Geneva 2011: Gumpert Tornante by Touring makes the Apollo look like an Aztek

Gumpert Tornante by Touring - Click above for high-res image gallery

Remember the Gumpert Apollo? It boasted world-beating performance while wearing a face only a mother could love. Thanks to design firm Touring Superleggera, the Apollo now has a much better looking new sibling sharing the Gumpert stable. It's called Tornante, which, according to Google Translate, means "hairpin bend" in Italian. For all we care, it could mean "Sexy Catfish" because it's a huge leap forward in style when compared to the Apollo, even if the split-window Chevrolet Corvette rump is derivative and more than a little unflattering.

Just because this new Gumpert is softer doesn't mean it has any less bite than the Apollo. Gasoline is fed to the mighty 4.2-liter twin-turbocharged V8 engine, which produces 700-horsepower. The Tornante utilizes the same TT40e transmission as the Apollo but received paddle-shifters.

We're still waiting for more details to rise to the surface, because word on the Geneva streets is that Gumpert has an even more powerful version planned for the future. Apollo owners, feel free to remove the bag from your head and head-on out to your local Gumpert dealer. Just tell them you want "the prettier one" this time.


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Live photos copyright ©2011 Drew Phillips / AOL
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700 HP announced for the new GUMPERT Fast The new GUMPERT Fast Tourer designed by TOURING SUPERLEGGERA

The international stage of the 2011 Geneva Motor Show will witness an extraordinary world premiere. TOURING SUPERLEGGERA will unveil its design concept for GUMPERT. The GUMPERT TORNANTE by TOURING is a static style model projected and engineered to match a new central engine chassis with V8-powered driveline. The Tornante is scheduled as an addition to the GUMPERT model range as of 2012.

In the development of the 2-seater coupe, TOURING was commissioned a design adding elegance, space and comfort to a package rooted in motorsports and competition engineering. The result aims at opening a new class with attributes of superior efficiency, performance and pleasure: the Fast Tourers.

The car's performance and dynamic properties generated tight constraints for the designer. While respecting aerodynamics, ground effect, engine and brakes ventilation, special attention was given to comfort and ergonomics.

From two fairly different perspectives, GUMPERT and TOURING share the philosophy to remove everything that is not essential. Hence the shape is clean, efficient, and well-balanced. Innovative proportions were achieved in the rear section. A typical feature is the gull-wing opening of both the doors and the wide rear hood.

Featuring composite body panels over a light chrome-molybdenum steel space frame with carbon fiber monocoque, the Tornante aims at lightness and torsional stiffness. This principle mirrors the original Superleggera construction method patented by Touring in 1936.

The Tornante has the genes of the GUMPERT apollo and inherits its impressive V8 Biturbo engine. The 4.2 liter unit delivers 700 HP in the basis version. The drivetrain is also an apollo derivative, featuring as standard for the sake of comfort the TT40e gearbox with paddle shift control. The built-in double-wishbone suspension scheme from the apollo is adjusted to the requirements of the Fast Touring mission profile. Alongside the basic version, an alternative powered Tornante is also planned for 2012

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