Autoblog

Gumpert has finally expanded its reach beyond Europe and begun selling its Apollo supercar in the U.S. The supercar, which currently sits atop the list of fastest cars around the Top Gear test track, will be shipped to the U.S. and arrive in Arizona where the drivetrain will be assembled and final performance checks done by Evolution Motorsports. Then the cars move on to California where customers actually do the purchasing and pick up at European Touch in Huntington, Beach. The base price for one of ten U.S.-spec Gumpert Apollos coming to the U.S. each year is reportedly $400,000, though each can be infinitely customized and final prices above $700,000 are not uncommon. Just watch out for those speedbumps, as any repair work has to be done back in Arizona by Evolution Motorsports, the only authorized Gumpert repair center in the country. Follow the jump for a video of the first U.S.-spec Apollo's arrival in Arizona.

UPDATE: Second video of U.S.-spec Gumpert Apollo being driven on-track by Sam Hubinette added after the jump.

[Source: Streetfire.net]

Click above to see the Gumpert Apollo on Top Gear's test track

The Gumpert Apollo may not be able to drive over a speed bump, but it sure is fast on the track. Top Gear's most recent episode included a review of the German supercar by Richard Hammond and a Power Lap on the Top Gear Test Track in the hands of the Stig. The result was quite impressive: a time of 1:17.1 that eclipsed the previous best mark of 1:17.3 set by the Ascari A10. Follow the jump to watch the two-part video.

[Source: Top Gear via YouTube]

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.

Gumpert is entering a hybrid version of its supercar, the Apollo, in the Nurburgring 24-Hour race. Instead of the normal car's Audi 4.2-liter twin-turbo with 650 HP, the racer gets a 3.3-liter V8 with something like 630-HP, in addition to a 100kW electric motor powered by a lithium-ion battery pack. The 190 kilos of batteries will be recharged by application of the brakes, but it isn't clear exactly how the electric motor will be applied -- slow speed (aka pit lane) use only, or to provide an extra boost during the race.

The car will be driven by Heinz-Harald Frentzen and Dirk Muller. The hybrid Apollo will test its fortunes against the Audi R8 and Lexus LF-A, both of which are in the same class. If the car does well, it could mean good things for the introduction of hybrid technologies into other race series like Formula 1.

[Source: BridgeToGantry]

Click to view more of the Gumpert Apollo in hi-res

Gumpert intends to give new meaning to the term "the green hell", the nickname given by race drivers to the infamous Nurburgring Nordschleife. The German supercar-maker has announced that it will be racing at the 24-hour endurance race there next month with a race-prepped hybrid version of its Apollo supercar.

To supplement the 630-hp Audi-sourced twin-turbo V8, Gumpert will employ a 100kW electric motor recharged by captured brake energy. The system is similar to the KERS mechanism being phased into Formula One, and to highlight the F1 connection (and hopefully score some points in the process), Gumpert has solicited the services of former F1 driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen, who will share driving duties with veteran endurance sportscar racer Dirk Müller.

Check out the images in the high-resolution gallery below and the press release after the jump.

[Source: Gumpert]

Winding Road just relayed some info from the newest issue of Autocar, regarding supercar maker, Gumpert. Apparently, the firm is working on a new model said to be "less powerful, more relaxed, and less track-oriented." The brief mention is in the March 21 issue of Autocar, and quotes Apollo builder Francois Sittler. No details about whether the car will be based on the current Apollo or not. We're sure we'll get more details before the car shows up three years from now.

For those who might not recognize the name, Roland Gumpert was a big part of Audi's Motorsport department in the '70s and '80s. That was the period during which Audi managed to snag four World Rally Championships with its awesome Quattros. The company that bears his name, Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur GmbH, uses Audi mechanicals to power race-type supercars developed with help from the Audi supertuner MTM's Roland Mayer. The griffin-badged Gumpert Apollo started production in late 2005 and was joined by the "Sport" edition at Geneva. Both feature Audi's 4.2-liter V8 but with twin-turbos boosting horsepower to around 800. Price on the Sport starts around $400,000.

[Source: Autocar via Winding Road]

Born from a pair of ex-Audi employees, Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur introduced its Apollo supercar at the last Geneva Motor Show. This year's event in Switzerland will mark the debut of a new model, the Apollo Sport, that builds upon the world-class mechanicals of the original. The Apollo Sport will be powered by the same biturbo 4.2L V8 producing 800 hp that motivates the "base" model, but will receive a new rear wing that means business and aero enhancements that actually help it reach a higher top speed of 223 mph. 60 mph will be reached in the blink of an eye, or 3 seconds, whichever happens first. Ironically, the Apollo Sport is actually more luxurious than the original model, receiving an alcantara leather interior, CD-player, nav system and rear-view camera system. The price for the Apollo Sport is being pegged at the USD equivalent of $396,568. We'll bring you more live shots of the Gumpert Apollo Sport from the floor of the Geneva Motor Show next week.

[Source: Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur]