It’s a sad sad day for Gemballa fans. I personally, as strange as it may sound, was hoping Uwe Gemballa had staged his own disappearance to avoid facing something in his life. Unfortunately that doesn’t appear to be the case. 9 Magazine was the first place I saw the news, then in an Autoblog.com post.

Details have not been released as they are investigating what happened. Uwe Gemballa has been missing since February when he landed in South Africa to work on some business dealings.

It’s unfortunate the Porsche tuner known the world over for his creations, many of which were outlandish, closed the last chapter of his life this way. Hopefully those working to revive the Gemballa name can continue the legacy for many years to come.

Here are links to the two places I found the news if you want to read further:

9 Magazine: Uwe Gemballa found Dead in Africa

AutoBlog: Uwe Gemballa reportedly found murdered in South Africa

[Image: Gemballa]

My wife first stumbled across Route 30 Classics a few years ago while on a bike ride in the area with some friends. As soon as she told me about it, I was ready to roll that day, but it took another year to actually get back there. Unfortunately it ended in a failed attempt to get through the doors.

Route 30 Classics is a little over an hour out of Portland, Oregon, on the Columbia River Gorge right off I-84. The name of the town it’s in is Mosier. There really isn’t anything there other than a couple of restaurants (that happen to be very good) and the Porsche Ice Cream Shop as I’ve come to call it.

About a year after my wife told me about Route 30 Classics, we ended back up in the area for a soccer game for my son. I’d had all sorts of intentions of getting there for a blog write up in the Giveaway Porsche, but never made it, so this provided the perfect opportunity to take advantage of a heck of a long drive for a middle school soccer game. After the game, we made our way over to one of the restaurants, right next door to Route 30 Classics.

We finished dinner and walked next door to get ice cream along with some pictures of what was inside this Porsche time capsule. It had CLOSED in the time it’d taken us to eat dinner! Big time disappointment.

We FINALLY made it to Route 30 Classics, while it was open, when my wife and I went to Hood River for our anniversary. Hood River is along the Gorge as well and just a few miles away from Mosier. Needless to say, it was worth the multiple attempts to get there.

When you walk into the place, it feels a bit old and run down. There are shirts and other Route 30 Classics trinkets you can purchase, as well as a few Porsche accessories. What I found extremely cool were all the pictures along the walls. Different write ups on the place, celebrities that had visited and pictures of various Porsches throughout the years. This picture and note from Jerry Seinfeld’s visit to Route 30 Classics was my favorite:

The wide hall through the middle of the place leads to a garage/shop sort of space in the back. It’s roped off, but had a couple of nice older Porsches in the back. A Porsche 914 and what looks to me like a Porsche 911 Targa (correct me if I’m wrong). Both appeared to be in great condition from a distance. The place was pretty dark, so the pictures are a bit on the dark side.

They also have a big display case with all sorts of Porsche models and miniature cars. Between that and the Porsche posters on the walls throughout, it felt like I’d been transported back to my room when I was a kid. I didn’t get a chance to meet the owner, but maybe I will when I get back to the place.

Route 30 Classics is definitely worth the visit if you’re in the Portland area. It’s right off the freeway, and the Gorge on a sunny day is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Lots of water falls, hiking trails and scenery to take in.

Here’s a link to the Route 30 Classics site if you want to take a peek: Route30Classics.com. Not much there, but some great Porsche pictures on the Cars page.

I’m sure most of you have seen info and pictures on this car over the last week. This is too great of a car not to post up though, if for no other reason than the pics!

Last week, on Wednesday, Porsche announced the 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS model. Available as both a coupe and cabriolet, it’s meant to narrow the gap a bit more performance wise between the 911 Carrera S and the 911 GT3.

Here are some of the specs:

• 408 hp with 310 lb ft of torque
• 0 to 60 mph in 4 seconds flat
• Top speed of 190 mph
• 6 speed manual transmission standard; 7 speed PDK optional
• Sport exhaust system with two dual-tipped tailpipes
• Alcantara covering for where the driver and passenger come in contact with interior surfaces, such as the rim of the steering wheel and gear and handbrake levers
• 19 inch center mount RS Spyder wheels

The 911 Carrera GTS will debut at the Paris Motor Show in a few weeks.

