We're mystified as to who exactly is buying all these damn hypercars, but whatever's happening at the demand end, the supply has never been more plentiful. Here's another we'll see in early 2020, boasting wild performance figures and exotic looks.
Gemballa has previously restricted its activities to making really, really good cars even gooder, with a series of aerodynamic, aesthetic, performance and handling upgrades for Porsches, McLarens and the odd Ferrari. The company does also make a few "production vehicles," but these are basically pre-pimped out versions of other people's cars.
While details are scant, apart from these images, Gemballa's CEO Steffen Korbach seems to feel sports cars are getting a little too cushy and hand-holdy for his tastes: "We’re now concentrating on building one of the last pure sports cars, a modern classic with an outstanding appearance and performance. A pure GEMBALLA car needs petrol and sound. Not all new trends are cool."
We're not sure precisely what he's pooh-poohing here; electrification? Turbos? It'll be hard to avoid either of these if the company wants to hit its stated performance targets: 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 2.5 seconds, and from zero to double that speed in 6.5. That's very, very quick. Bugatti Chiron quick. Koenigsegg Jesko quick, maybe. So you're looking at something like a 1,600-horsepower pure ICE powertrain, and you won't be getting those ponies without a few noise-deadening turbos.
Gemballa appears to be willing to let some uncoolness creep in at a later date: "Initially, a version with a pure combustion engine is planned for a pure hypercar feeling. However, at least hybrid technology should be used in later models." So perhaps those sprint times are for a later, hybrid version and we're lathering ourselves up over nothing.
The company says we can also expect "state-of-the-art drive and aero technology" as well as "lightweight design and carbon." So we shall duly expect them.
As for the looks, well, from the side it's impossible to miss how much it looks like a McLaren P1, with its blacked-out side scoops and elongated, high hip line. But the roof is flatter and the cabin a little less voluptuous. From the front, well, it's more like a Bugatti Chiron without the horseshoe. Long, low, lean and mean, it looks beaut and will surely go like a thing that goes fast.
With a prototype scheduled for unveiling in early 2020, the as-yet-unnamed Gemballa hypercar won't be available for a little while, and there's no indication about what kinds of numbers these Stuttgart-based maniacs are planning. So for now, it's just another option to put on the list for your next hypercar. At least the test drive process should be a laugh.
Source: Gemballa
