The efficiency automotive world might be brutal for automakers. It turns into much more intense as you progress into the limited-series supercar class. Inside this area of interest area, efficiency alone shouldn’t be a positive assure for fulfillment.

Simply ask Apollo Automobil (beforehand referred to as Gumpert Sportwagenmaufaktur GmbH). The boutique carmaker produced arguably one of the vital excellent efficiency supercars of its time. But, it nonetheless bottomed out and went bankrupt.

Apollo staged its comeback with the bonkers Apollo Intensa Emozione. Picture By way of: High Gear

To its credit score, Apollo was capable of bounce again and lives on immediately because the brains behind the otherworldy-looking Intensa Emozione hypercar. This was no happenstance. Apollo was capable of allure its approach again into the realm of hypercar royalty with a well-executed technique and, after all, a lot of funding capital.

The Man Behind The Model

Engineer Roland Gumpert made a reputation for himself working with Audi. Picture By way of: Spiegel

Apollo Automobil was steeped in uncompromising efficiency from the start. It’s a mindset that pulls straight from the experiences of the corporate’s founder, Roland Gumpert. The German engineer began his profession with Audi as a take a look at engineer approach again in 1969. He rose steadily by means of the ranks, and by 1981, Gumpert grew to become Audi’s Head of Sport and Particular Growth. As Race director, he steered the German carmaker to a formidable 25 Rallye titles and 4 World Rally Championship titles.

In 2004, Roland Gumpert departed Audi and established his personal vehicle firm – Gumpert Sportwagenmaufaktur GmbH. Given his motorsports experiences at Audi, it was no shock that the corporate’s first main undertaking was to construct a track-focused supercar. Roland’s dream was to create a monitor machine that one may nonetheless drive on public roads. In that sense, he did reach an enormous approach.

The Gumpert Apollo Ticks Nearly All The Proper Bins

The Gumpert Apollo S was one of many mannequin variants of the German supercar. Picture By way of: Supercars

The Gumpert Apollo was Roland’s first creation post-Audi. The supercar was the conclusion of Roland’s imaginative and prescient – a race-oriented road authorized machine. At its coronary heart was a formidable twin-turbocharged V8 powerplant that made wherever from 650 hp to 800 hp, relying on the mannequin variant. The Gumpert Apollo boasted performances that put it proper on the high of its class. It may rocket to 62 mph in simply 3.1 seconds and proceed on to a 223 mph high pace.

The Gumpert Apollo R was a track-only race automotive. Picture By way of: Newatlas

Design-wise, the Gumpert Apollo prioritized perform over kind. Each groove, minimize or flap was normal to maximise downforce with little regard for the automotive’s total aesthetics. The outcome was a brutal machine that took the automotive group by storm. In 2009, the Gumpert Apollo even set a Nurburgring report, lapping the circuit in 7:11.57 seconds. Again then, it was sufficient to make it the quickest manufacturing automotive across the notorious Inexperienced Hell.

Apollo Flatlines

The corporate struggled to promote its expensive Gumpert Apollo supercars. Picture By way of: Supercars

Sadly, the Gumpert Apollo’s controversial design was additionally a big contributing issue to its eventual downfall. The market simply was not prepared for such a polarising design, efficiency king or not. To make issues worse, the Gumpert Apollo was not low cost. The bottom model value half one million {dollars}, a sticker worth that turned many potential clients away.

It wasn’t lengthy earlier than gross sales floundered, regardless of the carmaker’s greatest efforts to lure patrons, particularly within the European and Chinese language markets. To be honest, the Gumpert Apollo did generate plenty of curiosity, nevertheless it simply was not translating to gross sales. Gumpert produced the supercar from 2005 to 2012 earlier than the corporate grew to become bancrupt. There was a flicker of hope the next yr when there was critical investor curiosity in bailing the corporate out. Nevertheless, talks collapsed, and the carmaker flatlined, declaring chapter and slipping out of sight.

