Photos by Patrick C. Paternie
Driver's Notebook: A Pair of Sparkling Gems
April 1, 2004
Expect the unexpected was my mantra as I pondered the afternoon I would spend
with a pair of Gemballa-prepped twin-turbo Porsches that packed over 1,000
ponies between them. Appropriately enough, the day offered up one surprise after
another, starting with the fact that neither was the bucking bronco you might
expect from Gemballa.
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Gemballa forsakes flamboyant Miami Vice styling cues—once synonymous with its
name—to focus on enhanced performance. (Click image to enlarge)Purists tend to roll their eyes at the mention of a
Gemballa-modified Porsche. For them, the name drags up images of sloped noses,
side strakes, and other egregious distortions of the iconic 911 silhouette that
were the 1980s automotive equivalent of Miami Vice fashion—linen jackets with
sleeves rolled up, worn over gelato-colored tees. In other words, a style more suitable
for a dance club than Porsche club action. This is not surprising, since, at the
time, Gemballa’s U.S. headquarters was located in Miami Beach. ; function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
Here is
another little surprise: Gemballa is not an Italian company. A German auto
mechanic, Uwe Gemballa, started his eponymous tuner business in the late 1970s
with world headquarters in Stuttgart, Porsche’s backyard. Heinz Meis, a longtime
friend of the company founder, took over as the North American distributor 10
years ago and set up operations in Malibu, Calif. The cars rolling out of the
new location under Meis’ direction reflected changes in attitude and appearance
that have erased the old Don Johnson image—which became apparent after I tooled
around L.A.’s most urbane and car-savvy neighborhoods in two of Meis’ most
recent interpretations of the Porsche 996 Turbo Cabriolet. (Click image to enlarge); function voidFunc() { } voidFunc();)
It all began when
I had to nudge my way through a cooing crowd of guests and staff at the elegant
Shutters Hotel in Santa Monica, where Meis had arranged to meet me with a dark
metallic blue 2004 Turbo Cabriolet and gray metallic 2002 model. The latter was
especially intriguing, as it had started life as a normally aspirated 2002
Carrera 4S Cabriolet that its owner, preempting the Porsche factory, decided to
convert into a Turbo Cabriolet. He brought the car to Gemballa for a complete
driveline transfusion. During this surgical procedure, the transplanted stock
420 hp twin-turbo 3.6-liter engine that was pulled from a 2002 Turbo coupe
received a boost to 500 hp via a bit of software remapping, as well as a big
increase in breathing capability courtesy of a freer-flowing Gemballa exhaust
and catalyst system. Much louder than the muted snarl of the new exhaust is the
completely lipstick red leather interior, including a pair of Gemballa sports
seats and three-spoke, airbag-equipped steering wheel. Further brightening
things up are silver-faced gauges, along with silver accents on the steering
wheel rim and other interior trim bits. It seemed a bit over the top at first
blush, a flashback to the old Gemballa style, but after a few miles you begin to
appreciate its contrast to the dark silver exterior. (Click image to enlarge)
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