The Million-Dollar Porsche That Got Its Maker Killed

Welcome back to Pass Gas everybody. My

name is Nolan. Barts across from me and

this week we're talking about Gambala. A

company that by the end of this episode

I'm sure you will agree is really

underrated, really underappreciated.

Created some amazing cars and

unfortunately had a pretty sad ending.

So this is a cool story, a sad story

with some really badass cars along the

way. Sit back, relax, or uh pay

attention to driving if that's what

you're doing right now. I don't know.

and enjoy the story of Gambala.

The year is 2020. It's early morning on

the streets of Manhattan when suddenly a

sports car Kines out of control,

sideswipes several parked cars and

crashes to a halt. The driver revs a $1

million plus machine and peels out,

leaving an expensive path of destruction

before his engine seizes up and he is

taken into custody. Video of the debacle

spread like wildfire across the

internet. And it doesn't take long for

automotive enthusiasts to realize that

this isn't just a normal Porsche Carrera

GT, which is a rare sighting in itself.

In fact, the car is arguably one of the

rarest on the planet. The Porsche

Gambala Mirage GT, a $780,000

masterpiece of engineering. But despite

the waves it made, somehow the carnage

of this event fits in perfectly with the

Gambala timeline. Just one more

controversial blip for a company who

redefined what customization and excess

can mean in a road car. So, how did a

small tuning workshop in Germany become

a globally recognized brand? How has

Gambala continued its legacy of stunning

aftermarket design today? And what led

to the mysterious disappearance of their

founder? Buckle up for a ride into a

world of opulent luxury, monumental

success, and salacious tragedy. Today on

Pass Gas, it's Gambala.

[Music]

>> Hello and welcome back to the show

everybody. It feels like it's been a

long time, but for you,

>> for us,

>> temporally it has been, but for the

listener it has not. My name is Nolan

Sykes. Joining me across the desk, very

wobbly desk, Bart Biddling Meer.

>> Hi. Good to be here. Thanks for having

me.

>> Like a month. So Joe and I were doing a

few without you.

>> That's right.

>> Because you were uh driving across the

country. Yeah.

>> Um

>> and I still have to

>> You have more. Yes. More to come.

>> I think by the time the listener hears

this, we will have been done with the

whole project, I think.

>> Uh but yeah, it's been like a month

since I've seen you. What's I think it's

been more than that because it's been

like three weeks

>> since I shot and you hadn't been here

for a few weeks before that,

>> right? Okay. So,

>> yeah.

>> Dang.

>> I was on jury I'm good. I was on jury

those three weeks I was on jury duty.

>> Oh, can you discuss the case?

>> Yeah, it's over. So, I can say anything

I want about it. Um, but it, you know,

you get your summons and you're like,

ah, jury duty. And then you go in,

you'll be like,

>> all right. Usually it's a big room and

half you get dismissed. I was like juror

76. So I was like ah down the line I'm

not going to

>> Better than juror number two, huh?

>> Well, I'll tell you what. Uh jury

selection took a long time and uh like

you get in there and you sit down and

you're like all right. Like what you

know? Uh murder one.

>> Oh

>> yeah. Murder one.

>> Perk up a little bit.

>> Well, I'm kind of like you know we're

going to be we're going to be here.

>> Yeah. Yeah.

>> And then I was after all was said and

done, I was alternate three.

>> Oh, so you're just like

>> And then alternate 2 had to take a seat.

>> Mhm.

>> I was there for the whole thing.

>> So you were an alternate. You had to sit

in and listen to all

>> to deliberate. I don't even I don't

during deliberation, the alternates

can't even talk to each other about the

case.

>> Wow.

>> So the whole thing went by and I got to

tell you, I think 12 people got it

wrong.

>> Really?

>> Yeah. There was so much evidence that

didn't make sense that I'll I'll talk to

you later about. I'm sorry everybody.

This is going to be my next podcast.

>> I was going I was going to say it's a

great premise for a podcast.

>> We'll be right back after these

messages.

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Now back to the show.

I don't know how much of that we'll use

in this episode. It is uh pertinent

because the story of Gambala also has a

heavy

>> Mhm.

>> crime element to it that we'll get to.

So, here we go. Let's talk Gambala. U

Gambala was born in 1955 near Stoutgart,

Germany. Coincidentally, Stoutgart is

also the birthplace of the Porsche

Automotive Group, which seems fitting

for how Uve and the legendary car

manufacturer were destined for a future

together. Of course, we've talked about

Porsche a lot on the show recently.

>> Uh, and yes, details about Uve's

childhood remain sparse, but in one of

his rare interviews later in life, Uve

said that his early passion was

motorcycles. While still in school

during the 1970s, he spent weekends

racing bikes, but his interests soon

shifted to four-wheel machines fueled by

a fascination with the Porsche 911. The

I started in motorcycles is almost a

trope now, right? Like there's been so

many like pioneers of tuning,

motorsports, everything. I started even

like all the drivers and which is

because when you're a kid you

>> aren't driving a car, you're riding

bikes like

>> like so many drivers come from two

wheeled motorsports.

