The new Gemballa has introduced their first creation since the old company
ran into difficulties. The Porsche Cayenne 958-based package, called "Tornado",
is significant because its light and strong carbon-fiber body panels showcase
the way forward for the top players in the aftermarket industry, raising the bar
for exclusive car manufacturers. In the past, it was commonplace to bond
carbon-fiber parts to modified factory steel panels.
However, this does
not significantly lighten a car, nor is it a rigorous use of this lightweight
material. "Carbon-fiber is a high strength, low weight structural material that
needs to be used honestly, and not just for decoration," explains Gemballa GmbH
CEO, Andreas Schwarz. Thus, other than its steel body-in-white, rear quarter and
roof panels and hatchback, almost all the steel body panels on the Tornado are
replaced by carbon-fiber equivalents.
The carbon-fiber bonnet, front
wings, side sill covers, doors, front and rear bumper/valance and rear hatch
outer skin save around 155 lbs compared to the original steel panels and PU
bumpers, and all the new panels use the factory mounting points. However,
security-related features, such as the passenger safety cell and door side
impact protection are untouched, and none of the modifications compromise
comfort either. While this is an expensive alternative to the traditional
methods, there is a good reason to do it this way apart from just weight saving.
"Cutting, filing, and then bonding and blending materials with different
coefficients of expansion is setting yourself up for problems further down the
line unless the work is done perfectly," says Andreas Schwarz. "In very hot or
cold climates, where many of our clients live, extremes of temperature may
eventually cause problems like cracking and de-lamination. So while one-piece
carbon-fiber panels are expensive, it means that the fit and finish, whether the
new panels are left in visible carbon or painted, will be perfect and
consistent. In addition, the relative ease of fitting makes life easier for our
dealers around the world."
The new front styling delivers significant
autobahn overtaking presence with the large grille, flanked by two smaller ones
providing copious amounts of ram air for the two stages of uprated,
twin-turbocharged engine. Brake cooling ducts sit beside the fog lights, and the
vertical LED daytime running lights also help to give the Gemballa Tornado that
all-important instant recognition factor. The complete carbon-fiber door
assemblies are designed as direct replacements for the steel factory units, and
incorporate the factory steel side impact protection bars, central locking and
electric window mechanisms. The recessed surfaces, in matt finished visible
carbon, give the sides of the Tornado a heavily sculpted look, inspired by the
Gemballa AVALANCHE GTR. The same matt black visible carbon finish is used on the
new tail panel and rear corners. Because of the structural architecture of the
rear quarter panels, the wider rear wheel arches are grafted to the car by the
more normal method of cutting the metal, and bonding and blending in the wider
carbon-fiber arches.
The Tornado's overall width is increased to 80.7 inches.
The steel structure of the tailgate is mated to a new carbon-fiber skin, which
re-contours it and covers the recesses and holes provided for the inner half of
the factory tail light assemblies. The new, stacked round rear light design
completely changes the look of the Cayenne's rear, reinforcing the four
individual round exhaust outlets, a long-standing Gemballa design motif. If the
angels are in the details, a close inspection of the Gemballa badge on the new
tailgate reveals lettering cut out with incredible precision. Here, the same
ultra high-pressure water jet cutting process used in the electronics industry
to slice through heat sensitive circuit boards, is used to cut the Gemballa name
out of a piece of carbon-fiber. The brushed stainless steel panel below provides
the silver coloring.
The enlarged wheel arches are filled by huge wheels,
10.0J x 22-inch with 295/35 ZR22 tires on the front axle, and 12.0J x 22-inch
with 335/30 ZR22 tires at the rear. Despite their greater size, these forged,
ultra-light and strong monoblock alloys are no heavier than the standard 20-inch
wheels. And thanks to their narrow-spoke design, they appear to be even larger
in diameter than they actually are. The uprated braking system is made by Brembo,
Gemballa's partner for brake component development. Massive 420 mm vented discs
with six-pot calipers are used at the front, with 405 mm vented discs and
four-pot calipers at the rear. All four discs are cross-drilled and slotted, and
made exclusively for Gemballa in these sizes. Gemballa already offers a Stage
One Cayenne Turbo engine conversion with 580 hp. The Tornado will be equipped
with Stage Two, which is nearing its final development stage. The goal for the
engineers was well defined, a 35-40% power increase, which equates to between
675 and 700 hp. The projected torque increase of 30%, or close to 737 lb-ft,
requires the relevant drivetrain components to be uprated as well. As with all
Gemballa cars, the interior will be equally special, and the engineers and trim
specialists are developing a completely new design for the Tornado's cabin. This
will be characterized by both elegance and functionality. The Gemballa Tornado
celebrates the 30th year of the Gemballa brand in 2011.
Only 30 numbered
Gemballa Tornado cars will be built, making this a very special and exclusive
model.