This is another car I love the looks of. I’ve always been a sucker for the wider hips on 911′s. Just this weekend, we were driving to breakfast and ended up following a late model 911 Carrera 4S. The pronounced rear end reminded me a lot (although it’s much more subtle) of the 911 Turbo from the 90′s. Modern, but mean looking.

The idea of performance coming closer to the 911 GT3…who doesn’t think that’s a good idea?! It could just be the color of the press photo cars, but I really like the look of the cabriolet model.

The interior looks ultra cool with the Alcantara wrapped surfaces. Every time I get in my buddy’s Caymen Design Edition, I’m reminded how much I love the Alcantara accented interiors. Feels very classy and special.

Here’s the full press release in case you want to read the details about the exterior treatment and other features.

ATLANTA – September 15, 2010 – With 408 horsepower (hp), outstanding vehicle dynamics and additional standard equipment, the new 2011 911 Carrera GTS ascends to the pinnacle of the Carrera model lineup. With 23 hp more than the 911 Carrera S, the new GTS – available as Coupe and Cabriolet – narrows the gap between the Carrera S and the 435 hp 911 GT3. The additional sportiness goes hand in hand with an economic advantage: thanks to Porsche Intelligent Performance, as the new sports car consumes no more fuel than the 911 Carrera S. It also provides comprehensive list of additional standard equipment. The 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera GTS will celebrate its world premiere at the Paris Motor Show in early October.

Athletic, Muscular Design Statement

Unique within the Carrera family, the 911 Carrera GTS combines the 44 millimeter wider Carrera 4 body of the AWD models, including a wider rear track and wheels, with rear-wheel drive. There are many more details which distinguish the appearance and technology of a GTS from other Carrera models, for instance, the GTS runs on 19-inch center-mount RS Spyder wheels, painted black, with high-gloss rim flanges and 305/30 R 19 tires on the rear axle.

Other visual features include the SportDesign front apron with black spoiler edge, special sideskirts, also in black, and the Carrera GTS logotype on doors and rear lid, in black or silver depending on the body color. The area between the two tailpipes in the rear is also black. In combination with the standard interior color “black Alcantara”, the center sections of the driver and passenger sport seats are covered with black Alcantara and the high-quality Alcantara is also used wherever driver and passenger come in direct contact with the interior, like on the rim of the new three-spoke SportDesign steering wheel and on the gear and handbrake levers.

More Power. Quicker Acceleration. Same Fuel Economy.

Detailed attention was paid to the intake and exhaust functions in the 3.8-liter flat-six engine that now delivers 408 hp: A special resonance intake manifold featuring six vacuum-controlled tuning flaps switch between power and torque-optimized geometry compared to the Carrera S power unit with only one tuning flap. This allows for increased torque in the mid-rev range. Maximum torque of 310 lb. ft. (420 Nm) is unchanged, but is available at 4,200 rpm; 200 rpm earlier when compared with the Carrera S. Additionally, a sport exhaust system with two dual-tipped tailpipes with their outer shells painted black with polished inner tubes comes standard.

The Carrera GTS comes standard with a six-speed manual transmission with the seven-speed Porsche Doppelkupplungsgetriebe (PDK) available. In comparison with the Carrera S, top track speed for manual transmission Coupe rises by two mph to 190 (306 km/h). Acceleration from zero to 60 is 4.0 seconds for the GTS Coupe with PDK and Sport Chrono Package Plus. And the new Carrera GTS will offer fuel economy of up to 19 mpg city / 27 mpg highway.

In the U.S., the 911 Carrera GTS Coupe and Cabriolet will be available beginning in early 2011 and MSRP will be $103,100 and $112,900 respectively.

