Gemballa Tornado 750 GTS: Modified Madness

By Jay Williams - 27/April/2009

Leonberg, Germany – At fist glance you would swear this was a special forces vehicle or some secret government transport.

But no, the engineers over at Gemballa have taken the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S and turned it in to something that looks dangerous and named it the Tornado 750 GTS.

You might say that BMW now has the world's fastest 'production' 4WD with the X6 M, but this Gemballa is quicker than the spread of swine flu, with enough torque to twist itself in twain!

Gemballa has turned its expertise from the 911 to the Cayenne SUV, and started by putting the vehicle on a carbon fibre diet.

The majority of the car's body work is finished in carbon fibre, which drops overall weight by a quarter of a tonne (250kg)!

Body modifications include a extended front apron, rear and side skirts and a bevy of bonnet scoops and the matte black finish is very sinister.

A lip is also built into the front apron and a carbon-flapped spoiler at back gives the Tornado 750 GTS a huge increase in down force to make sure the 552kW (750hp) it's twin turbo V8 engine creates isn't wasted.

New look LED brake lights and a four cannon-like exhaust pipes finish off the rear end, which leave no doubt as to the vehicle's purpose.

The acceleration figures are full on: the Gemballa Tornado cracks the 0-100km/h run in 4.3 seconds, on par with many of the world's finest 2-door sports cars.

It has a top speed of more than 300km/h should you want to bust out the triple tonne.

Maxxing out at 6400rpm, the V8 engine delivers ample power of 552kW (750hp).

The V8 engine's 4.8-litre capacity has been upped to 5.0-liters by Gemballa, benefitting from forged pistons and con rods (both customised) and new turbos also help with these numbers. 

The intercooler has a "90 percent larger cooling area" says Gemballa and these changes not only led to more horsepower, but more off-the-line power. The engine forces 1050Nm of torque to the giant wheels at 3200 revolutions per minute, which is sheer madness.

Lightweight 22-inch rims measure a face-slapping 12-inches wide and the GT Sport forged wheel design suits the menacing 'black ops' style of the Gemballa Tornado 750 GTS.

Big cross drilled discs and 6-piston brake calipers are used to slow the 'dark aggressor' as I call it, while a 4-piston brake package is used at the back. 

Meanwhile, an adjustable coil over kit lowers the vehicle about 70 millimeters over the standard Porsche Cayenne Turbo S and improves handling driver feedback.

No stone has been left unturned with dark aggressor: interior changes such as a redesigned center console and dash to give the car more of a "fighter
jet feel" says Gemballa.

Sweaty people will love the abundance of moisture-absorbing suede in the cabin as well.

The tuning group has also integrated a new Data Control System, that shows "acceleration, cross-acceleration, and deceleration values." Accelerometer systems are not new, but the addition of a built-in G-force meter serves to cement this vehicle's steadfast pursuit of performance.

There's a rear seat entertainment to keep the passengers amused (that is if they can peel themselves from the seats as the Porsche rifles through the streets) and the car is finished with a choice of leather, carbon fiber, and aluminum trims.

With a limited release of just 50 units, the Gemballa Tornado 750 GTS is as rare as a profitable car maker these days, and with a starting price of €400,000 (A$730,000+) you better start saving your bickies.

The European tuning house wanted to transform the standard Porsche Cayenne Turbo S and turn it in to a "high performance sports car." 

Well, I think Gemballa missed hitting the nail on the head with the Tornado 750 GTS. Instead it surrounded the nail with gelignite and blasted it to smithereens. 

• Concept: Overkill.

• Design: Sinister.

• Last Words: Fantasy 4WD.

Background: Specializing in aftermarket parts mainly for Porsche, tuning company Gemballa is based in Leonberg near Stuttgart, Germany. It was founded by, and named after, Uwe Gemballa in 1981. The company is well-known for creating some of the world's fastest Porsches.

Related Links:
- Porsche Cayenne Turbo S (2008)
- Porsche 911 GT3 Type 997 (2009)
- Porsche 911 Carrera: Military (2009)
- Porsche Panamera (2010)
- Porsche Cayman & Boxster (2009)
- Porsche Cayman S Sport (2009)
- Porsche 911 Targa (2009)
- Porsche 911 (2009)
- Porsche Hatchback (2012)
- Porsche 911 GT2 (2007)
- Rich Britons Prefer Porsche (2007)
- Porsche Cayenne (2007)
- Porsche Carrera GT by TechArt (2006)