Debuting at Pebble Beach, the GT takes the Marsien’s basic recipe and points it firmly down the highway. Think of it as the continental-crossing version: lower, sharper and engineered for long-distance road performance, but still carrying the visual drama of the original. A new double-wishbone suspension, KW’s electronically controlled DDC dampers and a 60mm nose lift aim to make everyday roads considerably less adventurous. There is nothing particularly sedate about what’s under the carbon, either. RUF has helped develop the twin-turbo flat-six, good for more than 830bhp and 930Nm, while an optional upgrade promises 900-plus horsepower. Akrapovič supplies a titanium quad exhaust, because grand touring apparently still requires an appropriate soundtrack.

The project also continues a rather special technical lineage. RUF previously worked with Marc’s late father, Uwe Gemballa, on Porsche-based powertrains in the 1980s. The GT arrives as Marc Philipp Gemballa marks what would have been his father’s 70th birthday, with only 30 examples planned, bringing total Marsien production to 70 cars. So, from Dakar to the Côte d’Azur, the Marsien has learned to travel in style.