http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1350
The sordid affair surrounding the disappearance of German tuning guru Uwe Gemballa continues after his family withdrew the reward for information which could lead to tracing his whereabouts.
Gemballa, who is renowned for his outlandish embellishments and performance upgrades of Porsche and Ferrari products for the rich and famous, went missing after arriving at OR Tambo 8 February.
Initially Gemballa was rumoured to have been kidnapped.
His last known contact with his wife was a call made shortly after arriving in South Africa. Gemballa curiously detailed he had been in an accident and needed funds to be wired to a specific account immediately.
It was hardly a negligible amount either - Uwe wanted €1m to be transferred.
Kidnapped?
Due to South Africa’s high crime rate – and Gauteng’s notorious reputation for violent crime internationally – any notion of Gemballa being on the run from a financial malaise back at home was never tabled.
German authorities deployed a two-man investigative team to South Africa just after Gemballa’s disappearance in mid February.
A spokesperson at Gemballa Automobiltechnik GmbH & Co, Ekkehard Krebs, said the presence of German investigators at the company’s headquarters were simply a part of the missing persons investigation. Customers were assured work was continuing as usual.
Or on the run?
Then, two weeks ago, Gemballa's wife, who was suspiciously given power of attorney by Uwe before he left for South Africa, applied for provisional liquidation of Gemballa Automobiltechnik GmbH & Co at the Ludwigsburg court.
Even stranger, was Uwe updating Gemballa Automobiltechnik GmbH & Co's records with details of a new company he had opened - with his 79-year-old mother as sole stockholder...The new company is cryptically named Gemballa Sports Cars GmbH & Co.
The German aftermarket tuning industry – which sets the global standard in automotive modification, performance upgrades and design – is at a lost how one of their most famous sons could simply go underground with such expedience.
Germany media sources indicate the Bundesrepublik’s investigate team has now returned home from South Africa with no information about Gemballa’s whereabouts.
Domestically, German authorities are now amplifying the investigation to one of financial crime (instead of a simple missing persons hunt) surrounding the peculiar state of affairs leading up to Gemballa Automobiltechnik GmbH & Co’s liquidation.
The Czech connection
An interesting aside to Uwe’s disappearance is that Czech billionaire Radovan Krejcír was supposed to provide capital for a Gemballa franchise in South Africa.
The billionaire central European businessman avoided extradition to his native Czech Republic in 2005 for tax fraud (after being sentenced in absentia) after a Johannesburg High Court judgement.
Krejcír contends he never managed to meet Gemballa at OR Tambo and has no idea where the German national currently is. A clue to Gemballa’s current whereabouts might be found in Gemballa Automobiltechnik GmbH & Co’s global presence...
An Atlantic coast hideaway?
Germany's car industry, even if you are an aftermarket tuner, thrived on exports.
Predictably, Gemballa operated exports to some of the world’s most prosperous automotive markets. He had a presence via agents in North America, Asia, Australia and even one, bizarrely, in Angola.
How many Gemballa modified cars have you seen on the streets of Luanda? Exactly. If we were looking for Uwe, we’d be checking out the Luanda waterfront’s cafés.
Meanwhile, his 40 members staff back in Germany (not to mention numerous customers globally) face an uncertain future as the insolvency of Gemballa Automobiltechnik GmbH & Co becomes procedural.
Conversely, the actual content and purpose of Uwe's new company, Gemballa Sports Cars GmbH & Co, remains dreadfully uncertain. We can’t really see Uwe’s grandmother fashioning ECU remapping diagrams for the new Cayenne either...
Unsurprisingly, Uwe’s family has retracted the €10 000 reward for any information which might lead to the location of his whereabouts.
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Aston Martin DBS by Edo Competition
http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1351
Edo Competition has unveiled their tuning program for the Aston Martin DBS.
To beef up the sexy beast, Edo installed revised ECU software, a new exhaust system, special catalytic converters, and high flow air filters. Thanks to these changes, the DBS produces 405 kW and 600 Nm of torque - an increase of 25 kW and 30 Nm. This enables the car to rocket from 0 to 100 km/h in 4.1 seconds, before hitting a top speed of 320 km/h.
Underneath, the company added a high performance brake system, 21-inch wheels, and an adjustable sports suspension (which can vary the ride height, spring compression and rebound damping).
Inside, customers can order carbon fiber trim or exclusive leather upholstery in a color of their choice.
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Cargraphic Power Pack for Porsche Panamera Turbo
http://www.maxauto.co.za/CntView.aspx?CatID=26&CntID=1352
Cargraphic has revealed a tuning package for the Porsche Panamera Turbo that takes this five-door GT from a standard 368 kW up to 405kW. Extra power was attained through a DME control unit and two sport air filters that allow more air for the turbo to use.
The tuner has kept Porsche's 7-speed PDK transmission and it places this power well on the road through the AWD system. Cargraphic says the car will go from 0 - 100km/h in under four seconds. We can't help but wonder if a possible official Panamera Turbo S would offer similar figures.
Personalisation options include the wheels which start with the 19-inch IS-ONE type and go up to 22-inch forged wheels. They can even let buyers choose what colour these rims can be.
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