Thursday, October 27, 2011

Gumpert Apollo - (2008)




The Gumpert Apollo is the perfect synthesis between road vehicle and racing car. It exceeds all expectations with its passion and maximum driving fun. 650 HP, up to 360 km/h top-speed and an acceleration of 0 to 100 km/h in just 3.0 seconds make it a full-blooded super sports car to which there is no alternative. The complete package is available at a cost-performance ratio unequalled in this exclusive vehicle class.

The production process is the one part of the manufacture philosophy in which exclusivity and precision are paramount to speed. Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur associates the term ‚manufacture' with it's the commitment to achieve quality and luxury by means of craftsmanship and hand-made production.

Roland Gumpert, founder, managing director and the driving force behind Sportwagenmanufaktur, has created a manufacturing environment that combines engineering excellence with a broad automotive and racing competence. Experts within the motorsports scene are all familiar with the name Gumpert: In the mid 1970s, the long-standing Audi manager was the driving force behind the development of the four-wheel drive "Iltis", the original predecessor of today's "Quattro". In 1979 he not only succeeded in preparing the gnarled four-wheel drive "Iltis" for the Paris-Dakar rally, but also achieved victory. In the years that followed under his management, Audi Sport won a total of 25 World Rally Championship races and was the 4-time winner of the World Rally Championship. Gumpert's professional success is distinguished by his ability to combine innovative ideas with proven technology effectively and successfully.

A team of automotive and motor sports specialists joined forces to pool their enthusiasm and energy into developing and creating the Gumpert Apollo. Their abilities create the space for the finest workmanship and utmost individuality, with the use of high-tech processes and integration of proven standard components securing the technical basis.

With the Gumpert Apollo we are providing a select clientele of ambitious sports drivers and car enthusiasts with the opportunity of experiencing the unique synergy between hand-made high-end components optimised for performance on the road and the track, and of distinguishing themselves from the remainder of the world of sports cars. Up to 100 vehicles will leave the factory each year - just enough to ensure that these exceptional vehicles retain their exclusive status.

Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur is an independent, privately financed company. The financial stability of the company is being secured by well-known investors. Their operative commitment will also promote the international sales and distribution of Gumpert Apollo.

The challenge was to develop an exceptional design that combined the extreme aerodynamic requirements of a performance-oriented, purist super sports car with the aesthetic design of an exclusive vehicle. We wanted to achieve the perfect synthesis of design and function. Without compromising. And we have succeeded with Gumpert Apollo: Its silhouette, optimised in numerous wind tunnel tests, reflects its by far superior capabilities.

In its profile, the Gumpert Apollo dynamic appearance is further enhanced by its dimensions (4.46 m length, almost 2 m width and 1.24 m height) and its streamlined, long and wide shoulder lines. The mid-engine layout is emphasised by the cockpit, which is clearly located toward the front of the vehicle, and the long wheel base; both factors ensure optimum driving qualities. Massive air inlets and outlets in the front and on the side in front of and behind the doors leave no doubt about its potency. Above all, though, they supply the two turbo-chargers and the high-performance braking system with enough fresh air to ensure optimum operation for the duration of a race. The high-set air intake for the engine is reminiscent of Formula 1 vehicles and emphasises Gumpert Apollo racing character. The dominant rear provides a view of the diffuser and the underbody, encased completely in carbon, - which, combined with the front diffuser and flow channels, achieves an exceptionally high negative lift for a road vehicle.

Gumpert Apollo leaves a lasting impression on anyone who sees it: It symbolises unusual power, dynamism and sportiness. It reflects above-average performance capability paired with timeless elegance, and even when it is not moving, shows that the design can only adhere to function: driving dynamics.

The secret of Gumpert Apollo is an innovative design concept from racing car engineering. The base and symbolic backbone of Gumpert Apollo consists a round tube frame made of top-quality and highly stable chrome-molybdenum-steel with an integrated monocoque safety cell made of high quality carbon fibre screwed directly onto the frame. The 161 kg (355 lbs.) construction design is so effective, so torsion proof and bend resistant that it complies with both the specifications of the European MOT approval and the international manufacture specifications of motor sports (see annex J of the FIA regulations). Gumpert Apollo succeeds in combining low weight with the rigidity of a racing car, finest driving dynamics and maximum safety. The Gumpert Apollo is one of the safest and most agile vehicles of its class.