It's been a couple of years since we've heard anything new from German hypercar maker Gumpert. And that's at least partly because Gumpert doesn't exist anymore, at least not in name. After some corporate reshuffling last year, it was rebranded as Apollo Automobil, a name borrowed from Gumpert's supercar. The new brand is holding its coming out party at the Geneva Motor Show, revealing the all-new Arrow, a sharply styled supercar that combines (Gumpert) Apollo levels of performance with an all-new look.
Gumpert founder Roland Gumpert remains the CEO and chief engineer at Apollo, but under the ownership of Ideal Team Ventures Limited, the new company is out to create a fresh identity. Gumpert cars were some of the most rotund on the planet, but Apollo has gone a completely different direction with the Arrow, creating a design that's as sharp and angular as its namesake.
Using the shark as inspiration, Apollo created a car that preys on the air in front of it, its pronounced snout and front splitter tearing through every molecule. The side aerodynamics create a chaotic shrapnel field – thin, diving front fenders, massive winged skirts and ravenous intakes. In back, the yellow bodywork clings to the underlying carbon fiber and a huge wing juts out well past the body. Apollo promises that the Arrow will produce more downforce than any other street legal hypercar out there, and looking at that aero kit, it's hard not to believe it.
We definitely see "shark" in the angry eyes, sharp fins, rough, scaly body, and pointed nose. The animal's spine is a roof-mounted black air intake influenced by the original Gumpert Apollo, its bones a chromoly steel tube frame with integrated carbon/Kevlar monocoque hiding below the Wulfenite orange carbon body.
Nature's shark can only wish it had a beating heart as powerful as its spiritual track sibling. Apollo mounts two large turbochargers on top of the mid-mounted 4.0-liter Audi V8, managing to push it to 986 hp (735 kW) at 6,750 rpm and 738 lb-ft (1,000 Nm) of torque at 3,650 rpm – making the Gumperts of old seem underpowered. Apollo believes that power will equate to a sub-2.9-second 0-62 mph (100 km/h) time, 8.8-second 0-124 mph (200 km/h) time, and 224 mph (360 km/h) top speed. It also mentions that fuel economy increases slightly over the Gumpert Apollo but doesn't list a specific estimate.
Other key components include a seven-speed sequential paddle-shift transmission, available launch control, long double wishbone front and rear suspensions, manual/automatic ride height control, AP Racing high performance braking system with Bosch ABS, and 20-in front/21-in rear monoblock alloy wheels. The car's gullwing doors are a nod to its Gumpert-badged predecessor. Curb weight lists at 2,866 lb (1,300 kg).
The Arrow revealed in Geneva is a prototype and, when ready, Apollo will build up to 100 models, each personalized around the individual customer. It plans to set up a dealership network to get these cars in the hands of passionate drivers.
While the Arrow paves the way for the future, the other car at Apollo's Geneva booth gives a nod to the past. The Apollo N (Apollo Apollo N?) is the next evolution of the Apollo, picking up where the Apollo Enraged left off. The "N" stands for Nürburgring, where the Apollo S previously held a world record. The new car is powered by a 789-hp (588 kW) 4.2-liter V8 twin turbo. It features revised aerodynamics, a white-and-black paint job and a newly developed instrument cluster. Only six will be built.
Source: Apollo Automobil
