Gumpert Apollo

Last updated

Gumpert Apollo
Gumpert Apollo 3.jpg
Overview
Manufacturer Gumpert
Production20052012 (150 units produced)
Designer Marco Vanetta
Body and chassis
Class Sports car (S)
Body style 2-door coupé
Layout Rear mid-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Doors Gullwing
Powertrain
Engine 4.2 L (260 cu in) twin-turbocharged V8
Transmission CIMA 6-speed sequential manual [1]
Dimensions
Wheelbase 2,700 mm (106.3 in)
Length4,460 mm (175.6 in)
Width1,998 mm (78.7 in)
Height1,114 mm (43.9 in)
Curb weight 1,100–1,200 kg (2,425–2,646 lb)
Chronology
SuccessorGumpert Tornante
Apollo Intensa Emozione

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. [2] [3]

Contents

History

The two Gumpert Apollo Prototypes with an F-4 Phantom II 2 Apollos (Prototype) with F-4 Phantom.jpg
The two Gumpert Apollo Prototypes with an F-4 Phantom II
Pre-production car Gumpert Apollo Dubai.jpg
Pre-production car

In 2000, Roland Gumpert proposed a new generation of sports cars. One of the primary criteria for this car was that it be street-legal yet ready for the racetrack. He returned to Germany at the end of 2001, after over three years in China where he was the head of sales and marketing responsible for the development of the dealer network of the Audi-VW joint enterprise there. Subsequently, automobile designer Roland Mayer asked him if he would assist in building a prototype sports car. Audi approved Gumpert's involvement in this project, on the condition that, if they did eventually develop a new sports car, it would not be a prototype, but a series product. [4]

The company, located in Altenburg, Germany 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 2001.

Gumpert continued with the development of the Apollo, along with the Technical University of Munich and the Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences. They assisted him with the constructional work, computer simulations, and wind tunnel tests. This research and development helped forming the blueprint for the first 1:1 scale model. Finally, two prototype cars were constructed. [5] Production of the Apollo started in October 2005. [6]

Soon after the first fully functioning road car made its way to Europe, the car became fully road-legal and was sold in various Gumpert dealerships. Very soon after, car reviewers praised the car's speed and cornering. During a review in Autocar magazine, chief test driver Matt Prior stated that "the Apollo recalibrates the meaning of pure speed and driving feel." On Series 11 of Top Gear , the Apollo lapped the Top Gear test track in a time of 1:17.1, setting a record that lasted for 2 years until surpassed by the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.

Design

Rear view Gumpert Apollo S (8743283021).jpg
Rear view

The Apollo weighs between 1,100 kg (2,400 lb) and 1,200 kg (2,600 lb) (depending on options), and is fully street-legal. It is a mid-engine, rear wheel drive two-seater constructed on a tubular chromoly frame, with fiberglass or optional carbon fibre body panels. Gumpert claims the design of the Apollo is optimised so that the car could drive upside-down in a tunnel if driven at speeds over 306 km/h (190 mph), [7] but this has not been tested.

The Apollo set a 7:11.57 lap time at Nürburgring achieved by German car magazine Sport Auto.

Engine

Engine bay 2014-03-04 Geneva Motor Show 1315.JPG
Engine bay

The Apollo uses a 4,163 cc bi-turbo intercooled version of the Audi V8 engine. [8] The 90° V8 has a closed-deck light metal crankcase with dry sump lubrication. The light metal cylinder heads have five valves per cylinder, four overhead camshafts, VarioCam Direct variable valve timing on the intakes, and hydraulic valve clearance compensation. The double-flow exhaust system has four oxygen sensors to monitor the gas mixture, and a 3-way catalytic converter. Modern controls include an on-board diagnostic system, eight-coil electronic ignition, sequential multipoint fuel injection, and an electronic (drive by wire) accelerator system.

There were 3 engine types available:

Speed overview (650 hp):[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audi A6</span> Motor vehicle

The Audi A6 is an executive car made by the German company Audi since 1994. Now in its fifth generation, the successor to the Audi 100 is manufactured in Neckarsulm, Germany, and is available in saloon and estate configurations, the latter marketed by Audi as the Avant. Audi's internal numbering treats the A6 as a continuation of the Audi 100 lineage, with the initial A6 designated as a member of the C4-series, followed by the C5, C6, C7, and the C8. The related Audi A7 is essentially a Sportback (liftback) version of the C7-series and C8-series A6 but is marketed under its own separate identity and model designation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audi TT</span> Motor vehicle

The Audi TT is a production front-engine, 2-door, 2+2 sports coupé and roadster, manufactured and marketed by Audi from 1998 to 2023 across three generations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audi A3</span> German subcompact executive/small family car

The Audi A3 is a subcompact executive/small family car (C-segment) manufactured and marketed by the German automaker Audi AG since September 1996, currently in its fourth generation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audi A4</span> German compact executive car model

The Audi A4 is a line of luxury compact executive cars produced since 1994 by the German car manufacturer Audi, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group. The A4 has been built in five generations and is based on the Volkswagen Group B platform. The first generation A4 succeeded the Audi 80. The automaker's internal numbering treats the A4 as a continuation of the Audi 80 lineage, with the initial A4 designated as the B5-series, followed by the B6, B7, B8, and the B9.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Multi-valve</span> Type of car engine