>> U purchased his first 911 when he was in

college. Man, that must be nice. And

found pleasure in reworking his car's

interior. Man, I wanted so badly just to

buy an NB Miata and it's like $3,000 for

one.

>> You know what's so funny though is like

is to your to that point,

>> if you're in college listening to this

and you're thinking of getting a car, do

it now.

>> You know, cuz when he got his Porsche,

it's it's like a little better than the

Beetle, you know? You know what I mean?

Like

>> he decided to turn his passion into a

profession and started a small tuning

shop in 1979. Headquartered in

Leyonberg, a small town outside of

Strutgard, Uve and a small group of

craftsmen he assembled delivered

never-beforeseen luxury upgrades to BMWs

and Porsches, focusing solely on

interiors at first. To the point of

like, how do you become a tuning shop? I

think that's pretty cool that it's like

we're going to focus on making your car

more luxurious for you and it's kind of

what like Maybach will do everything,

>> but the interior is an important, you

know, like let's cuss it up a bit.

overlooked, I think, aspect of car

customization. Uh my wife has a she has

a like a old Lexus sedan. She loves

>> uh like leopard print and cheetah stuff,

like that kind of like extravagant type

of stuff. 2004.

>> She wants like leopard print foot mats

and like dash cover and stuff. like

that's something I would never ever

want, but

>> it would be kind of cool.

>> It's to the point like there's companies

I think Xan can is the name of one of

them, but

>> can

>> they do it's like great, we have all of

the specs for these cars seats. Tell us

what you want and we'll make you those

seats. And it's not even like the seat

cover crap. They're like, "No, we'll rip

the old off and put on a legit

full." Anyways,

>> so

>> I should look into that.

>> Yeah. For her birthday. When's her

birthday? Uh, next next April.

>> Leopard print, baby.

>> Leopard print. That would be kind of

sick.

>> You know what you can do? Tell her you

tell her you got into an accident.

>> Okay.

>> Ask if tell her you got an accident.

>> Uh, we'll do you can call it We'll No,

we can do a video for Donut. We'll call

it underhauling.

>> Underhauling.

>> And then deliver the car with all

leopard inside. Hell yeah.

>> And then she'd be like, I was joking.

You think I'm into that? Okay. So, as

demand for his services began to grow,

Uve saw greater potential. He decided to

go beyond tailoring interiors and begin

creating complete body and performance

overhauls. Overhauls and officially

founded Gambala in 1981. Hell yeah. Here

we go. In the late '7s, Porsche

engineers realized that the round

headlights on their 935 race car were

bad for aerodynamics. So they designed

the now iconic slant-nose 935 which

immediately reduced wind drag and

resulted in wins at Lama and other elite

European races. Gambala loved the

slant-nose 935 so much that he decided

to adapt it to the 930 turbo road car,

but this was just the beginning. Uve

would go on to add gorgeous custom

fenders, spoiler options, and unique

paint colors, which resulted in singular

creations that began to gain attention

around Strutgot. Porsche has so many

people who fall in love with it.

I think I'm trying to think of another

company who has as many

uh like

>> I think

>> like like an aftermarket kind of tuner

body.

>> Yeah. company that is completely made

around that car

>> because people are like, I love this so

much, I'm going to put it on other

things. Maybe the Dodge Magnum.

>> Okay.

>> No, I'm just kidding. But I did see a

Dodge Magnum with a a Chrysler 500 front

and I was like, that's good.

>> I wish they made a Chrysler wagon. Um,

yeah, that's a good good question. But

there's like Corvettes and there's, you

know, and there's there's Chevy shops

and there it's a But I don't think it's

the same as like this instance of, oh,

you did this, you did this new design

thing. I'm going to take your new design

design thing and and put it on these

other cars that are also kind of like

your cars. You know what I mean?

>> Yeah, I hear you.

>> So, despite the uh body kits, the

interiors Gambala produced were just as

jaw-dropping. They pioneered technology

such as LED instrument panels and remote

control audio systems embedded in the

steering wheel while customizing

upholstery with the finest fabrics

available. So, they were very far ahead

of the curve. This is still the early

80s. And uh that's that's pretty cool.

>> I'd like a nice hounds tooth.

>> Oh, yeah. I feel Yeah. Yeah. Me, too.

Uh, some automotive purists scoffed at

the idea of an aftermarket tuner who

worked more like an artist than a

mechanic. But only a few years into the

80s, there was no denying that Gambala

had become a symbol of status and

cuttingedge automotive technology. And

here's some clarification. While other

tuners in Germany like roof and Alpena

received manufacturer status and were

able to release cars with their own VIN

numbers, Gambala never achieved this

status. Gambala cars still have the

original Porsche VIN, but Gambala

includes paperwork that details their

modifications. Word of Gambala's 911

creations spread quickly, and it wasn't

long before royal families, oil tycoons,

celebrities, and other uber wealthy car

collectors from around the world began

calling in requests for Uveu's

one-of-a-kind machines. However, despite

the demand, Uve decided to venture into

the great unknown by releasing his most

iconic Porsche build yet. In 1984,

Gambala created its first and easily one

of its most recognizable models, the

Avalanche.

>> Oh, that's an interesting

little guy.

>> Yeah, it's like a Ferrari Porsche.

>> Yes, it's got the Tessterosa side

streaks for sure. Up until this point,

Gambala focused mainly on aesthetics

like interior design and arrow kits.

This time would be different, however.

The beating heart of the Avalanche was a

heavily modified turbo flat 6 engine

which generated up to 400 horsepower

which was a stunning number for the

1980s. I don't care if your mom

>> still pretty sick number especially in a

Porsche.

>> It's the perfect horsepower

>> for a car of a certain size.

>> Yeah, 400's all you need really.

>> With a top speed of over 180 and the

ability to go 0 to 60 in less than 5

seconds, the Avalanche was blazing fast.

We probably go faster today with modern

tires, too.

We got to keep that in mind when

discussing vintage 0 to 60 times. Tires

was a big part of that.

>> Because I went to the car meet at Helms

Bakery and there was a, you know, early

'8s Porsche.

>> Mhm.

>> With original tires.

>> Oh, wow.

>> Yeah. And I was like,

>> but uh Matt Farah was there. He's like,

"Hold on, I'm just going to go over and

tell this guys about vintage tires."

>> Like, don't use them.

>> You should not have driven that here.

>> That is scary. Yeah. I mean, one, at the

very least, you're going to

inconvenience yourself.

>> They're 40 years old.

>> Yeah. Or you're gonna spin out and kill

yourself and destroy your car. The

Avalanche was blazing fast, but thanks

to upgraded suspension and braking,

handling was also on par with or

exceeded many of its contemporaries, and

that's saying something. All of

Gambala's competitors were tuning houses

that have been around for decades and or

OEMs. They're punching above their

weight class here. Uh, also the 911 like

great. I mean, I think a reason a lot of

these tuning companies were gravitated

towards them is like it was a really

great foundation anyway. Like you didn't

have to buy the super top.

>> It's a great platform. It's an

understatement.

>> But we covered that in our Porsche

series where it's just like the

engineering was top-notch and just the

the design lent itself to really great

handling in the first place. It didn't

need to have the top-of-the-line

suspension. It was just like the way

they put the car together meant it was

going to be great regardless.

>> Um,

>> regardless,

>> irregardless. Despite its audacious

horsepower, the first thing people

noticed about the Avalanche was its

jaw-dropping exterior design, the 935

inspired slant nose, integrated front

and rear bumpers, pop-up headlights,

flared wheel arches, and a massive

spoiler added both eye-catching style

and world-class function. And as Bart

mentioned, it had the Tessterosa side

intakes. The Gambala also made sure the

paint on the Avalanche stood out, often

finishing models with bold metallic

colors paired with lowprofile tires and

custom wheels. The the fact that you're

doing this to a Porsche and it comes out

that like it really does look good. You

know what I mean? And it's it I think

that shouldn't be understated how

difficult to to make it look cohesive

>> evoking a Porsche looking like its own

car. And also it is so so 1984. You know

what I mean? Like it is it is just

>> Yeah. I was going to say it it

definitely evokes Porsche, but also like

I could see someone looking at this and

absolutely hating it because it it it's

Porsche enough, but it's also its own

thing.

>> What did you do?

>> But I look at it and I'm like, the

spoiler on it, you look at it. Yeah.

>> Massive spoiler.

>> It's bizarre.

>> It's so cool. But it is like the Porsche

whale tail, but just take it turned up

like 15 notches. Also, like what are

these little things on the rear windows?

What are these elements? Well, you don't

want the air to go into the Yeah,

>> that's it's cool. Yeah, it's different.

>> It evokes a stingray swimming through

the water.

>> Oo, mant. Yeah, with the curl and the

>> Yeah, dude. Okay, bringing some

>> uh some nature into it. I like it. Um

Yeah, it's it's crazy. This thing's

crazy. Inside the Avalanche.

>> Did you ever see the uh uh Miami Vice

where Don Johnson has to go undercover?

>> No. Is that like every other episode?

>> There was one. It really It's It's a

It's It's I don't want to say they

jumped the shark because how can you do

that with with Miami Vice, but he like

Oh, maybe it was Tubs who did it.

Somebody

>> Manor Ray Johnson

>> somebody somebody drove through they had

to get arrested so that they could go

undercover in prison.

>> Oh. So, the way they got arrested was he

ran through a toll booth and just

>> shattered it. Um, I think he was in a

red Ferrari, but

>> this car is what would run through a

toll booth and shatter it if you were on

cocaine in Miami and wanted to get

arrested. That's this car.

>> 100%. Bart, that thing's so sick. That's

a very cocaine car. For sure.

>> For sure. You'd go to uh uh uh

>> now a cocaine car is just a Nissan

>> you'd go to there'd be that guy who

dresses up in like the 80s business

>> chic. Remember that guy?

>> Yeah.

>> Well, there too, but in Miami, you'd be

wearing a pink shirt and a white blazer

with the sleeves rolled up.

>> It's a good look. Yeah, it's a good

look.

>> No socks, baby.

>> Inside the Avalanche, Gambala tailored

true extravagance. He had high-grade

wood, gold, suede, and leather covered

seats and dashboards paired nicely with

CD players, which is big back then. Rear

view camera systems and video screens.

This is crazy. The cockpit feel of the

Avalanche was a cross between a

spaceship and a fighter jet with digital

gauges and custom switchear options

spread across the cluster and center

console. Gambala was so

state-of-the-art, much of the tech

inside the Avalanche wasn't offered in

the highest trim levels of Porsche. Wow.

It would be decades before such options

would become available to the general

public. Roughly 15 of these avalanches

were built with each being essentially a

one-off creation, specially built to

order for their wealthy owners. Emphasis

on wealthy because whoever was buying an

avalanche, guys like Vanilla Ice were

paying 10 times what a 911 Turbo

>> lived in

Miami.

>> Miami. I was going to say Jacksonville,

but that's Fred Durst. He's from

Jacksonville.

>> I don't I think he lived in Miami cuz he

was A1A was the

>> you know that that goes up the east

coast.

>> Okay. Uh Beachfront Avenue.

>> They were paying 10 times what a 911

Turbo typically cost at the time. Let me

make sure. Fred Durst was from

Jacksonville.

>> Maybe it's just where he has his uh

construction empire.

>> Maybe he was born in Jacksonville. Okay,

good. Phew. I got my new metal facts

right. That's all that matters. The

Avalanche launched Gambala into the

luxury car stratosphere, but Uveu wasn't

about to rest on his laurels. Gambala

had made a clear statement with the

Avalanche that they could deliver a

brutally fast, aggressive looking coupe

with unparalleled luxury, but with their

next model, Uve wanted to cater to

customers who favored premium style and

an openair driving experience. Enter the

Gambala Cirrus, which premiered shortly

after the Avalanche in 1985. Oh, this

thing. I think I would probably I'd take

this. Here's your crashing through the

the

God. He's obsessed with those. See, I

don't think this one I don't think he

nailed.

>> You don't think so?

>> I understand. I I understated.

>> It is a continuation of his

style. Um, but I don't think it looks as

much of a Porsche as that as the

Avalanche.

>> I think I agree with you on that. I

mean, look at the side profile of that.

It almost it does look fake almost.

>> Yeah, it and not that it's good or bad,

but it almost looks like what was coming

out of some Japanese companies at the

time.

>> Interesting.

>> We'll be right back after these

messages.

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Now, back to the show.

Depending on the order, the Cirrus was

based on the late 930 and later the

early 964 gens of the 911 Carrera

Cabriolet. The entirely redone interior

boasted either full leather or Alcanter

Alcantara upholstery.

>> I was going to say it almost looks a

little Volkswageny, too. Like there's a

lot going on there. So along with

eye-catching details on the dashboards

and seats for drivers who needed a bit

of entertainment, the Cirrus featured

car phones, VCRs, and state-of-the-art

surround sound systems. New digital

clusters and futuristic center console

switches made the cockpit of the Cirrus

feel more like the Millennium Falcon

than a road car. My uh the Taurus, the

cop cars got like it's all bare bones,

right? But in the back, so you've got

the spare is in this kind of this foam

thing. And then uh there's just uh a big

old sheet of hard plastic, but on the

side it curves up

>> and there's like two little

compartments.

>> Sometimes I'll put stuff stuff in it and

I feel like Han Solo.

>> Yeah. Smuggling.

>> Nice. Exactly.

The exterior of the Cirrus featured

several gorgeous design tweaks,

including integrated side strikes that

were reminiscent of the doors of the

Ferrari Tessterosa, which I mentioned.

>> Take a closer look at the doors, and

you'll notice there's no visible door

handle. It's actually a hidden button

under the top lip of the Strake. So,

there you go. Little little boop.

Everyone does that now. Everyone's got

the stupid hidden button door handle.

>> Yeah. Uh, but they were probably one of

the first, some of the first. I bet

there's like low rider guys doing this,

though.

>> Low riders have been doing a lot of that

forever.

>> The convertible option made the Cirrus

particularly exotic with its wide stance

extended by custom fenders and front and

rear bumpers. The body was more

aerodynamic and smooth than traditional

911 models. And like the Avalanche, the

Cirrus came complete with extravagant

paint jobs. The Cirrus's engine wasn't

as powerful as that of the Avalanche,

but it was no slouch either. With a

naturally aspirated 3.2 L rooftuned flat

6 that had 228 horsepower, yeah, and a

top speed of 160 mph, the Cirrus could

still hang with many of its peers.

>> Debuting smack dab in the middle of the

cocaine 80s, they fit perfectly

alongside the most outrageous designs

coming out of Europe at the time, like

the Lamborghini Countach and Ferrari

Tessterosa.

Very few Cirruses were produced. Rumor

has it less than 15, which has led

naturally to their cult-like following

among today's Porsche enthusiasts. I

think the Avalanche is cooler, though.

>> I think it is too.

>> The attention the Avalanche and Cirrus

achieved for Gambala put them in the

direct focus of some major luxury car

manufacturers. By 1988, Uve was

routinely summoned to create upgrade

packages for Rolls-Royce, Ferrari, and

Mercedes, all while maintaining an

intimate tie with Porsche.

Gmbala solidified itself as a symbol of

excess and opulence in the 1980s while

also reinventing the rules of

aftermarket automotive design. As the

decade came to a close, a new generation

of customers were coming of age. And

with it came a new era for Kimala. So,

here we go. We're going into the 1990s.

>> Let's do it. I watched Hocus Pocus this

weekend, which came out in 1993, the

year I was born, and I was like, "The

all these kids in this movie, they're

they're kids." And I was like, "Oh, no.

They're all

>> much not much older, but you know, older

than me."

>> Um, strange feeling.

>> The the 1990s marked a transition from

the go XS of the 80s to a more mature

idea of what a luxury car should look

like. There were certainly futuristic

models in the9s such as the advent of

the supercar era ushered in by the

McLaren F1, Bugatti EB 110, and

Lamborghini Diablo. But Gambala took a

more grounded path while still pushing

the boundaries of power and singular

style. In the early 90s, Gambala

produced aerodynamic and technology

packages for the Porsche 964 and 993,

which was the first production model

Porsche to feature all-wheel drive and a

twin turbo engine, depending on the

trim. These innovations from Porsche

helped Gimbala produce even more

heartstoppping models like the Extreo

Burbo. Oh, mama,

that's

interesting looking.

I like it.

>> You like it?

>> It's round. You know what I mean? Like

they're rounding things off. Look at the

the hood is sick as hell, though. That's

cool.

>> Uhhuh.

>> Uh yeah. If I saw it in person, I'd

probably think that's pretty cool. Yeah.

>> But that's that's a swing. That's a

swing. I'll say that, dear listener.

This 993 derived supercar featured a 500

horsepower house-tuned flat 6 turbo.

They produced it as a promotional

vehicle for luxury tire maker Fula and

it's allwheel drive

>> in 1997. That's right. At one stop of

Fula's tour of the $1.2 million Extreo,

Shik Abdul Mosen tried to purchase the

vehicle, but the company declined. Shake

Abdul Mosen wanted the car so badly that

he hired Gambala to make him one of his

own. Gambala bumped this second Extreo

to over 600 horsepower, nearly 200

horsepower more than the stock 993

Turbo. What's funny about that is it's

like, yeah, that's how this works. You

hire the person who makes the car to

make you the car.

>> Yeah, that was kind of the whole point

of them building that first one.

>> And they finished the car in Sunshine

Yellow. But as time went on, the Shake

clearly lost interest because the car

was found and abandoned covered in dust

and debris outside a residence in Dubai

in January of this year. When he wasn't,

>> it's crazy in Dubai. how many

>> exotic exotic million plus dollar cars

you'll see just gathering dust.

>> We did a video about it a few years ago

and what explain a big part of that is

that a lot of

>> they don't have any oil.

>> No. Yeah. They just run out.

>> They run they can't do the oil changes

anymore.

>> No. Uh there's a lot of like uh either

expats or people who work in the country

in Dubai uh they make a ton of money.

They'll buy a cool car and then like

lose their job or something happens,

they'll leave the country and then have

to they'll just abandon the car and uh

that's how that happens. When he wasn't

making one of a kind supercars for

Middle East royals, Gambala spent the

later part of the '90s uh learning

guitar. No. Uh creating specialized

technology and aerodynamic packages for

the Porsche 996 as well as upgrades for

the newly introduced Boxster. Despite

the Boxster being on the lower end of

the Porsche totem pole, Gambala created

some truly gorgeous versions of this

modest entry-level car, particularly in

the early 2000s with twin turbo engines

in the Boxster S, which sounds

absolutely terrifying.

The '9s may have been Gimbala's peak

era, but in the face of new competition

from aftermarket tuners like Roof and

Tech Art, as well as various global

economic swings, they still maintained a

distinct vision entering the new

millennium.

>> Can we pull up a version of Yeah.

>> Oh yeah, brother. Dude,

>> that's sick.

>> Yeah,

>> that's super cool.

>> That is really cool. That no and like

the nose works. You know what I mean?

Like there's a lot It's like a mini like

Carrera GT,

>> you know? That's cool.

>> Yeah,

>> that's really sick. Oh, I love that,

dude. Good for them. Bless their heart.

Bless their heart.

>> Yeah, if someone rolled up in that to

like a whatever.

>> There's like there's elements of Bugatti

in it. Like there's there's so much

going on that somehow works that that

feels

>> Yeah. good.

>> I I love that. In the early 2000s,

Porsche introduced a number of exciting

new models. New versions of the 911 and

a surge of interest in luxury SUVs gave

Gambala exciting opportunities to create

completely new works of art. In 2001,

Gambala unveiled the new GTR 600, which

was based on the 996 Turbo. One of the

most innovative tweaks on the GTR600 was

its butterfly hinge doors. The next

year, Gambala debuted the 996 GT3based

600R, which set a street legal vehicle

lap record at the Nurburgring Nord

Schlifa with a blistering time of 7

minutes 32 1/2 seconds, nearly 30

seconds faster than a stock Carrera. The

GTR 600 also went on to claim a GTC

class trophy at the Hawenheim Ring.

Nice.

>> I wonder what happens internally at a

company like Porsche when this happens.

If they're like, "Good for them." Or

they're like, "Guys, guys."

>> Yeah. If I was doing If I was a project

manager, I'd be like,

>> "We can't let these these little guys

upstage us. We're the big dog."

>> We'll be right back after these

messages.

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>> Now, back to the show.

Following Porsche's launch of their

first ever SUV, the Cayenne, Gambala

premiered the A3 package in 2003, the

modified twin turbo engine made a

whopping 750 horses. Good lord, which is

more power than a 2025 Porsche Cayenne

Ehybrid Turbo, by the way. Gambala also

spared no expense in the interior, which

featured integrated multimedia

headrests, meaning TVs in the back of

the headrest, and custom leather rear

sport seats. Nice. 2005 brought about

one of the fastest gambala cars ever,

the GTR 650 Avalanche. This new version

of the iconic Avalanche was a 997

Carrera S-based beast that had 650

horses and can go 210 mph. Good lord.

And while the new look Avalanche GTRS

and A3s were certainly beautiful

machines, no Gimala creation of the

2000s made more of a statement than the

Gimala Mirage GT. Introduced in 2005,

the Mirage GT took everything the stock

Carrera GT offered and pushed it to the

ultimate performance and visual limit.

In terms of power, Gambala kept the

Carrera's 5.7 L V10 engine, but added an

advanced exhaust that resulted in over

670 horsepower. They also made carbon

air intake tweaks and reworked the

engine mapping, giving the Mirage a 3.6

6-second 0 to 60 time with custom carbon

fiber bumpers, side skirts, and a hood

along with deeper air ducts, and a fixed

rear wing. The Mirage was noticeably

more extravagant than the modest Carrera

GT base. And like Gimbala's marvels from

years before, the Mirage GT featured

premium audio and video systems,

futuristic instrument clusters with

stunning bespoke leather upholstery.

Only 25 Mirage GTs were made and each

cost well over a million dollars, about

1.6 million in 2025. Pull it up, sir.

>> Yeah. Today, it's seen as one of the

greatest tuner supercars in history. The

Mirage GT was the epitome of Gambala's

creative greatness. It set the stage for

what should have been an exciting new

chapter for the company, but no one

could have anticipated what came next.

But before we get to that, Bart, I'll

I'll show you the Gimbal Mirage. Yeah,

that's pretty cool. Not not as crazy I

thought as I thought it was going to

look, but there she is. The murals,

>> it does look very Porsche.

>> Yeah,

>> but again, it this is out of From what

you were saying, I'm expecting it to be

a bit more

>> Yeah.

>> out there. I think it looks great. It

looks like a Porsche. It's subtle

tweaks. It's not like It's not like the

Avalanche, you know.

>> It's subtle by Gambala standards for

sure. Yes. But yeah, I was expecting

there's another Gambala. I I don't know

if it's Carrera GT based, but uh Oh, you

know what? I'm thinking of the their

they did make eventually a bespoke car

that was completely of their own design,

and that's what I was thinking this was

going to look like. But no, this is a

Mural. It's a It's a Carrera GT with a

body kit and also better everything,

faster everything. Very cool, man.

That's cool. I love it.

>> Gambala doesn't really come up in

conversation a lot.

>> No. Well, they didn't

>> for whatever reason.

>> They they weren't I don't think they're

as prolific. You know what I mean?

>> Is is part of why.

>> Looking at all of their cars, you can

tell it's like they're not for

everybody.

>> No.

>> No, they're not. They're definitely not.

It's like almost one or two kind of like

notches close to uh like a mansery

>> or something like that.

>> It appeals to like the mansery crowd

maybe. uh which if you don't know

Mansory very controversial like body kit

manufacturer they quote unquote ruin a

lot of cars but you know they their

clientele is just very rich people and I

think Gmbal is the same way a lot of

wealthy people buying these cars

definitely not purists quote unquote

buying these I think

>> this is another interesting though of

note I think is that we're telling this

the story because we don't there's so

little that is known about what's going

on within and around this company I

think intentionally like the story of

the company is being told by their

product

>> which is h

>> cool it's been written that man writes

his history in three books the book of

words the book of deeds and uh the book

of art

>> wow

>> and out of all of these the the book of

art is probably the most true

>> but anyways we're getting this man's

story through

the art

>> the car so The global financial crisis

of 2009 rocked the luxury auto market

and Uve found himself anxiously looking

for new investors. It's no secret that

Uve operated in an industry where big

egos and even bigger sums of money often

came as a package deal. Gambala's

ability to personally work for some of

the wealthiest people on Earth was a

boon for business, but it also came with

the risk of potentially offending one of

his investors or clients and facing some

backlash. In February of 2010,

55-year-old Uve went to South Africa to

meet with a potential investor named

Jerome Sapphire. However, shortly after

touching down at uh O Tambo airport and

getting into a Volkswagen Golf, Uve

disappeared. After 3 days of anxiety and

dread, Uve's wife Cristian back in

Germany received a call from a

mysterious man who demanded a ransom of

€1 million for Gimbala's release. Uve

was put on the phone and spoke with

Cristian and they said they would call

back an instructor where to deposit the

money. Unfortunately though, that call

would never come. In fact, it would take

8 months before Uve's body was finally

discovered in a black plastic bag in a

shallow grave near Atridgeville, South

Africa. Investigators charged multiple

men in connection with Uve's murder and

kidnapping, including Jerome Safy, who

was the man behind the Jerome Sapphire

alias. Safy and his accompllices

admitted to killing him.

>> So, this is a guy who didn't exist who

lured him to South Africa under an

alias.

>> Goodness. Safi and his accompllices

admitted to killing Uve under the order

of a high-level Czechoslovakian criminal

named Rodivan Kier who had allegedly

made a deal with Gambala to smuggle cash

inside Gimbala cars bound for South

Africa. According to Juan Meyer, one of

the other men arrested with Safi.

Gambala shipped a Porsche Cayenne to

South Africa shortly before his doomed

trip. The Cayenne was supposed to have

€1 million hidden inside, but when it

arrived, the money was nowhere to be

found, and Creature was furious. Again,

this is a criminal suspect telling the

story, so take it with a big grain of

salt. But if it were true, it would seem

logical for Uve to want to patch things

up in person, but when he arrived in

South Africa, he found that Crattoir was

in no mood to bargain. Despite the

fingerpointing, Crattoir had placed

himself far enough away from Uveu's

kidnapping that he escaped formal

charges. However, only a few years

later, he was sentenced to 35 years in a

South African prison for the attempted

murder and kidnapping of a different

man. The events surrounding Uve

Gambala's death are nearly as enematic

as the man's life itself. Despite being

the name behind one of the most

exclusive, well-connected luxury brands

in the world, Uve was relentlessly

avoidant of the press. To this day, much

of his personal life remains a mystery.

It's nearly impossible to find

information about his parents, how he

got the money to start his company, or

how he managed to fly under the radar

for so many years. Despite the lingering

questions, there was one certainty.

After their leader passing, Gambala was

on the brink of collapse. Dude, that's

tragic.

>> Yeah, it's crazy.

>> It was uh not a great time for the

economy. I could see him needing to find

other avenues of

>> revenue. Yeah. And just making a bad

decision like that,

>> getting in bed with some bad people.

>> Certainly plausible.

>> Yeah. Dang, dude. That's that sucks.

Wow.

Shortly after Uve Gmbala's death, the

company declared bankruptcy and

production was halted. Fortunately,

German businessman Stefan Corbach

stepped in with his partner Andreas

Schwarz and bought the remaining assets.

Relaunched as Gambala GmbH in 2011, the

new executives immediately set out to

restore the company's reputation.

Schwarz, an automotive engineer himself,

wasted no time by debuting two all-new

Gambala models in 2011, the Tornado and

the Mistral, both of which featured

lightweight carbon fiber paneling.

Quote, "Modern cars are larger and

heavier despite high-tech materials,"

said Schwarz in an interview with Motor

Trend. A power increase is good, but the

ultimate solution is more power and less

weight. My concept for our Panamera

based Mistral and Cayennebased Tornado

was to replace most of the body panels

with carbon fiber parts, incorporating

wider arches and functional styling

motifs. In 2012, Corbach announced that

Gambala GmbH was officially partnering

with McLaren to help develop a package

for the McLaren MP4-12C

and 12C Spider. Remember those things?

While Gmbala didn't touch the McLaren

600 horsepower V8 twin turbo engine,

they made up for it with distinctive

body additions like side skirts and a

rear wing along with aggressive 20-in

and 21in wheels. Neat.

>> Yeah, I see it.

>> Yeah, sure. It's an understated design.

I think

>> it's all right.

>> It does. It looks a little McLaren.

Looks a little Porsche. Looks

>> Yeah, I think it's certainly, you know,

I think uh I think

>> it doesn't have the uh Yeah, the the

character. doesn't have that u touch,

man.

>> Yeah.

>> You know, it looks like a Grand Theft

Auto car.

>> Yeah, it does.

>> You know where it's like that's a car.

>> Yeah. The mid 2010 saw Gmbala release a

fresh iteration of the Cayenne inspired

aero package as well as a 918

spiderbased new gen Mirage. In 2019,

Gambala released the 991based GTR 8XX

Evo R by Turbo. Is that enough

superlatives for you? With a modified

3.8 8 liter engine capable of 818

horsepower and a top speed of over 230

mph. Good lord. An aerodynamic marvel.

