What's the news?
Gemballa, previously known for its extensive personalisation programme for Porsches, has now turned its attention to McLaren. Its latest project is the Gemballa GT Spider, a visually altered version of the standard McLaren 12C Spider.
Exterior
A sea of lightweight materials has been used to make up the exterior upgrades. The GT Spider features a whole new aerodynamically efficient body kit, comprising of a new front bumper with incorporated spoiler, side skirts and rear bumper, all made from carbon fibre. New alloy wheels are also fitted measuring 20- and 21-inches in diameter on the front and back wheels respectively. The GForged-one rims come in either 'Black Magic' or 'Gunmetal' and can be had with a diamond cut finish on the spokes. Thanks to their similar lightweight construction, Gemballa has managed to ensure that the larger wheels make no difference to the car's unsprung weight.
Interior
The gadgets and toys found in the standard 12C Spider have been carried across to the new GT Spider. Instead, Gemballa has worked its magic on interior trim. An even higher grade of leather has been found to replace the standard fit material and it has been finished in a combination of orange and black to make sure it doesn't go unnoticed.
Mechanicals
The GT Spider is powered by the same 3.8-litre twin-turbocharged V8 found in the standard 12C. This means that output still sits at 620hp and 601Nm of torque; giving the GT Spider a 0-62mph time of 3.1 seconds and a top speed of 204mph.
Anything else?
While Gemballa has yet to announce a price for its GT Spider, we would expect a fair premium on the standard model's £195,000 list price. The Gemballa GT Spider is set to make its world at this year's Geneva Motor Show.
James Giddings - 25 Feb 2013