Gemballa
 | |
| Company type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | 1981 |
| Headquarters | Leonberg, Germany |
Key people | Andreas Schwarz (CEO) |
| Products | Automobiles |
| Website | www.gemballa.com |
Gemballa is a tuning company based in Leonberg near Stuttgart, Germany, which was founded by, and named after, Uwe Gemballa in 1981. They provided aftermarket parts mainly for Porsche. In May 2010, the Gemballa factory was seized by German authorities and shut down following the disappearance of Uwe Gemballa who was later found dead. CEO Andreas Schwarz and investor Steffen Korbach were able to reopen the company in August 2010.[1]
A 600 hp (450 kW) Gemballa model held the lap record for road cars at the Nürburgring in the late 1990s once, and again in 2001 when Wolfgang Kaufmann lowered it to 7:32,52 min. It was since beaten by a Porsche Carrera GT, by less than a second.
Notable Gemballa cars
Based on a Porsche Carrera GT, Gemballa produced the Mirage GT. Rumors suggested that when the car was produced it would have upwards of 800 horsepower (600 kW); however, the Mirage GT's only performance modification is an exhaust system which boosts power to 645 hp (481 kW). At that time, company owner Uwe Gemballa said that a twin-turbo version of the Porsche Supercar was in the works. Modified Luxury & Exotics magazine described the car as "one of the finest automobiles we've ever featured."[2]
Gemballa Avalanche GTR800 EVO-R is a car based on the current 911 (997) GT2. Like the title suggests, it produces about 800 bhp (600 kW) thanks to two turbochargers and highly modified engine components. Not much information is available at the moment but there are some pictures released at www.gemballa.com, the Gemballa website.
Gemballa also has a modification based on the Porsche Cayenne Turbo. This produces around 750 brake horsepower. The modification is called GT 750 Aero 3. This modification is also available for the Cayenne's predecessor 955 model. The tune-up kit features exterior modification to enhance aerodynamic performance. Engine tuning is carried through revised turbochargers, coolers (oil and pressurized air IC) and a large collection of engine components including pistons and seals.
The latest model is the Gemballa MIG-U1, that is based on the Ferrari Enzo, for a limited numbers.
Death of Uwe Gemballa
On February 17, 2010, it was reported that Uwe Gemballa had gone missing in Johannesburg, South Africa while on a business trip. In October 2010, Uwe Gemballa was found shot dead in South Africa.[3] It is suspected that his murder was a result of a money laundering operation which turned against him[4].
Gemballa Racing (2011-present)
Gemballa has recently established its racing division called Gemballa Racing, but using McLaren MP4-12C GT3 instead of Porsches. They had scheduled to race in FIA GT3 European Championship next year.[5]
References
- ^ "Gemballa is back!". Top Speed. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
- ^ Modified Luxury & Exotics History in the Making, PP. 36 to 44, By Colum Wood. Photos by Joost Demuynck. Jan/Feb 2007
- ^ "Uwe Gemballa Found Dead In South Africa". jalopnik.com. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
- ^ "Uwe Gemballa Found Dead In South Africa".
- ^ "Gemballa To Field Two Racing McLaren MP4-12C GT3s In 2012".