Uwe Gemballa hated door handles. And that’s why, in his honor, the 2011 Gemballa Mistrale, based on the Porsche Panamera Turbo, doesn’t have them, as the successors of the slain tuner (Gemballa was murdered while on a business trip last year to South Africa) put the pieces of his company back together. Now under the leadership of Managing Director Andreas Schwarz, Gemballa is back with a car that carries all the classic cues—widened fenders, contrasting body accents, large 22-in. wheels and tires, and a prominent tail with round taillamps.

Inside, there are copious quantities of leather and Alcantara and aggressively bolstered sport seats, with padding that runs to the very firm side, almost to the point of being uncomfortable except for very lean drivers. Beneath the hood, the engine is boosted to 707 bhp by enlarging the Garrett turbochargers on the 4.8-liter V-8 engine. Torque has been limited to 704 lb.-ft. in the interests in preserving the PDK gearbox.

The engine actually seems to have the horsepower Gemballa promised. The car launches with an immediate thrust that doesn’t really let up, even close to redline. Obviously, traction is never an issue thanks to all-wheel drive, and the 7-speed dual-clutch transmission rips through the gears quickly. The engine still responds smoothly and delicately to throttle input despite the larger turbochargers. Also, it has a much more audible American V-8 sound than the quieter, standard Panamera Turbo’s. Handling is superb, as one would expect considering the stellar performance of the stock Panamera in this department.