The Rebirth Of A Robust Identify

The Apollo identify was revived by a Hong-Kong-based consortium. Picture By way of: Street&Monitor

The Apollo story didn’t finish with its chapter. In 2016, Best Staff Enterprise, a Hong Kong-based funding consortium, bought the corporate and renamed it Apollo Automobil GmbH. That very same yr, the reformed firm unveiled an idea referred to as the Apollo Arrow on the Geneva Auto Present.

The idea used a carbon-fibre tub and body derived from the Gumpert Apollo. Initially, there have been plans to place the Arrow into manufacturing, however they had been shelved as Apollo Automobil’s new house owners determined a extra radical route for the corporate’s progress was wanted.

Apollo’s undertaking Titan ultimately grew to become the bonkers Intensa Emozione hypercar. Picture By way of: Alphacoders

A totally new mannequin, below the undertaking identify ‘Titan,’ was introduced. It might ultimately turn into the track-only Apollo Intensa Emozione or, simply merely, the Apollo IE. The automotive’s identify is Italian for ‘intense feelings.’ It aptly describes the push of emotions the hypercar goals to speak with its placing look and efficiency. There’s nothing fairly just like the Apollo IE, a automotive whose design was impressed by aviation and apex predators like sharks and raptors.

Just like the Gumpert Apollo, the Apollo IE’s design is polarising – you both like it or detest it. Nevertheless, in contrast to its ill-fated predecessor, the Apollo IE appeared to get pleasure from extra acceptance inside the automotive group. This was partly as a result of firm’s aggressive publicity marketing campaign. Within the months and years following its preliminary unveiling, the Apollo IE popped up at numerous high-profile automotive occasions everywhere in the world. In every of these occasions, the automotive stood out amongst rival choices from established hypercar manufacturers like Bugatti and Koenigsegg.

Regardless of the sturdy curiosity within the automotive, Apollo Automobil GmbH determined to construct solely ten models to protect the automotive’s exclusivity in a group the place rarity is essential. It’s a legitimate motive, however one may also put down the carmaker’s cautious strategy to classes discovered with the Gumpert Apollo. In any case, the Apollo Intensa Emozione was principally meant to announce the carmaker’s re-entry into the very best ranges of efficiency and design. Measured towards that standards, it’s honest to conclude they succeeded. All of the deliberate ten models had been shortly taken up by rich collectors. Right this moment, the Apollo Intensa Emozione hypercar nonetheless often pops up at automotive reveals, the place they proceed to garner plenty of consideration.

Trying Forward For Apollo Automobil

The Mission Evo is a wild evolution of the Intensa Emozione hypercar. Picture By way of: Motor1

There was nothing delicate about Apollo Automobil’s ‘rebirth.’ The Apollo Intensa Emozione made positive of that. Greater than the publicity, it has additionally offered a strong platform for the carmaker to launch into the long run. The naturally aspirated hypercar has already spawned one other mannequin dubbed the Apollo Evo.

The Evo is much more unhinged than the Intensa Emozione. It dials up an already excessive design language a number of notches larger up the madness scale. Little is thought in regards to the Evo presently, however you may count on it to be one other limited-series track-only manufacturing.

The G2J Electrical prototype is a take a look at mattress for the carmaker’s future electrical automobiles. Picture By way of: Insideevs

Nevertheless, past the carmaker’s monitor specials, there are larger plans to develop Apollo Automobil’s presence, particularly inside the EV phase. In October 2022, the corporate unveiled a G2J EV prototype and improvement car. This is able to be used as a platform to develop future manufacturing fashions, with the primary Apollo electrical car anticipated someday in 2024.

The corporate has no plans to ditch its fossil-powered creations simply but. Nevertheless, it’s clear that electrical powertrains will play a outstanding function within the firm’s close to future. Right here’s hoping that this time, the corporate really hangs round lengthy sufficient to convey its bold plans to gentle.