Gumpert Apollo takes on America, foiled by speed bump
The first Gumpert Apollo on American soil was brought out for its big debut Saturday, only to make more of an impression than intended. That impression was not only left on showgoers, but also on the speed bump leading into the parking lot. With roughly 4 millimeters of ground clearance it was easy to see this coming. The driver had brought the car from the sole U.S. distributor to show it off at a weekend cruise. He somehow failed to recognize that the speed bump was in fact approximately half the height of the low-slung supercar and after inexplicably getting the front air dam over the hump, found himself stuck.
The car came down and gently ground to a halt. It teetered a bit as it crept along the driveway, producing a grinding noise that had all of the witnesses cringing. As the carbon undertray was polished along its midsection, it became apparent that the rear tires might not make it over too. The driver stopped as the rears lifted just enough to take away traction. After a few moments of contemplation, he had the passenger get out and the lower payload gave the suspension just the right amount of lift to get the job done. Afterwards, there was much rejoicing in supercarland. A follow-up note from the dealer told us that there was thankfully no damage to the car from this incident. We recommend that anyone considering buying one of these 2400 lb, 750 hp monsters consider waiting for the "softer" model the company has pitched. Hopefully it will have an adjustable suspension.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
MachinaDC5 2:10PM (7/27/2008)
That guy needs a "No fat chicks - seriously" bumper sticker.
Reply
Itsuru 2:16PM (7/27/2008)
Unless he uses them as ballast in a very inventive way.
madgamer 7:11PM (7/27/2008)
I'd say sit them in the trunk like for a supra on a dyno, but I doubt this thing has anything but engine back there. At least now it's painfully obvious why lambos come with air suspension that can raise the front.
richmajor86 2:24PM (7/28/2008)
Fastest Car round the Topgear track!
Isuzu32 2:12PM (7/27/2008)
The Apollo is an awesome looking car. Also very fast. But an adjustable suspension is the best bet.
Reply
CORVETTE ZR1 2:15PM (7/27/2008)
Very cool car... 750hp only 2400 lb... So how fast dose this thing Go ?
Reply
paul34 2:27PM (7/27/2008)
Hopefully Wiki isn't lying, but
"Estimated top speed is 360 km/h (224 mph) with 0-100 km/h (0–62 mph) reached in 3.0 seconds, making it the 9th best accelerating production car in the world."
yeeeeehaw! Man, why did I suddenly turn redneck?
Phil Perman 4:57PM (7/27/2008)
It just went around the top gear test track pretty well, and that wasn't even the 750bhp one, only had something like 600 (wasn't paying that much attention to tonights show so can't say for sure)
wumpus 6:52PM (7/27/2008)
The question is, does this qualify as going over the speed bump? Doesn't count if it can cross one.
larry a 8:17PM (7/27/2008)
Arjun failed at making a funny
Rocketboy 9:44AM (7/28/2008)
It does not dose at all.
It's a car, not a doctor Jim.
Scott 2:32PM (7/27/2008)
Speedbumps are the goddamn devil. My 330 has a KW suspension so it is lowered, but nowhere near this extreme, and I still have to avoid bumps unless I want to bang the hell out of my car. It's forced me to keep a mental list of every local road and parking garage with overly aggressive bumps.
Reply
Farris 2:42PM (7/27/2008)
My dad's 328i is completely stock and there a still quite a few speed bumps and parking lot entrances that he scrapes into.
tenfifteen 3:05PM (7/27/2008)
Concur. My M3 ZCP is sitting on TCKline S/A coilovers, with a fairly aggressive drop (rears are tucked slightly under the fenders), and I really have to take the speed bumps sloooowly. Of course, it handles like a wet dream, so I don't get too worked up about the occasional parking lot. :)
Arjun 4:52PM (7/27/2008)
Yea, my Bimmer that hasn't even been announced (but when it is, it'll be the fastest production car in the world) sits on a crazy low aftermarket suspension (which hasn't been announced yet either). I even have to avoid pebbles and sometimes even the curvature of the earth gets in the way!
Swede 5:03PM (7/27/2008)
Arjun just won the internet.
Rocketboy 4:53PM (7/28/2008)
Hey, I actually have a car, that's totally stock, and I have to avoid speedbumps. the flat speedbars are fine, but the hump style sleeping policemen should be banned.
Giuseppe 2:37PM (7/27/2008)
The trick is to hit the bump with a bit more speed
Reply
HotRodzNKustoms 2:37PM (7/27/2008)
Cars that low just have to enter through the exit side
I guess somebody forgot to inform Mr.Apollo
Reply
zamafir 3:08PM (7/27/2008)
Damnit, the one weekend i don't hit up cars n coffee an apollo shows up. such an insanely focused bit of audi powered kit.
Reply