combination of OEM and Recaro seats shaves 56 kg off per seat while still offering additional support to make extreme long journeys comfortable.

Finding scope for the weight reduction process isn’t easy, and no stone has been left unturned in the effort to create the ultimate overland explorer. Items such as a lightweight lithium battery, redesigning the exhaust system, removing most of the in-car entertainment system and reducing the number of plastic parts both in- and outside of the car allow the specialist KALMAR engineers to integrate their own-developed navigation and communication units instead, as well as other essential equipment to support the crew on long treacherous journeys.

Additional equipment has also been included, with refrigerators and additional fuel tanks two of many further options available, accommodating a longer driving range capacity and based on the KALMAR team’s extensive experience of adventure driving with these unique vehicles.

The Technical Specifications

For the team at KALMAR Automotive, it was important to create the KALMAR CS-R as a useable car that can be taken anywhere and accomplish anything. To that end, large parts of the original drivetrain – including the gearbox and differentials – remain fully original, so that the KALMAR CS-R is fully serviceable by any workshop capable of servicing a Porsche Cayenne.

There are several engine options available, both petrol and diesel, from the V6 normally aspirated version to the 500 hp turbo power unit. All KALMAR CS-R come with an ABS/PSM/PTM disable function for a truly analogue feel and makes the rally handbrake a very handy tool on loose surfaces.

The engineers at KALMAR Automotive have had to go far to achieve the ride height, comfort and performance. An all-new redesigned set of suspension arms were needed to keep the right wheel angles despite the significant lift, and the challenge to keep the larger tyres well hidden inside the bodywork, as many countries do not allow exposed tyres.

The tyres are a chapter on their own. The CS-R stands on 17-inch wheels and high profile tyres to have maximum traction and absorption when in sand and rocky conditions. The devil is in the details.

Whilst you can find higher lifted versions of the Cayenne elsewhere, the KALMAR CS-R has been developed to ensure the car can still provide high comfort quality and high-speed on-road performance. Stemming from years of suspension development experience that also carefully includes high attention to weight distribution – this is the combination that provides the next-level driving experience both on- and off-road, incomparable anywhere else.

Options

There is no limit as to how far the KALMAR Adventure Range specifications can go, and how extreme the climates are that it can venture.

The KALMAR CS-R provides a range of options for customers due to its unprecedented combination of both on- and off-road capabilities. A car that delivers plenty of performance on-road, but where top speed and acceleration rate are secondary to the ‘smiles per miles’, the CS-R’s off-road performance will keep impressing. This is a car that will keep adding chapters to the book of every owner’s adventures.

Standard Equipment

  • KALMAR-tuned standard engine
  • Full six to eight mm aluminium with cooling holes and air guides for vital underbody parts
  • Removal of plastic underbody panels
  • Mechanical lift kit
  • Roof rack with platform for two spare tyres
  • Roof-mounted LED Light bar
  • ABS Switch
  • Fully stripped interior with cargo area in rear and new Recaro off-road seats