Ber-Porsche Gemballa: Company Bankrupt, Boss Missing, Detectives in Johannesburg

When I met Uwe Gemballa the first time, he looked like he could be the manager of the local strip club down the road: Shoulder long bleach blond hair, a flashy watch, a suit to match the watch, the shirt unbuttoned down to the chest. I then found out that he had brought a Porsche 911, that made upward of 750hp, to a friend of mine, to make it street legal. Gemballa had one of the hottest tuner shops in Germany. His mods to the Porsche Cayenne produced the fastest SUV in the world – at least that’s what Uwe told me. Last I heard from him was some two months ago. He wanted to import Gemballas to China, and could I help him? Then it became quiet. Now I know why.

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  • ToolGuy "Simply put, the world is changing, and our industry needs to change with it,"Q: How many auto execs does it take to change a lightbulb?A: 'Change???'
  • ToolGuy 134 cubic inch V6 with turbos and Firestone tires? Pass. 🙂
  • ToolGuy "Coolant ball delete" was new to me.
  • ToolGuy Cool.
  • Craiger I had a 2003 Z4 for three years. I didn't care for it. I should have driven it before I got it, but I didn't. I had driven a Z3 and liked it, plus my E39 530 was just coming off its lease, so I was pretty drunk on the blue and white kool-aid. I wanted a convertible. I cross shopped the 986 Boxster but the ergonomics weren't good for me, and that cheap 986/996 interior...The early EPS in the car was numb. Quite the let-down after the magnificent 530 mit der sport package. The run-flats sucked. I bent a 19" inch wheel 5 or 6 times in Manhattan with those tires. After the Z4 I got a Cayman S with 19s and never bent a wheel once. The Z4 came with the insipid clutch dampener, which Dave Zeckhausen removed for me at his house one afternoon.Other than that I liked the Z4. Nicely made, no service issues, nice engine and stick, fantastic rear suspension. The power top was fast. It was a nicely made car.I had driven a Z4M, which did not have run-flats, and which was fitted with hydraulic power steering, and that thing was sweet.