A $800,000 Gemballa Mirage GT: The Car at the Center of a Money Laundering Scandal

Last year, videos showing what appeared to be a $450,000 Porsche Carrera GT tearing through New York city streets went viral on social media. However, this car was not a $450,000 Porsche Carrera GT, but rather a heavily modified $800,000 Gemballa Mirage GT owned and allegedly driven by multimillionaire Ben Chen. While the charges against him were mysteriously dropped, the incident was incredibly fitting for Gemballa's image of excess for the sake of excess, flying in the face of consequence.

Unfortunately, that same attitude may have cost the company's founder everything when a suspected international money laundering scheme finally caught up with him. The incident highlights Gemballa's reputation for creating cars that embody excess and opulence, which is reflected in their image and branding.

Gemballa's Story Begins

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Porsche Tuning: A Multi-Billion Dollar Industry

Porsche tuning is a multi-billion dollar industry from the classic cool of Stingerto the rowdy wildness of RWB. It seems like there's a company for every style. If your personal styling mirrors the coke-filled opulence of the 80's and 90's, then the Porsche tuner for you is Gemballa.

Their story begins in 1979 when Uwe Gemballa started producing flashy custom interiors, incorporating high-tech audio and video systems for wealthy Porsche and BMW owners. You might be wondering what Uwe was doing before then. Frankly, I'm wondering that too. Uwe led a secretive life, possibly because of some less-than-legal business dealings, which we'll get to later.

Either way, there's very little information about who he was or where he came from. In a 2007 interview, he says that he got into motorcycles while in college, found them to be too dangerous and switched to cars. He bought a Porsche 911 and started a tuning company to pay for it. And that's everything we know about Uwe Gemballa before he established his company.

Looking at the company's body of work, it's hard to believe Gemballa's first model was built to look like a race car. That was the 1981 slant nose conversion of the Porsche 930. The generation of 911 produced between 1975 and 1989. The slant nose style or Flachbau for flat nose mimics the successful factory racers that won Le Mans and nearly every other European race in the late 1970s.

The Race Cars: 935

The race cars were dubbed 935 because they were 930-generation cars adapted for FIA group 5 racing. Porsche engineers aren't very imaginative when it comes to naming things. But Porsche engineers are imaginative when interpreting FIA regulations. Group 5 included something called "the big cat" which referred to the Porsche 935, a car that was considered almost unbeatable on the track.

Gemballa's Cars: A Legacy of Excess

Looking at the company's body of work, it's hard to believe Gemballa's first model was built to look like a race car. The cars created by Gemballa embody excess and opulence, which is reflected in their image and branding. From the 1981 slant nose conversion of the Porsche 930 to the modern-day Mirage GT, Gemballa's cars are a testament to the company's commitment to creating vehicles that stand out from the crowd.

The Legacy of Uwe Gemballa

Uwe Gemballa started his company in 1979 with a passion for creating custom interiors and high-tech audio and video systems. He built his reputation on creating cars that were unique, luxurious, and above all else, exclusive. However, as we now know, this exclusivity came at a price, and the company's founder was involved in a suspected international money laundering scheme.

The incident highlights Gemballa's reputation for excess and opulence, which is reflected in their image and branding. Despite the controversy surrounding Uwe Gemballa, his legacy lives on through the cars he created. The cars of Gemballa continue to inspire car enthusiasts around the world with their unique designs and luxurious features.

In conclusion, the $800,000 Gemballa Mirage GT at the center of a money laundering scandal is just one aspect of a larger story about excess and opulence in the automotive industry. From Uwe Gemballa's early days as a car enthusiast to his eventual involvement in a suspected international money laundering scheme, the company's history is marked by controversy and intrigue.

However, despite the controversies surrounding Uwe Gemballa, his legacy lives on through the cars he created. The cars of Gemballa continue to inspire car enthusiasts around the world with their unique designs and luxurious features. Whether you're a fan of classic cars or modern-day supercars, Gemballa's cars are sure to leave an impression.

WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: en- Last year videosall over social media showedwhat appeared to be a$450,000 Porsche Carrera GTrampaging through New York city streets,hitting everything in sight.That car was not a $450,000Porsche Carrera GT,but rather a heavily modified$800,000 Gemballa Mirage GTowned and allegedly being drivenby multimillionaire Ben Chen.While the charges against himwere mysteriously dropped.The incident was incredibly fittingfor Gemballa's image ofexcess for the sake of excess,flying in the face of consequence.Unfortunately, that sameattitude may have costthe company's founder everything.When a suspected internationalmoney laundering schemefinally caught up with him.(logo pops)A huge thanks to Bespoke Postfor sponsoring today's video.Bespoke Post is a monthly membership clubthat delivers you boxes of top shelf goodsfrom under the radar brands.And what's cool is you'll findmore value inside your boxesthan what the membership actually costs.There is a huge variety of productsto tailor the box to your liking,anything from flip-flopsand some chocolate coffeeto even live oysters.Now, Bespoke Post is a sponsorI'm genuinely excited for.They sent me these boxes right hereand I'm ready to see what's inside.So let's open them up, huh?Ooh. This is the aged box.What is this?Got a bottle with a cork here.Oh, these are so sick.Look at that. Seeing somebourbon glasses right here.Ooh, it's the weekender box.Nice travel bag, I haveone of these actually,and I've used this thing alot. It's a great product.(cardboard screeches)Essential's Backwoods Survival 101.Whoa, you got some para cord,a dope knife that I wishI had to open this box.See how sharp this thing is.(knife cuts)Okay. Sheath for said knife,Commando Wire Saw that'spretty interesting.And a book Surviving the Great Outdoors.And I'm a no means a knife guy,but that's pretty impressive.Best part about BespokePost is you are alwaysin control of your membership.You can preview your upcoming boxesand if there's something you don't like,you can swap it out for something else.You can even pause orcancel your membershipat any time.To get 20% off your first box,go to BSPK.ME/WHEELHOUSE20,or simply click thelink in the descriptionand enter code WHEELHOUSE20 at checkout.Now let's get back to more of me.(chime music)Porsche tuning is amulti-billion dollar industry.From the classic cool of Stingerto the rowdy wildness of RWB.It seems like there's acompany for every style.If your personal stylingmirrors the coke-filled opulenceof the 80's and 90's,then the Porsche tunerfor you is Gemballa.(percussion plays)Their story begins in 1979,when Uwe Gemballa started producingflashy custom interiors,incorporating high techaudio and video systemsfor wealthy Porsche and BMW owners.You might be wondering whatUwe was doing before then.And frankly, I'm wondering that too.Uwe led a secretive life,possibly because of some lessthan legal business dealings,which we'll get to later.Either way, there'svery little informationabout who he was or where he came from.In a 2007 interview,he says that he got intomotorcycles while in college,found them to be too dangerousand switched to cars.He bought a Porsche 911,and started a tuningcompany to pay for it.And that's everything weknow about Uwe Gemballabefore he established his company.In the few interviews he granted,he avoids discussing his personal life,focusing instead on the cars he created.And once you see those cars,you can understand whymaybe he just thoughthis life paled by comparison.(upbeat music)Looking at the company's body of work,it's hard to believeGemballa's first modelwas built to look like a race car.That was the 1981 slant nose conversionof the Porsche 930.The generation of 911 producedbetween 1975 and 1989.The slant nose style orFlachbau for flat nose,mimic the successful factoryracers that won Le Mansand nearly every other Europeanrace in the late 1970s.The race cars were dubbed 935because they were 930generation cars adaptedfor FIA group 5 racingand Porsche engineersaren't very imaginative whenit comes to naming things.But Porsche engineers are imaginativewhen interpreting FIA regulations.Group 5 included somethingcalled "silhouette rules",which were intended to makethe front of the race carsresemble the road going counterparts.Porsche engineers figured outthat since the 911'siconic round headlightswere technically part of the cars fenders,they could modify themwithout violating those rules.The aerodynamics slant nose was bornand enthusiasts took notice.Everybody wanted a 911 that looked likethe winning race carand several Porsche customizersoffered conversions.Porsche themselves startedproducing slant noses in 1982.Eventually selling themthrough their sonderwunschor special wishes department.That's the customizationprogram where nearlyany customer requests can be fulfilled.In other words, if you can afford itand physics allow it,Porsche will build it.As the 1980s marched on,hairstyles and shoulder pads got biggerand demand for ostentatiousluxury cars skyrocketed.So Gemballa left raceinspired design behindand developed the style they're known for.Cars like the Avalancheand its convertible twin,the Cyrrus, typify that stylewith drastically revised bodywork,including a widened stanceand massive side strakes.These cars includedflashy interiors filledwith gadgets and tech likesteering wheel mounted,remote controls for the audio systemand cameras instead of side mirrorsand a video