Germany’s Gemballa Reimagines Porsche Perfection
For 36 years, Gemballa has been pumping out some of the coolest tuned Porsches. Here’s the custom automaker’s latest and greatest.
If you’re a diehard Porsche fan, which obviously you are, you’ve undoubtedly heard of Gemballa. After all, the German-based tuner has been doling out tuned Porsche vehicles and parts since 1981. And unlike a lot of aftermarket companies, the company doesn’t just sell a bunch of parts. They offer a series of enticing re-engineered vehicle packages based on existing Porsche models. Right out of their Leonberg locale, right down the road from Stuttgart.
Gemballa’s roots actually lie in custom interior solutions for Porsche and BMW vehicles, an effort they began in 1979. Two years later, they were manufacturing aerodynamic parts for the 911, 924, and 928, as well as building complete vehicles for customers. Along the way, Gemballa developed a reputation for being ahead of its time. Heck, they used LED lighting in cars as early as 1982, and utilized rear-view cameras in place of mirrors as early as 1986.
Since then, Gemballa has continued to grow and expand its customer base. Today, the company is a fixture in the industry, and they continue to roll out exciting new interpretations of their custom creations. Not to mention offer a host of pretty cool performance parts. We’ll focus on their most current offerings here, which are most certainly worth a closer look.
Gemballa Avalanche
Gemballa dropped their very first Porsche 911-based Avalanche way back in 1985. And the latest version, which debuted at this year’s Geneva Auto Show, carries on the tradition of the original. Gemballa takes a stock 991 Turbo and affixes plenty of ultra-light carbon bodywork that gives the car a truly unique look. The Avalanche is also much wider than a stock 991, sporting 62mm more girth in the front and an additional 100mm out back.
All of that aggressive looking bodywork serves a functional purpose as well. The added width helps make room for 21×9 wheels up front and 21×11 hoops out back. Tires are meaty 255/30 ZR21 and 325/25 ZR21, respectively. Large vents increase airflow to keep the brakes cool, and the redesigned side skirts improve stability. Finally, the massive wing and diffuser help keep the whole thing glued to the ground.
Unlike a lot of show cars, the Gemballa wasn’t content with the Avalanche serving as nothing more than a styling exercise. In fact, they’ve massaged the 3.8 liter flat-six to the point where it produces an astounding 820 hp by way of reworked heads and valves, upgraded turbocharger system, intake manifolds, and sport exhaust. So far, the company is mum on numbers. But suffice it to say, the Avalanche is going to be mighty quick.
Gemballa Mirage GT
It isn’t every day that you see a tuner version of the venerable Porsche Carrera GT. Mostly because the limited production supercar is an incredible piece of engineering right off the factory floor. But that didn’t stop Gemballa from working to make a great car even better, and the result is the Mirage GT.
Like the Avalanche, the Mirage GT utilizes a host of super lightweight carbon body panels to keep overall weight as low as possible. The wind tunnel-tuned panels undoubtedly look great, but they also perform. As a result, the Mirage GT is designed to be more stable at speed, with increased downforce and cooling capability.
AÂ hydraulic, height-adjustable coilover kit allows the driver to lift the body by 45mm in the front and the rear to help clear any nasty obstacles. At and speeds over 50 mph, the suspension automatically lowers itself to improve aero. And you’ll need it, because the Mirage GT uses an engine tune and exhaust to achieve an output of 670 hp. That’s good enough to propel the car to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and achieve a 208 mph top speed.
Gemballa Mistrale
When it comes to tuning Porsche vehicles, Gemballa tends to leave no stone unturned. The Mistrale, based on the Panamera, is concrete proof of that. Carbon bodywork gives the car a truly unique look, from the curvy front skirt to the slotted ventilation ducts on the sides. The rather striking modifications and two-tone paint even somewhat conceal the fact that you’re driving a four door.
A tuned air suspension allows the car to be lifted and lowered up to 40mm. A height-adjustable coilover suspension is also available. The Mistrale sits on 22-inch wheels that cover massive brakes, with 6-piston calipers up front and 4-piston in back.
A new power package kicks output up to 745 hp by way of a revised air inlet, more efficient intercoolers, upgraded turbos, a remapped ECU, and a sport exhaust. That significant power boost is enough to propel the Mistrale to 60 mph in just 3.2 seconds, with a claimed top speed of 210 mph.
