History
Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur, as the company is officially known, was started by former Audi engineer Roland Gumpert. Don't know the name? You surely know his legacy: in the 1970s, he paved the way for the four-wheel drive system for Audi's rally cars that today we know as Quattro. Much later, in 2001, he formed a company to begin work on a super car, and in 2002, the first quarter-scale model of the Apollo was created. Gumpert's goal was to build a super car with more downforce than any other to acheive stability at high speeds using classic hand-built craftsmanship and up-to-the-moment technology. Of course, price could be no object, and each Apollo is built to every owner's specifications.
Engine
Even the engine, which sits just behind the cockpit, is built along with the car. The Apollo engine is basically an Audi V8 that produces 650 hp -- if you don't mess with it. Gumpert messes with it. You can have your Apollo with 650, 700, or 800 hp, and you can configure the air intakes that cool it to your liking. With its six-speed transmission and carbon fiber body, the Apollo can hit 224 mph and 0-60 mph in 3.1 seconds. At least. Your wallet and your nerves have more to do with top speed than the car's capabilities.
Design
The Gumpert Apollo is not a classically beautiful car. It doesn't have the heritage of a Mercedes gullwing, or the sleek lines of a Ferrari. It looks brutish and powerful -- and it is both. It's wide, and the fenders curve precisely over the wheels without waste. The air ducts and bodywork are not hidden or even particularly stylized. They are there to cool the engine and provide immense amounts of downforce. The Gumpert people like to say the Apollo generates enough downforce to drive upside-down in a tunnel, but they haven't had any takers on that bet ... yet. Again, it's only your wallet and nerves keeping the Apollo from achieving absurd records.
The Apollo was designed to transfer maximum power from the engine to the wheels. The engineers' second consideration was being able to control all that power. All the rest -- comfort, a radio, what have you -- is just bells and whistles, really. To that end, the Apollo has a very long wheelbase of 14.6 feet, and it's nearly 7 feet wide. The front diffuser and flow channels work with the rear wing and carbon-fiber encased underbody to create tunnel-worthy downforce.
Interior
Of course the Apollo has an interior. Where else would the driver go? And everything in that interior is focused on the driver and his only task: piloting the Apollo. To keep the weight down, even the dash is carbon fiber, and the seats are custom-fitted to the driver, including pedal and steering wheel placement. There are a few creature comforts for you to use while driving to the track, like air conditioning and a nav system. There's a backup camera, but that's a necessity, really, since you can't see out the back anyway. If you want more -- or less -- Apollo would be happy to accommodate your supercar needs.
Gumpert Apollo Base Specs
- Engine: 4-liter V8
- Horsepower: 650 hp
- Torque: 627 lb-ft
- Top speed: 224 mph
- 0-62 mph: 3.1 seconds
