Porsche Panamera GTP 700 (Gemballa) Record In Nardo

Going for a record in streetwear — “just for the fun of it”

Would you trust Usain Bolt to run a new 100-meter world record in normal street clothes? Perhaps even with a smartphone in his hand and headphones in his ears? Probably not. But the car refiner GEMBALLA has managed a comparable feat with its GTP 700 approved for road use: At 338.8 km/h, the car, with a 700 HP/515 kW engine and based on the Porsche Panamera Turbo, is the fastest sedan with a weight of over two tons. The trade journals AUTO BILD, SPORTSCARS and Continental, have independently verified this speed. The truly special aspect about this performance is that unlike most other participants, the car that lined up to set a record on the high-speed track at Nardo was a customer version. The car had not been specifically prepared for the test, had a curb weight of 2,045 kg and a driving weight (including fuel and driver) of approx. 2,225 kg.

“The huge 22-inch wheels, unique to this car in the starting field of cars with a performance of more than 300 km/h, were entirely unaltered, as was the full equipment including rear-seat entertainment facility. In addition, the weight, the engine as well as the aerodynamics remained unchanged and were not adapted for this particular occasion,” says Andreas Schwarz, CEO of GEMBALLA, who drove the car himself. “At GEMBALLA our customers can always rely on the motto ‘What you see is what you get’, even in the case of a record-breaking attempt. For this reason, we specifically decided to drive at top speed in a car that can be used without further modifications in normal road traffic,” explains Schwarz. GEMBALLA tests all executed performance boosters on their in-house test bed according to the very stringent EEC standard. “We don’t want to make exaggerated fantasy claims and instead seek to wow our customers with actual facts,” says Schwarz. It’s therefore safe to assume that the acceleration values of the GTP 700 published by GEMBALLA are not just “smoke screens” but actually leave smoke trailing in their wake. Acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in 3.3 seconds, from 0 to 200 km/h in 9.6 seconds and from 0 to 300 km/h in 26.5 seconds are values that are on a par with exceptional sports cars such as the Ferrari Enzo Ferrari.

GEMBALLA upholds similarly high standards in terms of bodywork and interior finishing. While the “tested” GTP 700 merely benefited from a performance boost and attractive cast-iron rims, the GEMBALLA MISTRALE, which is based on the Porsche Panamera, is presented with an elaborate aerodynamics package made of highly stable carbon fiber-reinforced plastic as well as with individual solutions for its interior design — created according to the most discerning standards of craftsmanship.

 The German Legend Maker

Some automotive legends are familiar to enthusiasts all over the world. The GEMBALLA AVALANCHE, MIRAGE GT, TORNADO and MISTRALE fall into that category.

Made in Leonberg, Germany, the cars bearing these names have fascinated and thrilled car lovers with their seminal design and advanced technology for more than 30 years.

GEMBALLA CEO, Andreas Schwarz, the second generation of management at the helm of this renowned company, continues the quest for perfection in every way.

Founded in Leonberg in 1981 the original GEMBALLA company quickly became Germany’s leading address for extravagant automotive creations.

Today, the original GEMBALLA AVALANCHE enjoys iconic status with car enthusiasts from around the world, and its name lives on with a 21st Century interpretation in the current GEMBALLA model range.

The distinctive GEMBALLA style is visually tailored to each model, and matching technical modifications are made to match. “To fully understand our unique cars, one must not only approach them with the eyes, but also feel how they drive”, says Andreas Schwarz.

All GEMBALLA components are manufactured in Germany, the country the rest of the world looks to for automotive benchmarks. “Our motto here is no compromise, whether it is in aesthetics or technical solutions,” says Schwarz. “Our products are not cheap, but they are worth the asking price.”

This no compromise philosophy at GEMBALLA has resulted in the acquisition of state-of-the-art digital measurement equipment. This ensures that all their carbon-fibre body components are designed and manufactured to fit perfectly.

“I believe in the authentic use of materials, and carbon-fibre is a structural material not a decorative one,” says Schwarz, who has been known to hang a complete car door on a fishing line at a trade show, to underline this important point. At GEMBALLA what looks like carbon-fibre is carbon-fibre,”

His penchant for strong but light materials has also pushed the boundaries with the alloy wheel manufacturer that supplies GEMBALLA. “In the end, we were all proud to be able to offer our customers the lightest and strongest wheels on the market in these sizes,” he said.

Continuing the quest for the low unsprung weight so crucial to the handling of a car, GEMBALLA tapped into its brake development partnership with Brembo. The resulting calipers are manufactured to racing specifications and weigh only one-third of the equivalent mass production system. In real world testing, these GEMBALLA/Brembo brake system stood up to fast laps at the Hockenheimring without any fading.

GEMBALLA cars have always been amongst the fastest of their kind, so the engine and exhaust upgrades are designed to maximise the inherent potential of the base engines. Aspire to the peak, but do not go over the top, is a watchword at GEMBALLA, so the emphasis is also on long term reliability.

Finally, the engineers test each individual engine on an independent dyno against the reference values printed in the brochure. The customer then receives a certification of its official power output.

Bespoke interiors have always been a GEMBALLA speciality, and this work is carried out by master upholsterers to the client’s wishes, using only the finest materials.

When Andreas Schwarz is inspired by something, he goes all out to achieve it. You can see his fanatical attention to detail in everything that GEMBALLA does. Every single component is an engineering masterpiece in itself that enhances the vehicles status as a work of art.

Currently, Andreas Schwarz is investing time and money in GEMBALLA’s global distribution network, and will only entertain partners who can provide customer service at the highest level. In short, he is looking for people who not only talk about legends, but who can live and breathe them too.

Source:Gemballa