About Porsche Cars North America, Inc

A wholly owned, indirect subsidiary of Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche, Porsche Cars North America, Inc. and its 198 dealers offer U.S. customers some of the most technically advanced and high-performance vehicles in the world. Porsche is also synonymous with supreme quality and first-class customer treatment. A testament to this is the fact that Porsche has been ranked No.1 in J.D. Power and Associates’ prestigious Initial Quality Study (IQS) during four of the past five years. Also, Porsche is fully and publically committed to being a leader in significantly lowering emissions and saving fuel. The company’s guiding credo is “Porsche Intelligent Performance” and the goal is to prove that Porsche’s high performance and efficiency are not contradictory terms. A dramatic example of this is the highly-anticipated 918 Spyder — a super sports car that is also a planned plug-in hybrid. Of course this is nothing new for Porsche, which for 62 years has developed numerous technologies that have advanced vehicle performance, improved safety and spurred environmental innovations. Obviously, one expects such achievements from the most revered race car brand in the world — one that has accumulated more than 28,000 motorsport victories. Today, PCNA imports the cars that are the product of this great history, including the iconic 911 series, the renowned Boxster and Cayman mid-engine sports cars, the high-end Cayenne sport utility vehicles and the four-passenger Panamera Gran Turismo cars.

[Source & Images: Press.Porsche.com]

Today is a beautiful day in Porsche-land. Porsche officially announced a brand new Speedster to the lineup for 2011. Only the fourth car to bear the Speedster name, the 2011 Porsche 911 Carrera Speedster will make its debut at the Paris Motor Show next month. And I can’t WAIT!

I’ve long loved the Speedster designated models. From the original 356 Speedster created in 1953 to the 1988 model and 1993/94 version. I still remember when Porsche announced the 1988 model and my first actual sighting of one in 1989. I would love to have the opportunity to own one of those some day.

The original 1953 model was launched for the sports car purists who wanted to up the performance ante. Here’s a picture from Porsche of the original Speedster:

Porsche has continued the tradition sporadically through the years, keeping the mystique alive and preserving the rarity of the cars bearing this distinction.

Here are some of the details from the Porsche press release:

• 2 seat roadster style (of course!)
• 2.36″ lower, more raked windshield
• Speedster double bubble hardcover over the manual top
• Wider body
• 7 speed PDK transmission
• Porsche Active Suspension Management (PASM)
• Porsche Ceramic Composite Brake (PCCB)
• 3.8-liter flat six producing 408 hp
• 0-60 mph in 4.2 seconds
• Top speed of 190 mph

The press release also indicated pretty much every option from the 911 series would be included in addition to some specialized features such as interior touches and exterior paint. The exterior color, by the way, is a special one called “Pure Blue” and was developed exclusively for the Speedster.

There will only be 356 Speedsters produced in this run (call me crazy, but for some reason I LOVE that they settled on 356) with around 100 making their way into the U.S. through official channels. MSRP is set at $204,000.

I just showed my wife a picture of this car and her exact words were, “Dang! I want one of those.” Could the 2011 Porsche Speedster be in my future?! (yeah, probably not, but it’s still fun to dream)

[Source & Images: Press.Porsche.com]

50 years of Porsche Speedster ownership – This was a cool little story about Jim Giese who has owned his 1958 Speedster for nearly 50 years. He bought the car in October of 1960. He’s driven and enjoyed the car, including a fair amount of racing and a restoration. The story is pretty short and worth the read. The picture to the right is Jim in his Speedster. [Via StAugustine.com; Image: StAugustine.com]

Amsterdam’s UV University studies the Porsche Effect – I’m not really sure what to make of this story, but it seems that researchers have found a connection between the sight of an attractive woman and a man’s interest in luxury goods such as designer watches and Porsches. Here’s their reasoning for the behavior: “It is thought he is subconsciously working out how he could afford them, in a bid to prove he is financially sound – and a good catch.” Evidently this only applies to single men…at least according to the research. [Via DailyMail.co.uk]

Porsche 911 Turbo: Fly under the radar goodness – A fella named Nate Martinez wrote up a little blog post review of the Porsche 911 Turbo called Porsche 911 Turbo: Don’t Dismiss This Sleeper. It’s a great, short review of one of the best cars Porsche has ever made. The backdrop for the review is L.A. where a Porsche 911 Turbo is considered run of the mill. Definitely read this one. Especially if you’re a 911 Turbo fan. [Via Blogs.MotorTrend.com]

