Gemballa
Logo Gemballa GmbH
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| Type | Public |
|---|---|
| Industry | Automotive |
| Founded | (1981) 2010 |
| 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 buy the brand rights and name rights from Gemballa in August 2010 under the new name GEMBALLA GmbH.[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.
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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 911 (997) GT2. Like the title suggests, it produces about 800 bhp (600 kW) thanks to two turbochargers and highly modified engine components. There are pictures and information released at www.gemballa.com, the Gemballa GmbH 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 Gemballa MIG-U1 is based on the Ferrari Enzo, for a limited numbers. It is a custom made car for Mustafa and Ilyas Galadari from Dubai: Their initials form the Name "MIG". [3]
The 2011 Gemballa Mistrale, based on the Porsche Panamera Turbo, has 721 hp. Only 30 will be built.[4]
In 2012, due to homologation rules, Gemballa built two versions of McLaren MP4-12C, including one road-going model and one GT3 race version (under Gemballa Racing division label) destined for FIA GT3 European Championship.
Current Gemballa cars
The actual Gemballa cars are predominantly based on Porsche and McLaren cars:
- Gemballa Avalanche based on Porsche 997 [5]
- Gemballa Tornado based on Porsche Cayenne [6]
- Gemballa GT Aero 1/2/3 based on Porsche Cayenne [7]
- Gemballa Mirage GT based on Porsche Carrera GT
- Gemballa Mistrale based on Porsche Panamera [8]
- Gemballa GT based on Porsche 991 [9]
- Gemballa GT based on McLaren MP4-12C [10]
- Gemballa MP4-12C GT3 based on McLaren MP4-12C GT3 (under Gemballa Racing division label)
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.[11] It is suspected that his murder was a result of a money laundering operation which turned against him.[12] On October 29, 2010 Thaibiso Mpshe, 28, from Pretoria, was convicted for the murderer of Uwe Gemballa in Johannesburg. He was sentenced to 20 years in prison. [13]
Gemballa Racing (2011-present)
Gemballa established its racing division called Gemballa Racing in 2011, using McLaren MP4-12C GT3 vehicles instead of Porsches. They are scheduled to race in FIA GT3 European Championship in 2012.[14]
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
- ^ Gemballa MIG-U1
- ^ Arnold, Ben (August 2011). "2011 Gemballa Mistrale". Road & Track 62 (12): 38. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
- ^ Topspeed.com, 2010 Gemballa Avalanche GTR 750 EVO-R Retrieved: 2012-10-31
- ^ GTspirit.com, Dubai 2011: Gemballa Tornado Retrieved: 2012-10-31
- ^ automobilesreview.com, Gemballa Aero 2 Kit: Retrieved: 2012-10-31
- ^ GTspirit.com, Monaco 2011: Retrieved: 2012-10-31
- ^ GTspirit.com, Geneva 2012: Retrieved: 2012-10-31
- ^ GTspirit.com, Geneva 2012: Retrieved: 2012-10-31
- ^ "Uwe Gemballa Found Dead In South Africa". jalopnik.com. Retrieved 2010-10-03.
- ^ "Uwe Gemballa Found Dead In South Africa".
- ^ "Gemballa South African murder man convicted".
- ^ Healey, Tim (August 22, 2011). "Gemballa To Field Two Racing McLaren MP4-12C GT3s In 2012". MotorAuthority. High Gear Media. Retrieved April 10, 2012.
