The days of the superpowered SUV might be numbered if the environmentalists get their way and send these gas guzzlers the way of the dinosaurs. But there's still life in these oversized predators and, more importantly, the well-heeled customers who want to drive them. With the Tornado GTS, Gemballa has taken the idea to the natural limit and beyond.
Uwe Gemballa has tuned Porsches for more than 25 years from his factory in Leonberg, just a stone's throw from the Porsche factory gates, and has produced signature cars like the Avalanche since the start. But recently he grew tired of simple tuning kits, and anything beneath 100,000 is now dealt with by the dealers. The company's base now operates with surgical precision on the most extreme conversions that form his own model range.
Now a new 911-based Avalanche joins forces with the Mirage GT based on the ultra-exotic Carrera GT. But there was still a space in the lineup for one more fire-breathing monster, a super sport wagon with sports car performance and SUV luxury that proved a popular request from some of Gemballa's larger customers. Unofficially, this is known as the oversized sports car on the Gemballa factory floor; there will be just 50 produced and with a base price of 400,000, rising to more than 500,000 for the full works, only the seriously well-fed should even bother to apply.
That money buys an absolute monster that stands 60mm wider than the Cayenne Turbo, upon which it is based, and a full 70mm lower. The front end is a low-slung orgy of vents, gaping holes and curves, thanks to the carbon-fiber bodywork that has replaced the original metal. That strips a massive 250kg from the curb weight and gave Gemballa the artistic freedom to create a car that is extremely aggressive, and so angry that it could leave a Ferrari cowering in the corner with an evil sideways glance.
A plunging hole in the bonnet leads into a monstrous power bulge that dominates the panel overall. Then there's the open front spoiler, deemed essential so that the race-sourced radiators that extend all the way down could breathe freely, and the vertically-placed daytime running lights at the front of those bulbous wheel arches are just the icing on a huge cake. Rest assured if this car screams up behind you, you will jump out the way.
Visual intimidation continues all the way down the side, too, with the wheel arches bleeding back into a Carrera GT-style box section side with gaping vents behind the front and rear wheels to excise heat from the searing engine and brakes. At the back there's an even more intricate feel to the design with a bi-plane rear wing, grab handles molded into the tailgate, and the monster diffuser. It all adds up to a vision of pure menace, which is more than well founded.
Because under the hood of this beast, which incidentally now hinges at the front, is a 750-hp interpretation of the Cayenne Turbo's V8. This comes through increased displacement to five liters, the introduction of new forged pistons running through Nikasil-coated cylinders, special connecting rods produced from the purest titanium, and race-bred K24 Borg Warner KKK Turbochargers running a healthy 21.75 psi. Gemballa has extensive experience with big power conversions and this was the simplest part of the production process, according to the man himself.
But the end result is simply epic as the Tornado rumbles into view; like the natural disaster that gives it its name, it announces its presence long before you see it coming with a guttural roar that drowns out the industrial machines on our dockside location. And as I climb in and floor the throttle, it's obvious this monster is capable of ripping the tarmac from the road.
With 774 lb-ft of torque coursing through all four of its 12x22-inch wheels, the Tornado tears toward the horizon with a sledgehammer blow to the spine that signals the beginning of a vortex of pure acceleration.