The Gemballa GTP 720 declares itself the fastest Panamera ever

By Alexander Kalogianni Published February 2, 2015

Gemballa Panamera GTP 720 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Gemballa, the Stuttgart-based tuning house that specialized in Porsches has been tinkering at its own version of the Panamera, a full-sized four door already faster than it looks like it should be. Recently, Gemballa has taken the work its done with its GTP and produced the GTP 720, the worlds fastest Panamera ever.

The GTP 720 is, as the name implies, a 720 horsepower iteration of Porsche’s successful sedan. The extra power comes from upgrades done to the twin-turbo 4.8-liter V8 that is normally capable of producing 570 hp in the Panamera Turbo S. The end result is a 0 to 62 time of 3.2 seconds.

Gemballa Panamera GTP 720 — Image used with permission by copyright holder

This is a full second faster than the vanilla Panamera is capable of. If that’s not impressive enough, then keep in mind that it can do from 0 to 300km/h (186 mph) in 26.4 seconds, which outpaces the normal Panamera by 33.4 seconds.

Recommended Videos

Further driving the point home is that the GTP 720 recorded a 1:37.08 lap time around the Sachsenring, a 2.28 mile track in Saxony. This gives it a quicker time on this track than the McLaren Mercedes SLR and even edges out the Nissan GT-R’s record for this track.

Yes, we’re sure the extra 150 hp over the Turbo S’s output helps, but according to the Gemballa chief executive, Andreas Schwarz, this isn’t the key element: “This exceptional performance is not only due to the car’s horsepower but also to its torque, raised by 255 Nm and available over a wide range of revs.”

No price has been stated on this retooled Porsche, but we suspect it’s in line with what the “more money than I know what to do with” class of shopper is used to.

Alexander Kalogianni

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Alex K is an automotive writer based in New York. When not at his keyboard or behind the wheel of a car, Alex spends a lot of…

Cars

Mini’s infotainment system is very charming, but still needs work

Main screen of the Mini infotainment system

When you think Mini, you probably don’t think of infotainment. Personally, I think of the British flag taillights, the distinct exterior, and the surprising room on the inside. But after driving the Mini John Cooper Works Countryman over the past week, infotainment might well be something I think of more often when it comes to Mini. It’s charming.

It also, however, suffers from all the traps that other legacy automakers fall into when it comes to software design. Mini has something on its hands here — but it still needs some work.
Bringing the charm
The first thing that stood out to me about the system when I got in the car was how fun it was. That all starts with the display. It’s round! No, it’s not curved — the screen is a big, round display sits in at 9.4 inches, and I found it plenty large enough for day-to-day use.

Cars

Plug-in hybrids are becoming more popular. Why? And will it continue?

Kia Niro EV Charging Port

There's a lot of talk about the idea that the growth in electric car sales has kind of slowed a little. It's not all that surprising -- EVs are still expensive, early adopters all have one by now, and they're still new enough to where there aren't too many ultra-affordable used EVs available. But plenty of people still want a greener vehicle, and that has given rise to an explosion in hybrid vehicle sales.

That's especially true of plug-in hybrid vehicles, which can be charged like an EV and driven in all-electric mode for short distances, and have a gas engine as a backup for longer distances or to be used in combination with electric mode for more efficient driving.

Cars

EV drivers are not going back to gas cars, global survey says

ev drivers are not going back to gas cars global survey says screenshot

Nearly all current owners of electric vehicles (EVs) are either satisfied or very satisfied with the experience, and 92% of them plan to buy another EV, according to a survey by the Global EV Drivers Alliance.

The survey of 23,000 EV drivers worldwide found that only 1% would return to a petrol or diesel car, while 4% would opt for a plug-in hybrid (PHEV) if they had to replace their car.