Reuters - Friday, August
1
SINGAPORE, Aug 1 - If you thought it would be difficult to
improve on a Porsche, think again.
German firm Gemballa is reaching out to Southeast Asia's wealthy
elite with upgraded Porsche models that aim to take the marque to a
new level of luxury and performance -- if you're willing to pay a
premium of about 400,000 euros on top of your car's already hefty
price tag.
At a glitzy launch in Singapore on Thursday, scores of the
island's multitude of millionaires flocked to see two of Gemballa's
Porsche models, the 650-horsepower Avalanche GTR-650 EVO and the GT
380.
The bright-orange GTR, with aggressive front and rear spoilers
and menacing black wheels, costs about S$1 million in Singapore,
one of the most expensive places on the planet to buy exotic cars.
It is based on the 996 turbo.
The GT 380, based on a 911 Carrera S coupe, costs about half
this amount but both had potential customers clambering for a
closer look as they sipped champagne.
Asked if his company was making better Porsches, company founder
Uwe Gemballa told Reuters: "You can't say so. Porsche is already a
good car. They could do what we do. But we are more flexible, we
concentrate on a small niche group of customers."
"I won't say we make it better, we make it different," he said
during the launch at Singapore's National Museum where dozens of
Ferraris, Porsches and Lamborghinis were parked out front in an
impromptu auto-show for passersby.
Local company Exquisite Marques is handling the Gemballa brand
in Singapore and customers can arrange to have their Porsches
kitted out to various Gemballa specs locally or order a bespoke
Gemballa from Germany.
Exquisite Marques said it has set a target to sell a dozen
Gemballas in Singapore over the next year, despite the tiny city
state's high automobile taxes and limited driving space.
Gemballa said South Korea was Asia's top market for the brand at
the moment, selling about a dozen cars, but he expects the brand to
do well in China, home to a growing class of newly rich, after just
starting business there.
He said the key to the Gemballa brand was customers being able
to make each car individual.
"You can do a 100,000 euro modification up to 400,000 euro
modification," he said, explaining changes can range from total
engine rebuilds, new interiors, to suspension and body kits.
"We have always tried to convince customers to have a round
package -- front spoilers, rear spoilers, side-skirts, bonnet,
wheels, exhaust, so the car is really a Gemballa car, not a mixture
of accessories," he added.