http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1262
Reports of German tuning ace Uwe Gemballa’s puzzling disappearance in Johannesburg last week appear to be misconstrued.
Gemballa boarded a plane from Frankfurt to South Africa last Monday and has not been reachable via any means since.
This has greatly upset his business partners, staff (all 40 of them) and customers, who generally entrust the legendary German tuner with staggeringly rare exotic supercars – the like of which Uwe is an expert at modifying.
Rumours of a kidnapping and ransom situation abounded (geared by Gauteng’s rather treacherous reputation amongst Europhiles), yet it would now appear Uwe could simply be on the run.
Authorities drop in at Gemballa HQ
German (and South African) authorities have been quite coy concerning the search for Gemballa, yet they visited Uwe’s Leonsburg facility to do an inventory check this week – usually a precursor to an internal revenue investigation...
It could transpire that Gemballa’s tax filing regime has not been quite, well, up to rigorous German standards.
The stance by German authorities could turn from a missing person’s case to one of tax evasion.
If this is the case customers, who routinely park extraordinarily rare supercars such as Ferrari Enzos and Porsche Carrera GTs in Gemballa’s care, will now have to show full ownership disclosure documentation to have any hope of reclaiming their supercars.
Such a state of affairs could prove potentially embarrassing in itself, as most of the exotics tend to be surreptitiously registered in the first place…
Still regarded as missing, not 'on the run'
As of Wednesday afternoon, authorities in Stuttgart still appear to be investigating Gemballa’s jaunt to South Africa as a missing person’s case.
Considering he has agents in North America, Asia, Australia and even one, bizarrely, in Angola, Gemballa’s jetting off to South Africa did not warrant suspicion at first, as he regularly flies abroad to visit customers and update agents.
Car enthusiasts the world over are hoping the enigmatic German tuning ace surfaces soon, to bring closure to what is rapidly becoming a quite bizarre state of affairs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Most dangerous drivers listed
http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1263
Attorneys and judges may be sticklers to the word of the law but it seems they are not quite so adherent to the rules of the road, topping a list of the the top 10 most dangerous drivers by profession.
A study by online US insurance company insurance.com found 44% of attorneys claimed a prior accident when looking for a car insurance comparison quote from insurance.com. The findings were based on accident claims as a percentage of quotes in which drivers need to give details of their driving record.
Second in the list came financial professionals followed by government workers while the study found the least dangerous drivers were athletes, with only 17% reporting prior accidents, and homemakers at 24 percent.
"Professions that demand multi-tasking - being on the phone, moving fast on a tight schedule - are prone to more distractions and, from there, more accidents," said Sam Belden, insurance.com VP, in a statement.
"Though the job of a homemaker demands multi-tasking, young children are often along for any car ride and when children are involved, people tend to take their time and use greater caution."
He added that homemakers and athletes also tended to be off the road during rush hour.
Following is a list of the Top 10 most dangerous drivers by profession:
1. Attorney/Judge
2. Financial professionals
3. Government worker
4. Bartender or waiter
5. Business professionals
6. Dog groomer
7. Marketing/advertising professionals
8. Barber/stylist
9. Coach
10. Nurse
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Manhart Racing BMW M3 E92 Compressor with 482kW
http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1264
German tuners Manhart Racing have released photos and details of their version of the BMW M3 coupe. The engineering firm boosted the E92's engine output to 482 kW, while reducing 0-100 km/h time to 3.7 seconds.
Top speed goes above 350 km/h.
The upgrade was made in three parts, with the first stage adding a small compressor to provide boost pressure of .35 bar. This bumps up power to 379 kW from the stock 309 kW. Stage two bumps up pressure up to .50 bar, which brings up horsepower to 430 kW. A larger ASA compressor is added in the last stage, providing pressure of .67 bar. At this point, larger exhaust and two race-ready catalytic converters are installed.
In one of the pictures, some might notice the G-Power branded engine cover. We suspect the Manhart kit is a development on the G-Power kit, as they also use an ASA supercharger. The G-Power package boosts power to 441 kW.
20-inch BBS wheels, Continental tires, and large brake discs are also included. Leather, Alcantara, and carbon fiber mirrors round out the package.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment