Apollo Automobil

Last updated
Apollo Automobil
FormerlyGumpert (2004–2016)
Company type Private
Industry Automotive industry
Genre Sports Car manufacturer
PredecessorGMG Sportwagenmanufaktur Altenburg
Founded2004
Founder Roland Gumpert
Headquarters
Denkendorf, Bavaria
,
Germany
Area served
European, Middle Eastern and U.S. markets
Products Apollo Intensa Emozione, Apollo Project EVO, Apollo Arrow and Apollo N
OwnerApollo Future Mobility Group (AFMG)
Number of employees
45
Website www.apollofmg.com

Apollo Automobil (previously known as Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur) is a German sports car manufacturer headquartered in Denkendorf. Roland Gumpert, who founded Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur in 2004, once held the position of director of Audi Sport. [1] [2] Under his management, Audi won a total of 25 World Rally Championship rallies and four World Rally Championship titles. [3]

Contents

History

The two Gumpert Apollo Prototypes with an F-4 Phantom II fighter jet 2 Apollos (Prototype) with F-4 Phantom.jpg
The two Gumpert Apollo Prototypes with an F-4 Phantom II fighter jet

In 2001, Roland Gumpert proposed a new generation of sports car, one that would be race-ready yet also street-legal. After Gumpert returned to Germany from China at the end of 2001, his former colleague at Audi and founder of Motoren Technik Mayer, Roland Meyer, [4] asked him to assist in building a prototype sports car. Audi approved Gumpert's involvement in this project on the condition that the new sports car would be a series product and not a prototype. [5]

The company was founded in 2004 under the name "GMG Sportwagenmanufaktur Altenburg GmbH". The technical guidelines were defined and the first designs of the car were drawn by Marco Vanetta. Upon Vanetta's completion of this process, the first 1:4 scale model of Gumpert's car was produced in 2002.

Gumpert continued with the development of the car now called the Apollo, along with the Technical University of Munich and the Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences. They assisted him with the construction work, computer simulations, and wind tunnel tests. This research and development helped form the blueprint for the first full-scale model. Finally two prototype cars were constructed. [3] [6] The production of the Apollo started in October 2005. [7] Many variants of the Apollo were introduced throughout its production cycle.

On 27 July 2008 an Apollo Sport was featured on the UK automotive show Top Gear . One of the presenters, Richard Hammond and professional driver the Stig drove the car. With a lap time of 1:17.1, the Apollo Sport became the new leader on the Power Lap Board, [8] 0.2 seconds faster than the former lap leader, the Ascari A10. The Apollo was faster than the Bugatti Veyron and the Pagani Zonda around the Top Gear test track. It was later beaten with a time of 01:16.8 by the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.

In 2011, the company introduced a concept car in collaboration with Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera, the Gumpert Tornante. [9] The car was not put into production.

In August 2013, the company filed for bankruptcy and went into liquidation after an anonymous backer pulled out of a deal that could have saved the company. [10] [11]

In January 2016, the company was purchased by Hong Kong consortium Ideal Team Venture which is also owner of the De Tomaso marque. The company was renamed Apollo Automobil GmbH after the acquisition by its new owner. [12]

Apollo Arrow at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show Apollo Arrow (51).JPG
Apollo Arrow at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show

At the March 2016 Geneva Motor Show, Apollo unveiled the Arrow, a sports car that is powered by a twin-turbocharged 4.0-litre V8 engine rated at 986 hp (1,000 PS; 735 kW). The Arrow can accelerate from 0–100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.9 seconds, and has a projected top speed of 360 km/h (224 mph). [13]

Intensa Emozione on track Apollo IE on track 2.jpg
Intensa Emozione on track
Gumpert Tornante Gumpert Tornante (5537588390).jpg
Gumpert Tornante

In November 2016, the company announced that former owner and founder Roland Gumpert was no longer associated with the company or its current or future projects and also announced a new model (project name ‘Titan’) would be unveiled at the June 2017 Goodwood Festival of Speed. [14] The new model is named Intensa Emozione (Intense Emotion in Italian) and is powered by the 6.3 L naturally-aspirated V12 engine. The car has radical styling inspired by insects in nature. The Intensa Emozione is built in collaboration with HWA AG, the same company involved in the construction of the Mercedes-Benz CLK-GTR. [15] [16] Apollo Project EVO, a new addition to the range of Apollo hypercars was presented on stage at the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in November 2021. [17]

Development partners

Apollo collaborated with several business and technical partners, including the following: [2] [18]

The Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur Factory Gumpert building.JPG
The Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur Factory

Motorsport

The Apollo Hybrid race car GumpertApHybrid.JPG
The Apollo Hybrid race car

During April 2005, the Apollo made its racing debut in the Divinol Cup. This Apollo was driven by the Belgian race driver Ruben Maes. Maes finished third on the Hockenheimring race track. [2] Three years later Gumpert announced that they would enter a hybrid electric version of the Apollo in the 2008 24 Hours Nürburgring, driven by 2004 winner Dirk Müller and former Formula One racer Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Three months passed between the first discussions and the finished hybrid Apollo. The Apollo was driven in the 24 Hours Nürburgring in May 2008. The hybrid Apollo can deliver up to 630 hp (470 kW; 639 PS), powered with a 3.3 litre V8 bi-turbo engine coupled with a 100 kW (136 PS; 134 hp) electric motor. The car has the ability to recharge the battery under braking.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porsche</span> German automobile manufacturer

Dr. Ing. h.c. F. Porsche AG, usually shortened to Porsche, is a German automobile manufacturer specializing in high-performance sports cars, SUVs and sedans, headquartered in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. The company is owned by Volkswagen AG, a controlling stake of which is owned by Porsche Automobil Holding SE. Porsche's current lineup includes the 718, 911, Panamera, Macan, Cayenne and Taycan.

Innocenti was an Italian machinery works, originally established by Ferdinando Innocenti in 1920. Over the years, they produced Lambretta scooters as well as a range of automobiles, mainly of British Leyland origins. The brand was retired in 1996, six years after being acquired by Fiat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De Tomaso</span> Italian car manufacturing company

De Tomaso Automobili Ltd. is an Italian car-manufacturing company. It was founded 1959 by Alejandro de Tomaso in Modena. It originally produced various sports prototypes and auto racing vehicles, including a Formula One car for Frank Williams Racing Cars in 1970. Most of the funding for the automaker came from Amory Haskell Jr.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audi R8</span> Mid-engine sports car made by Audi

The Audi R8 is a mid-engine, 2-seater sports car, which uses Audi's trademark quattro permanent all-wheel drive system. It was introduced by the German car manufacturer Audi AG in 2006. Production ends in the first quarter of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mosler Automotive</span> Defunct American motor vehicle manufacturer

Mosler Automotive was an American sports car manufacturer headquartered in Riviera Beach, Florida. It was founded in 1985 by Warren Mosler as Consulier Industries, and manufactured the Consulier GTP, which was later rebranded and updated as the Mosler Intruder/Raptor when the company spun off its automotive division as Mosler Automotive.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geneva International Motor Show</span> Annual Swiss auto show

The Geneva International Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gumpert Apollo</span> Motor vehicle

The Gumpert Apollo is a sports car produced by German automotive manufacturer Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur GmbH in Altenburg. Gumpert filed for bankruptcy in August 2013, thereby ending the production of the Apollo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audi S and RS models</span> Motor vehicle

Audi S and RS models are a range of high performance versions of certain car models of the German automotive company Audi AG. These cars primarily focus on enhanced "sport" performance. Production of Audi "S" cars began in 1990 with the S2 Coupé, whilst the first "RS" car appeared four years later with the Audi RS 2 Avant.

Audi Sport GmbH, formerly known as quattro GmbH, is the high-performance car manufacturing subsidiary of Audi, itself a subsidiary of the greater Volkswagen Group.

MTM – Motoren Technik Mayer GmbH, is a German car tuner and small manufacturer based in Wettstetten.

Gumpert is a surname and may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apollo Arrow</span> Concept car developed by Apollo Automobil

The Apollo Arrow is a mid-engine, 2-seater concept car developed by Apollo Automobil. It was introduced in 2016 at the Geneva Motor Show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apollo Intensa Emozione</span> Mid-engine sports car manufactured by Apollo Automobil

The Apollo Intensa Emozione, sometimes referred as the IE, is a mid-engine sports car manufactured by German automobile manufacturer Apollo Automobil GmbH, in partnership with Manifattura Automobili Torino, designed by their chief designer Jowyn Wong. Intensa Emozione means 'intense emotion' in Italian.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">De Tomaso P72</span> Motor vehicle

The De Tomaso P72 is a sports car manufactured by Italian automobile manufacturer De Tomaso. Based on the underpinnings of the Apollo Intensa Emozione, the car is meant to be a homage to the De Tomaso P70 prototype racing car.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gumpert Nathalie</span> Motor vehicle

The Gumpert Nathalie or RG Nathalie is a hydrogen-electric hybrid sports car running on methanol to generate hydrogen that is scheduled to enter production in 2021. It is the first car produced by the new car manufacturer RG founded by Roland Gumpert, following the bankruptcy of his company Gumpert which produced the Apollo. Production is planned to be limited to 500 cars.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roland Gumpert</span> German engineer

Roland Gumpert is a German engineer and founder of the sports car manufacturer Apollo Automobil. Gumpert is currently the managing director of the sports car manufacturer Gumpert Aiways Automobile, in which he also founded.

The Milano Monza Open-Air Motor Show (MIMO) is an annual auto show first held in June 2021 in Milan and Monza, Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Manifattura Automobili Torino</span> Italian coachbuilder

Manifattura Automobili Torino or M.A.T. is an Italian company, active in the automotive bodywork sector, founded in Turin on 21 October 2014 as Società a responsabilità limitata, by Paolo Garella, after his departure from Pininfarina.

The Apollo Project EVO, also known as Apollo EVO, is a hypercar made by German vehicle manufacturer Apollo Automobil GmbH. It was created as the successor to the previous model, the Apollo Intensa Emozione.

References

  1. ↑ "Dream on ...(Audi Sport the production version of Apollo supercar)". Archived from the original on 2021-03-27. Retrieved 2009-01-05.
  2. 1 2 3 "gumpert_english" (PDF). gumpert.de. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2011-07-16. Retrieved 2009-01-07.
  3. 1 2 "Gumpert Car". x3mcars. Archived from the original on 2008-09-15. Retrieved 2009-01-05.
  4. ↑ Jeremy Ethan Ibrahim (2020-07-26). "The Story of Gumpert - Rocket Science". DriveTribe. Archived from the original on 2020-06-07. Retrieved 2020-05-04.
  5. ↑ "ATTACK! The GUMPERT apollo is in the fast lane" (PDF). M5Board. Dec 15, 2008. Retrieved 2009-01-06.
  6. ↑ "Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur - History". Archived from the original on 2008-10-07. Retrieved 2009-01-06.
  7. ↑ "Doc1280" (PDF). Retrieved 2009-01-06.[ dead link ]
  8. ↑ "BBC - Top Gear - Power Laps" . Retrieved 2009-01-08.
  9. ↑ Yanca, Jon (2011-03-03). "Gumpert Tornante by Touring Makes Geneva Debut". Car and Driver. Retrieved 2021-01-06.
  10. ↑ Hayward, Matthew (2013-08-30). "Gumpert goes bankrupt" . Retrieved 2013-09-01.
  11. ↑ Ballaban, Michael (2013-09-01). "Gumpert Goes Bust With Bankruptcy" . Retrieved 2013-09-01.
  12. ↑ Haupt, Andreas (2016-01-05). "Neuer Name, neuer Apollo" [Gumpert Reboot: New name, new Apollo]. Auto Motor und Sport (in German). Motor Presse Stuttgart GmbH & Co. KG. Retrieved 2016-01-06.
  13. ↑ Joseph, Noah (2016-03-02). "Apollo Arrow rises from Gumpert's ashes with 1,000 hp". Autoblog. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
  14. ↑ Zoltan, Bogdan (2016-11-11). "Apollo Founder Roland Gumpert "Decommissioned" From The Company He Created". Carscoops. Retrieved 2017-02-12.
  15. ↑ "Apollo Automobil Partners With Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR Creator HWA to Finish the IE Hypercar". TheDrive. Retrieved 2018-06-12.
  16. ↑ "Apollo IE". Apollo. Retrieved 2017-10-28.
  17. ↑ "Apollo Project EVO". Ideenion. Retrieved 2023-07-28.
  18. ↑ "Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur - Partner". Archived from the original on 2008-10-07. Retrieved 2009-01-05.
  19. ↑ Anderson, Brad (October 22, 2020). "De Tomaso Relocating To America To Build Its New P72 Sports Car". CARSCOOPS. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.