display in the dash.This might not seem likea big deal nowadays,but Gemballa started incorporatingthose features in 1983,but these weren't all show, no go, oh,the Avalanche included a RUF tuned,twin turbo motor startingat 375 horsepower,25% more than the base 911 turbo.But tuneable up towhatever you can afford.All this could be yours for the low,low price of 390,000 Deutschmarksor about 700,000 US dollars.That's over 10 times the costof the 911 it was based onand corrected for inflation,that's $1.7 million in today's money.Good God, if that ordinary versionwas just too ordinary for you,Gemballa could make you onewith 4 pop-up headlights,if you really wanted to stand out.And if that humdrum Avalanchewas simply too cheap and slow,Gemballa could happilysell you a $900,000,500 horsepower with achopped and lowered roof.It was capable of 195 miles per,and it was called the Mirage.Yeah, Mitsubishi also made a Mirage,but I don't think you'dever confused these 2 cars.Hey, if you're liking the story so far,go ahead and hit that like button.It actually does help us out a lot.And that's all I'll ask.Gemballa also turned its hand to Mercedes,BMW and even Ferrari.They built wide body and gowling versionsof the Mercedes SEC,a heavily modified BMW M635csi,which was eventually soldto Saddam Hussein's son.We actually did a podcast on that.And even a FerrariTestarossa got Gemballa.Uwe's work was so wellreceived at the timethat Mercedes AMG andeven BMW hired the companyto do development work fortheir own special models.And that's a pretty bighonor like tuning companywith crazy body work andall this ridiculousnessgetting hired by thebig boys, that's great.But Porsche was alwaysclosest to Uwe's heart.And in 1989,with the release of the964 generation of the 911,they began work on the Mirage Evo.Using a slant nose design, once again,this car could hit 200 miles per.Gemballa's focus on audio andvideo technology continuedwith one Mirage built under contractto showcase pioneer audioand customer car featuringVCRs and even fax machines.A fax machine and a car that could go 200.(machine whirs)That's pretty cool.With the 993 generationthat arrived in 1995,Gemballa built the GTR 600incorporating carbon fiber doorsand body panels and polycarbonate windowsfor weight savings.Once he got those fake windows,that's how you know.Then in 1999 for the new 996 generationand Porsche Boxster,Gemballa built biturbo versionsof both cars with 2 turbos,the 911 conversion managed600 horsepower once again,with the Boxster havingto get by with this,a measly 450 in a Boxster,that'd be so crazy.That'd be, that'd be sick.With each successivegeneration of Gemballa car,came more power,more speed and more extreme customization,but that was starting to be a problem.Gemballa's style wasloud and over the top,almost comical much like as customers,Vanilla Ice, Sir Mix-a-Lot,let's be honest, Dr. Phil.As the 1990s we're drawing to a closethat aesthetic had fallen out of fashionand with it, so did Gemballa sales.Not that they didn't keep trying though.The Porsche Cayenne and CarreraGT got Gemballa redesignsin the 2000s as a 750 horsepower Tornadoand 208 mile per hour Mirage GT.But these new models failto achieve the sales successof their earlier carsand following thefinancial crisis of 2008.The company was deeply in debtand facing bankruptcy.In January of 2010,optimistic that a new decadewould bring new opportunities.Gemballa proudly unveileda prototype for the MIG U1.They plan to produce just 25of these heavily modified Ferrari Enzo's,which were designed to looklike the MIG 25 fighter jetand had a price that was only available,quote, "by request".But with only 400 Enzo's in existencethat conversion required a customerto donate their own car for the process.One journalist summed up,what most of you are probably thinking,speculating that theresimply weren't, quote."25 Enzo owners that were mad enoughto ruin their pride and joy."That prediction was correct.And only one car, theprototype was ever built.The MIG U1 would be the last car announcedby Uwe Gemballabecause just a few weekslater, he disappeared.Gemballa knew his company was in trouble.So when he was contactedby a potential investornamed Jerome Sapphire,he eagerly flew to SouthAfrica to meet him.On February 8th, 2010security cameras recordedGemballa being picked up from the airport.A few days later,his wife received a phone calldemanding a 1 million Euro ransom.And an order to awaitfurther instructions.Those instructions never cameand Uwe was officiallydeclared missing soon after.Back in Germany,it was widely believed thatUwe fled to South Africaand went into hiding to escapehis company's creditors.Just 2 weeks after his disappearance,an attorney representinghis wife and company,filed for bankruptcy.The company's assets wereseized by the German governmentand sold to a former Gemballaexecutive, Andreas Schwarzand an outside investornamed Steffen Korbach.Within a few short monthswith Uwe's whereabouts still unknown.They were selling carsunder the Gemballa name.In October of 2010,8 months after his disappearance,Uwe Gemballa's body was found.News reports claimed that hehad died from a gunshot wound.Other reports claimed hehad died from suffocation.That's just one of many detailswhere there's conflictingor questionable information.4 men were subsequently arrested.One of whom pleaded guilty and agreedto testify against the others.He also claimed they'dbeen hired to kill Gemballaby an organized crimeboss