Every car enthusiast dreams of uncovering a forgotten masterpiece hidden away from the world. But while classic Australian car stories usually revolve around dust-covered local muscle cars found inside rural shearing sheds, a viral discovery has completely redefined automotive abandonment.
A hyper-rare, heavily customized sports car was discovered completely neglected and caked in grime on a random suburban backstreet. It wasn’t an ordinary prestige car it was identified as a 1997 Gemballa Extremo Bi-Turbo.
For context, this machine is arguably the rarest custom Porsche 911 on Earth. Only two examples were ever produced.
Born From a €1.2 Million Demand
The factual history of this yellow machine reveals just how elite its origins truly were. Built on the iconic air-cooled 993 generation of the 911 Turbo, the Extremo was initially designed strictly as a one-off conceptual marketing tool for the German tyre giant Fulda.
Because the tyre manufacturer declared its promotional car completely unsaleable, a wealthy Middle Eastern collector believed to be Sheikh Abdul Mohsin refused to take no for an answer. He reportedly paid German tuner Gemballa a staggering €1.2 million (approximately $AU3.4–3.8 million) to custom manufacture a second, completely bespoke version on request.
Core Technical Specs: The Gemballa Extremo
| Specification Metric | Factory Porsche 993 Turbo Baseline | Gemballa Extremo Bi-Turbo Upgrade |
| Engine Configuration | 3.6L Twin-Turbocharged Flat-Six | 3.6L Twin-Turbocharged Flat-Six |
| Peak Power Output | 500 hp (367 kW) | 600 hp (447 kW) |
| Body Construction | Steel chassis panels | Bespoke carbon fibre widebody skin |
| Roof Architecture | Fixed structural coupe steel | Custom convertible hardtop system |
| Production Total | 5,937 units globally | 2 units worldwide |
Left in the Dust
Gemballa fundamentally altered the structural identity of the 993. Beyond pushing the flat-six motor to a savage 600 horsepower, the vehicle featured an aggressive carbon fibre widebody kit, massive custom side cooling vents and a highly specialized convertible hardtop roof mechanism.
The Tragedy: How a multi-million dollar piece of custom-built, air-cooled Porsche history ended up abandoned on public asphalt remains a mystery. Whether it is the result of legal gridlock, registration disputes, or simply a tax bracket where an owner can genuinely lose track of a unique masterpiece, it stands as a painful sight for any true gearhead.
The Verdict
This extraordinary find proves that the ultimate car stories are often stranger than fiction. While we continue hunting for clean barn finds down under, the abandoned Gemballa serves as a stark reminder: no matter how rare, expensive, or historically significant a machine is, its true soul is lost the moment it stops being driven.