Gumpert Apollo. 4.2L. V8. Bi-turbo.

Let me introduce you to the Gumpert Apollo.



Never heard of it?

Well, neither did I when I stumbled across it. So as soon as I found it at my local magazine stand (well, supermarket...out here in Miami magazine stand's don't exactly exist...) I sent my girlfriend a text message w/ the name of the car. Did she have any clue what it was? Nope. More than likely she still doesn't. But she will when she reads this. Then she'll understand why I made sure I didn't forget the name.

So...where did it come from?

Well, according to Wikipedia, Gumpert Apollo is the first supercar productged by Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur GmbH. The founder of is Roland Gumpert, former head of Audi Sport. So it's safe to say he is relatively familiar with the Audi and its extensive motor collection. Audi scored 2 drivers and 2 constructors World Rally Championship titles during his time there as the competitions chief of their Quattro division. This leads me to believe that he is a reputable source for tuning. His partner in all of this is Roland Mayer, the boss of German tuning house MTM. They are currently specializing in supercharger kits for the Audi RS4 V8 (est 550bhp), as well as, the Q7 SUV and the upcoming S4 (both est 450-500 bhp).


Now, tuning and building a supercar are two TOTALLY different things. Here is the basic gist as per the website:

"2-seater super sports car with a mid-engine arrangement chrome-molybdenum steel chassis with an integrated carbon monocoque as safety cell, gullwing doors, fibreglass body, 26.4 gall. (U.K.) stainless steel tank behind the passenger cell with integrated catch tank, long and pushrod-operated double wishbone suspension with fully adjustable dampers front and rear and anti roll bar in front, ground clearance adjustable between 40 and 120 mm, two circuit ABS brake system with six piston callipers, inside ventilated discs (378x32mm) all around, brake cooling system in the front, and presets for wet, dry, and race conditions."

Nice start though...don'tcha think?






How's the interior look you ask?

It is nothing less than German distinction at its best. The finest touches were given to every surface in the finest of the finest materials. The only thing I'm not really feeling too much is the aluminum they decided to use on the gauge console and center console. It looks kind of cheap. I'm guessing they wanted the clean look, without looking too cluttered. But personally, I probably would have added a little bit more flair to it. But other than that the interior is noice. Not nice, but noice. Try it out...







Now how does it run?

It's a nice start. It's a mid-engine, RWD with a 6-speed sequential gearbox. Then they have the Audi 4.2L V8, found in the RS4's. They have decided to add a healthy bi-turbo system boosting hp up to the area of 650bhp, with 627 ft/lb tq. According to the homepage, "an ideal weight balance of 42 to 58 percent between the front and rear axis rounds it off: During acceleration it provides optimum traction whilst ensuring stable control even when braking in critical situations." In other words, its balanced like a mofo.




Final verdict?

Now, the 4.2L Audi V8 I am relatively familiar with. I have some prior experience with the 4.2L Audi V8. But it was not in the shell of an Audi, it was actually in the Spyker C8 Spyder SWB (SWB = Short Wheel Base). I worked a private event held for Spyker and had the pleasure of taking a ride around South Beach and let me tell you. What a splendid motor (in an even more splendid car, but back on topic). It is very snappy and responsive, plenty of umph, and a very sweet exhaust tone.

Now, not only is the 4.2L V8 a hell of an engine stock, but Gumpert has decided to toss a couple of turbos on it, bringing the hp up from the modest 420hp to an est 650bhp. Not to mention that the motor only weighs in at a mere 195kg.