In automotive engineering a multi-valve or multivalve engine is one where each cylinder has more than two valves. A multi-valve engine has better breathing and may be able to operate at higher revolutions per minute (RPM) than a two-valve engine, delivering more power.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audi S4</span> Motor vehicle

The Audi S4 is the high performance variant of Audi's compact executive car A4. The original Audi S4, built from 1991 until 1994, was a performance-oriented version of Audi's 100 saloon/sedan. All subsequent S4s since 1997 have been based on the Audi A4; and as the A4 has evolved from one generation to the next, so has the S4.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audi RS 6</span> Motor vehicle

The Audi RS 6 is a high-performance variant of the Audi A6 range, produced by the high-performance subsidiary company Audi Sport GmbH, for its parent company Audi AG, a subsidiary of the Volkswagen Group, from 2002 onwards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audi S3</span> Motor vehicle

The Audi S3 is a hot hatch version of the Audi A3 small family car, produced by German automaker Audi since 1999. S3 variants of both the first- and second-generation Audi A3 have been produced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Porsche Panamera</span> Full-sized luxury vehicle manufactured by Porsche

The Porsche Panamera is a mid to full-sized luxury car manufactured and marketed by German automobile manufacturer Porsche across three generations using a front-engine, rear or all-wheel drive configuration.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audi RS 4</span> Motor vehicle

The Audi RS 4 is the high-performance variant of the Audi A4 range produced by Audi Sport GmbH for AUDI AG, a division of the Volkswagen Group. It sits above the Audi S4 as the fastest, most sports-focused car based on the A4's "B" automobile platform. The RS 4 was reintroduced in 2012, based on the A4 Avant instead of the sedan as did the original model.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aston Martin Vantage (2005)</span> Motor vehicle

The Aston Martin Vantage is a series of hand-built sports cars from the British automotive manufacturer Aston Martin. Aston Martin has previously used the "Vantage" name on high-performance variants of their existing GT models, notably on the Virage-based car of the 1990s. The modern car, in contrast, is the leanest and most agile car in Aston's lineup. As such, it is intended as a more focused model to reach out to potential buyers of cars such as the Porsche 911 as well as the exotic sports and GT cars with which Aston Martins traditionally compete.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audi S6</span> Motor vehicle

The Audi S6 is the performance variant of the Audi A6, an executive car produced by German automaker Audi. It went on sale in 1994, shortly after the "A6" designation was introduced, replacing the "100" nameplate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alpina</span> German automotive manufacturer

Alpina Burkard Bovensiepen GmbH & Co. KG is an automobile manufacturing company based in Buchloe, in the Ostallgäu district of Bavaria, Germany that develops and sells high-performance versions of BMW cars. Alpina works closely with BMW and their processes are integrated into BMW's production lines, and is recognized by the German Ministry of Transport as an automobile manufacturer, in contrast to other performance specialists, which are aftermarket tuners. The Alpina B7 is produced at the same assembly line in Dingolfing, Germany, as BMW's own 7 Series. The B7's twin-turbo 4.4-litre V8 is assembled by hand at Alpina's facility in Buchloe, Germany, before being shipped to BMW for installation, and the assembled vehicle is then sent back to Alpina for finishing touches.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Apollo Automobil</span> German sports car manufacturer

Apollo Automobil 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. Under his management, Audi won a total of 25 World Rally Championship rallies and four World Rally Championship titles.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audi S2</span> Motor vehicle

The Audi S2 is an Audi sports car, manufactured by the division of quattro GmbH on the same platform as the Audi 80 (B4) in Neckarsulm, Germany, produced from 1991 to 1995. The Audi S2 is the first car in the Audi S series. In 1994, a more powerful Audi RS 2 Avant was released.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Audi R8 (Type 42)</span> Sports car

The Audi R8 is the first generation of the R8 sports car developed and manufactured by German automobile manufacturer Audi. Conceived in 2003 in concept form, the R8 was put into production in June 2006. The Type 42 is based on the Lamborghini Gallardo and shares its chassis and engine. Audi's parent company Volkswagen Group owns Lamborghini as well and components of both of the cars were shared mainly to save development costs. Production of the Type 42 ended in August 2015, following the introduction of the Type 4S at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show which was based on an entirely new platform.

<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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volkswagen Group W-12 engine</span> Reciprocating internal combustion engine

Volkswagen Group have produced a number of W12 internal combustion piston engines for their Volkswagen, Audi, and Bentley marques, since 2001.

References

  1. D, Nick (15 January 2016). "Gumpert Apollo". Supercars.net. Retrieved 19 October 2022.
  2. Hayward, Matthew (30 August 2013). "Gumpert goes bankrupt" . Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  3. Ballaban, Michael (1 September 2013). "Gumpert Goes Bust With Bankruptcy" . Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  4. "PR GUMPERT Dezember 2008_english" (PDF). Retrieved 6 January 2009.
  5. "Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur - History". Archived from the original on 7 October 2008. Retrieved 6 January 2009.
  6. "Doc1280" (PDF). Retrieved 6 January 2009.[ dead link ]
  7. "GUMPERT Sportwagenmanufaktur GMBH". Archived from the original on 9 March 2009. Retrieved 26 April 2009. Gumpert Homepage
  8. Meaden, Richard (31 October 2007). "Gumpert Apollo". evo. Retrieved 19 October 2022.