Surgeon’s Porsche gets clamped while performing an emergency appendectomy – I don’t know why, but I find this a bit humorous. Damian Bragg, a surgeon in the U.K., got called to one of the two hospitals he’s on call for to perform an emergency appendectomy. He parked the car in the staff car park, but forgot to display his parking permit. His wheel was clamped within an hour. The doc maintains that since he’s on call at two hospitals, the company who clamped his car put lives at risk since he wouldn’t have transportation to the other facility if an emergency had come up. There’s a tiny piece of me that thinks he got a bit of what he deserved not following rules. What do I know though… [Via Telegraph.co.uk]

Personally, I’ve always loved GEMBALLA (take a look at my post about them as a tuner here: Gemballa: Super Tuner for the Porsche Stars) and I hope they make a good run at it. Would love to see them succeed, especially if they can capture some of the essence of the original brand.

On a related note, I’ve not heard any more word of Uwe Gemballa. Seems to still be missing. Anyone heard anything?

Here’s the full press release:

Leonberg, 23 August 2010. For around 30 years the brand GEMBALLA has been a global name in the performance improvement and modification of predominantly Porsche vehicles, and in the construction of own-brand vehicles based on Porsche body shells. GEMBALLA has made a name for itself as one of the most extreme Porsche tuners and has received worldwide attention with its modified Porsches such as the GEMBALLA Avalanche, which is based on the Porsche 911, or the GEMBALLA Mirage GT, based on the Porsche Carrera GT.

Since August 16, 2010, Andreas Schwarz (40) has been in charge of the emotional GEMBALLA brand. Schwarz reserved the rights of the old company that had already been broken up by liquidators and shut down, and founded a new company, GEMBALLA GmbH. The company headquarters are located at Mollenbachstraße 17 in Leonberg.

“With a totally new company and an investment of millions, we are now looking towards a secure future”, says managing director (CEO) Andreas Schwarz. The educated Swabian is a sports car expert, who has many years’ experience in upgrading and marketing luxury high-class automobiles. Together with investor Steffen Korbach, the new creator of GEMBALLA cars has made cost-efficient plans.

“As well as the rights to the name, we’ve also purchased some assets and are starting off with 22 employees”, Schwarz continues. “We plan to continue the GEMBALLA design line following the old models. We’re already working on various concepts for the Porsche Panamera and the new Porsche Cayenne among others.”

The main goal: to expand and develop the GEMBALLA brand as a manufacturer. Without facing too much time pressure. Currently, Andreas Schwarz is making plans in motor tuning and the marketing of parts such as bodykits, rims, brakes and suspension systems.

“We’ve got enormous potential in this area that can be taken advantage of – the recognition of the GEMBALLA name with its near 30-year tradition really helps”, says Andreas Schwarz.

That is why we will see automobile creations from GEMBALLA in the future – with a breath of fresh air for the brand and reliable business under the GEMBALLA name. The showroom in Leonberg is now open for customers and all interested parties.

For more information, go to www.gemballa.com.

[Source: Gemballa GmbH]

Sir Stirling Moss racing at Monterey in a 1961 Porsche RS 61 Spyder – I love this story. It seems racing legend Sir Stirling Moss bought himself a 1961 Porsche RS 61 Spyder earlier this year. The 80 year old race car driver who raced in a 1960 Porsche RS 60 in 1961, nearly clinching the Targa Florio, has been looking for one ever since. He paid $1.705 million for one of only 14 RS 61 Spyders developed for the 1961 season. “To have Sir Stirling make his return to racing at Mazda Raceway is an honor,” said Gill Campbell, CEO and general manager of Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. “It will be a wonderful treat for our fans to see him in his first drive in his newly acquired race car, and equally so for his competitors who are in the same group.” [Via Automobilemag.com]

2012 Porsche 911 details starting to circulate – Although not drastically changed from an appearance standpoint, the new model seems to be significantly changed. The biggest improvements appear to be an updated exterior with a slightly longer wheelbase, increased quality of the interior with a more refined layout and some performance upgrades along with weight saving measures. Specifically in the power department, the 3.6 liter engine will produce 365 hp and 295 lb ft in the Carrera with the 3.8 liter engine pumping out 415 hp and 325 lb ft in the Carrera S. Other changes are on top as well. [Via Examiner.com]

You may recall my review about a month and a half ago of the Fanatec Porsche 911 Turbo S Racing Wheel. If you didn’t catch the drift of my review, I absolutely LOVED the wheel setup and felt it was the best I’d ever tried. As crazy as this may sound, Fanatec has outdone themselves with yet another wheel and pedal setup I’ve been playing with lately. It’s the Fanatec Porsche 911 GT3 RS Wheel.