The GTR 8XX featured a

>> by turbo.

>> By turbo Evo R featured carbon fiber

bodywork that enhanced speed through

function and extraordinary lightweight

materials. Apparently, according to

Gimala. Let's look this thing up again.

It's playing it a little safe. Me

thinks.

>> Yeah, I agree. That's I think it's a

Porsche with a funky wing,

>> right?

>> Yeah. I mean, I like the hood.

>> That's not to say it's not a remarkable.

>> It's really cool looking.

>> Yeah,

>> but it just doesn't have that stank, you

know?

>> Doesn't have the stank on it. So, with

the help of Corbach and Schwarz, Gambala

had successfully avoided disaster in the

2010s and was able to maintain their

reputation as a premier aftermarket

tuner. However, as the decade came to a

close, word began to spread that a new

Gambala company was about to begin. Oo.

As Corbach and Schwarz continued to

steer Gambala GmbH into the 2020s, Uve's

son Mark Phipe started his own tuning

company. Mark Phipe Gambala GmbH

launched in 2020 with Mark's goal to

maintain his family's legacy of singular

automotive aftermarket design. However,

Mark said that his objectives differed

slightly from his father's. quote, "I

don't feel the need, the desire to do

what my father did, to set the top speed

records, to challenge the world in that

way. This is different. It's the future,

something new." Yes, it is by a Gambala.

I am a Gambala, but not the way it was.

The debut vehicle from Mark Gambala was

the Masen, an aggressive 800 horsepower

machine built off a 992 Turbo S911.

Inspired by the 959 Perry Dear, the

model leaned into the Porsche Safari

ethos, which focused on being functional

and durable while still seething with

modern luxury. Oh, I'm seething right

now. I'm seething with modern luxury. Uh

to emphasize the off-road capabilities

of the Masan, Gambala reinforced the

chassis, and thanks to state-of-the-art

suspension and technology, it can

quickly transform from a stunning road

car to an off-road brawler. Limited to

just 40 units, the Marcen is one of the

most exclusive modern vehicles in the

world and has made it clear that the

Gambala name is safe in Mark Philip's

hands. Pretty cool.

>> Yeah, I've seen it.

>> Yeah.

>> Pretty neat. With a new era of EVs and

hypercars on the horizon, the two

Gambala companies are primed for an

exciting, albeit slightly different

future. Corbach and Schwarz have made it

clear that the future of Gambala GmbH

lies in elite hypercars that prioritize

singular performance. While Mark Phipe

is focused on a more practical supercar

that can go anywhere. So what started as

a small aftermarket specialist in 1979

quickly turned into an icon with cars

like the Avalanche, Cirrus, and Mirage

being some of the most rare and

sought-after cars in the world today. U

Gambala modified cars in a way no one

was at the time and in doing so created

a niche market for supercars that

companies like Braas and Mansory and one

could argue Rocket Bunny and Liberty

Walks as well. Gambala's connection with

Porsche will always be at the forefront

of its legacy, but their work for other

luxury brands like McLaren continues to

spread their influence. Today, Ube

Gambala's son, Mark Philipe, carries on

his father's ethos of merging exotic

engineering with radical design and

personal luxury. And you know what? I

wish him well.

>> Yeah,

>> I wish him well, man. I mean, looking at

these older Gambal, like the 80s and 90s

cars, they're unique, you know, truly.

the that Avalanche, dude. That thing is

so crazy but so cool. I don't know if

anyone else will be able to kind of

replicate his take on cars, you know?

>> It's a real tragedy that he went out the

way he did, man.

>> That's it's really unfortunate.

>> Wow. Again, I think really underrated

>> company. I think these cars are kind of

not represented in the conversation as

often as they should be. And I would

love to see where

>> even even we we we focused a lot on

looks,

>> but even just the numbers are when you

take them when they were coming out and

what they were doing ahead of their

time.

>> Really, really nuts that they're not in

the conversation more.

>> Yeah,

that was the story of Gambala. You know,

sad story, but an evolving one. And

we'll see what uh Gambala GmbH and what

Mark Phippe can do in the future. And I

again, I I wish Mark Philipe a lot of

luck here. and I'm, you know, the best.

Um, man, that's tough. But I think that

DAR thing is really sick, too. So, all

right, that's been the show. Thank you

guys so much for listening. My name is

Nolan. You can follow me at NolanJ Sykes

on uh Instagram or Blue Sky if you want.

And then Bart

uh Bidsbart on Instagram. Hit hit him

up.

>> All right.

>> Hit them up there. I'm looking forward

to the new crime podcast. And thank you

to our crew behind the camera and our

rider this week, Luke Clampine, doing a

great job as always. We'll see you next

time. Goodbye. Bye.

[Music]

The Million-Dollar Porsche That Got Its Maker Killed

About this episode

Gambala Mirage GT

Porsche 930 Turbo

Chrysler 500

Porsche Avalanche

Gemballa Avalanche

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