named Radovan Krejcirwho had been linked to human trafficking,prostitution, corruption,money laundering, drug,gold, and diamond smugglingand multiple murders.I'm really glad I brought themup by name, love that for me.Krejcir was questioned by policeand claimed that he'donly met Gemballa once,15 years earlier.Although he did own a Gemballa Porsche,there was insufficientevidence to charge Krejcirand he was released.At trial, the suspect who had confessed,recanted his entire statement,claiming that he had been torturedby police in the making of his confession.The 4 killers were convicted based largelyon cell phone location datathat placed them at the burial site.But surprisingly, a manunconnected with Gemballa's killer,also implicated Radovan Krejcir.And that guy was named Jerome Safi,who claimed he had usedthe very clever alias,Jerome Sapphire to lure Gemballato South Africa at the request of Krejcir,who was a customer ata club managed by Safi.The 2 men met when Saficomplimented Krejciron his white Porsche,a Gemballa conversion.Safi states that Krejcir and Gemballahad a dispute overmoney and he was orderedto contact Gemballaclaiming to be an investor,wanting to open a SouthAfrican dealership.Safi made these statements to policeonly after Krejcirthreatened to have him killedor so he claims.Juan Meyer, another formerassociate of Krejcir,said that Gemballa had made an agreementto ship large amounts of Krejcir's cashhidden inside Gemballa cars.When a Porsche Cayennearrived in South Africawithout its expected1 million Euro payloadhidden inside the doors,Krejcir ordered Gemballa's execution.Like Safi, Meyer statementonly came after Krejcirthreatened to have himkilled or so he claims.So there's no conclusive proofthat Krejcir was involved into the deathof Uwe Gemballa,but there are still a fewtwists left in the story.In 2013, an assassination attemptwas made against Krejcir.One morning, he arrivedat one of his businesses,driving an armored Mercedes AMG CLS,when a hail of gunfire eruptedfrom the back of a parkedand unoccupied Volkswagen hatchback,which then burst into flames.The guns were homemadeand remotely controlled.They'd been hiddenbehind the license plateand their heat actually caused the fire.The assassins behind theattack are still unknownand Krejcir's response was simply quote,"All my life is like James Bond stuff,so it's usual stuff for me.It's how I live my life."No one knows for sure if Uwehad turned to crime tosupport his failing company,but the new Gemballa hasall but erased his memory.If you go to the company website todayand look at their history,it lists all the car Uwe created,but there's no mention of him.The Gemballa brand name is now describedas demonstrating Steffen Korbach's visionfor exclusive performance cars.And that's turned outto be a bit of a problemfor one man who was personally affectedby this tragedy, Uwe'sson Marc Philipp Gemballa.He was just 16 years oldwhen his father was killed,but went on to a career inthe automotive industry,working for Aston Martin,Mercedes and Porsche.When Marc decided he wanted to followin his father's footsteps,he began development ona 911 based super carinspired by the Porsche959 Dakar Rally Carand working in partnershipwith respected brands,such as Akrapovic, KW Suspensionand even RUF supplying the engine,this thing looks awesome.When Marc Gemballa announcedthat he'd be building the car,Gemballa, the company, sued him.Claiming that he wasinfringing on their trademarkby describing himself as quote,"The continuator of his father's legend."on social media.Yeah. You heard that right.Marc Gemballa got suedfor wanting to build a carand saying he's his father's son.This is messed up.His since changed his company's namefrom MP Gemballa Cars toMarc Philipp Gemballa Carsto disassociate his work from thatof his father's former company.It's not over there's onemore little twist here.Remember the slant nosePorsche conversionsmade so popular by tunersthat Porsche startedto sell 'em too.Well shortly after Marcannounced his rally inspired,modified Porsche 911,Porsche announced that they'd be offeringrally inspired 911 packagesthrough their special wishes department.So, wow.Oh, you're probablywondering whatever happenedto Radovan Krejcir right? I know I am.Well, he was arrested and convictedof drug trafficking, kidnapping,and attempted murder for events unrelatedto Gemballa's death.He's currently serving 35 yearsin a South African prison.He's been put on indefinite isolationunder maximum security.After an $18 millionescape plan came to light.The plan had beenorchestrated by his mistressand supposedly bankrolled by his mother.Their bribes to guards,prison officials and police,they'd even hired planesand helicopters just to getaway.This guy is not James Bond.He's like Dr. Evil.I hope he doesn't have internet.All right. That's been today's episode.Yeah, really tragic.These Gemballa cars aresuper funky looking,but I honestly fell in love with themin the lead up to this video.I just think there's so, so cool.I wish the best for MarcPhilipp Gemballa and his family.And you know,I hope that car is a successbecause it looks pretty awesome.Follow donut media on all social media.If you like, at donut media,follow me @nolanjsykes.For more true crime car history,check out our podcast, Past Gas.We've done a series onMickey Thompson and AMC,AMC's president was assassinatedin France by anarchists.It's a pretty insane story.So check out Past Gas.Be kind, see you next time.