I’ll sum this review up for you in two words: sweet MOTHER! The 911 GT3 RS wheel does the Fanatec Porsche 911 Turbo S Racing Wheel one better. In fact, in my previous review, I said, “I don’t love this wheel. I’m IN LOVE with this wheel.” All I can seem to come up at this point is I want to MAKE LOVE to this wheel, but that just seems too crude. Yes, it’s that amazing!

Now, before you dismiss me as some crazy psycho who really should get out more often before I stoop to defiling video game controllers, realize that I’m not a big game junkie. I really don’t play games all that much, and will usually just pick up whatever my teenage son wants to play on any given day mostly because I want to hang out with him doing something he loves. Also, I wasn’t paid for this review. I just got the wheel and pedal setup to try out. So these are my true feelings.

The question on your mind at this point may be, “What makes this wheel so amazing?” Aside from it being technically as good of a wheel as I could imagine getting my hands on, what separates this from the Turbo S wheel for me is the styling. The wheel has a cool orange casing on the back, which makes me think of that orange Porsche 911 GT3 RS from ads and magazine spreads. What’s more, the wheel is wrapped in 100%, identical, ALCANTARA leather. Just like the real thing. The feel of this wheel enhances the entire gaming experience. When I first opened the box and pulled out the wheel, I made everyone in my family take a turn gripping it. THIS is what a racing wheel should “feel” like.

Fanatec also sent me the Clubsport Pedal Kit. It’s an all aluminum pedal setup with pressure sensitive brake pedal using an indestructible magnetic precision sensor under each pedal. The brake pedal even has ABS vibration.

Here are some highlights of the wheel and pedals:

• Original Porsche 911 GT3 RS steering wheel design
• Hand stitched leather wheel manufactured according to Porsche quality standards using original ALCANTARA® leather made in Italy
• Compatible with PC and all PlayStation®3 games which support Force Feedback
• 3 x adjustable paddle shifter styles including Clubsport paddle shifters made of aluminum
• Extra large wheel rim diameter (300 mm)
• Turning angle can be adjusted in the wheel to 90° to 900° in steps of 10° independent from the game
• Powerful Mabuchi RS 550 Motor as used in RC cars delivers extra strong Force Feedback effects
• Extra smooth and silent belt drive without mechanical dead zone
• High resolution wheel sensor
• Fully adjustable including ForceFeedback strength, steering angle, damper strength and linerarity of the steering axis
• Clubsport pedals made of aluminum
• Pressure sensitive load cell sensor
• Maximum brake force adjustable
• Contactless magnetic sensors for gas and clutch with unlimited lifetime
• Vibration motor on brake pedal to indicate blocking tires
• Adjustable spring strength
• Adjustable pedal travel

Needless to say, this is a heck of a setup. I tried this wheel on a PC with Need For Speed: Shfit, so that I could do a side-by-side comparison against the Turbo S wheel. I was not the least bit disappointed. Game play was exactly like the Turbo S wheel. I do enjoy playing a bit more on a gaming system than a PC, but that’s just my personal preference. The wheel was very responsive. There was sufficient resistance when turning to simulate actual driving and the force feedback effects were spot on. It offered more adjustments than I cared to mess with. Just simply awesome.

Of the two wheels, the GT3 RS is definitely my favorite. I love the ALCANTARA wrapped wheel. Now I’m ready to get my hands on a racing cockpit setup and use this wheel and pedal combo as the basis. In fact, I’ve been watching Craigslist for a Porsche 911 seat. I thought it’d be fun to try and put together a racing system with some genuine Porsche parts.

