German Porsche tuner Gemballa plots 800hp supercar

Since 1981 German-based Gemballa has been tuning very fast Porsches at its Leonberg factory.

Now, the firm is preparing to develop its very own supercar it says will offer more than 800hp (597kW), and has teased a sketch of the model online this week.

Stealthy, aggressive and with a mid-engine layout, the Gemballa supercar is currently awaiting financial backing, says Gemballa CEO, Steffen Korbach.

The prototype is expected to arrive as early as next year, and according to Korbach will be an “uncompromising vehicle, radical, pure and luxurious”.

If the project gets up it will be the first vehicle Gemballa has produced in nine years.

The company has something of an illustrious past since being listed as a registered vehicle manufacturer in 1985, four years after being founded. Its founder Uwe Gemballa was found murdered in South Africa in 2010, before the company saved by Korbach with a $US17 million cash injection shortly thereafter.

Korbach says a further $US22.5 million is required to fund the as yet unnamed supercar, and that if all goes to plan, the model will be in showrooms from early 2022.

“We’re planning a thoroughbred super sports car with a unique, aggressive design and engine power considerably over 800hp,” Korbach explained in his press release.

“As part of this, we’d like to reference the existing Gemballa legends, and implement a range of innovative concepts. You can expect an uncompromising vehicle, radical, pure and luxurious.

“At the same time, we would also like to establish Gemballa in future as a stand-alone small production run manufacturer, but also launch as an exclusive modification company for extreme, complete conversions of Porsche cars,” he concluded.

It’s understood the capital required to finance the project will be raised through private equity and venture capital companies, with Korbach saying “concrete discussions are already underway”.

The low-volume tuning house will continue to churn out modified Porsches alongside its supercar development. Gemballa’s previous super-tuners include names such as the Avalanche, Mirage, MIG-U1, Tornado and Mistrale.