If you haven’t had the chance to try a Fanatec wheel, try one. You WILL NOT be disappointed. It’s as close to the real thing as I can hope to get and enhances any driving game experience. Trust me, you’ll be thanking me once you “take” just one lap with this baby.

Check out the Fanatec site for more info on this and other wheels here: Fanatec Racing Wheels.

Great Pictures at The New York Times ‘Origins of Porsche’ – Paul, the mostly silent half of PorschePerfect.com, sent me this yesterday. The New York Times did a little feature called Origins of Porsche in their collectible cars section. 12 great pictures of Porsche 356′s. My favorites are #1 and #6. Definitely worth checking out here: Origins of Porsche.

China eyeing the #1 market for Porsche – Right now they’re #3, and moving up the ranks quickly. What’s very interesting to me is that China is the world’s largest market for the Porsche Cayenne. Evidently the well-heeled and high-ranking military figures love the Cayenne. Get this, when they go on sale there, the Cayenne S will fetch $217,000 and the Turbo a cool $300,000. A deposit of $30k is required just to get on the waiting list! [Via TheTruthAboutCars.com]

Porsche working on electric sports car – We’ve known for a while that Porsche has been dabbling in EV cars. The push, in my opinion, really started to fire up when RUF released their electric 911. Though a bit short on range, it showed some true promise in the EV sports car sector. When Porsche released the 918 Spyder, they definitely tipped their hand and made all of us used Porsche mortals salivate at the technology we’d see trickling down to our hand-me-down Porsche ranks in the not so distant future. So it comes as no real surprise to hear Porsche officially say it’s electrified three Porsche Boxsters as research cars. Will be interesting to see what comes in the next year or two and which model, aside from the 918 Spyder, is first in line for an electric version. [Via The Independent]

Porsche Cayman Clubsport could hit the streets in 2012 – Planet-9.com is pushing the rumor that we’ll be seeing a Porsche Cayman Clubsport edition in 2012. Details are speculative at this point, but here are the specs that the rumor mill seems to be most confident in so far:

333hp 3.4L engine
Sport PASM suspension – 20mm lower than stock ride height
A/C, stereo are optional
162-184lbs lighter than stock Cayman S
Aluminum doors, fabric door pulls
19″ unique lightweight wheels
Restylized front fascia
Rear diffuser
Ducktail-style larger rear spoiler (fixed)
Optional “Track Pack”, includes partial roll cage, harness and fittings plus fire extinguisher (europe only)
Cited performance numbers – 0-62 in 4.6s
Base Price: $66,330
[Via Planet-9.com]

Porsche Cayenne Turbo will kick butt in 2011 form – The more I see the Cayenne Turbo, the more I want one. These are one heck of a performance SUV. When I read the short review on Motor Trend’s Truck Trend, I wanted one more than ever. 0 to 60 in 4.4 seconds, yet fuel economy that rivals the 2010 V6 model?! Unbelievable! How long before some brave soul enters one of these bad boys in a track series? [Via Blogs.TruckTrend.com]

This is an amazing find by a guy named Alex Nunez. He happened on what appears to be the first ever Porsche 911 Turbo at the Greenwich Concours d’Elegance earlier last month. He said it was a little tucked out of the way and unless you read the placard in front of the car, you’d think it was just another 1976 or 1977 930. This special car is the prototype 911 Turbo. The very first factory turbocharged Porsche 911.

Here’s what Alex had to say in his post:

As the story goes, it began life as a regular ’73 911S company car driven by Porsche chief engineer Helmuth Bott. From there, it won the Porsche genetics lottery when it was sucked into the automaker’s experimental program to serve as the basis for the Turbo. As such, it became the first roadgoing Porsche 911 to get the turbo engine, along with the now-famous widebody treatment and whaletail.

Would love to know how this car made it’s way into the States. I’m surprised this one isn’t part of the factory collection.

The late 70′s and 80′s model 911 Turbos are still my favorite. Some day…some day.

[Source: Autoblog.com; Photos by Alex Núñez / Copyright ©2010 Weblogs, Inc.]