Apollo Automobil, formerly known as Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur, is a German supercar builder. It is one of the few manufacturers that creates the most extreme and potent machines ever known in the history of automobile construction. By Roland Gumpert, then the chief of Audi Sport; this has gone over many metamorphoses-from a small boutique sports car maker to where it is now, in the hands of new ownership.
Models such as the Apollo, Arrow, and Intensa Emozione have placed Apollo Automobil in the ranks of the elite hypercar manufacturers alongside futuristic design and race-intended engineering. The article highlights the history, models, technologies, and future of Apollo Automobil, as it details the metamorphosis of a small German sports car project into a fully recognized hypercar in the world.
Origins and Founding Vision
Apollo Automobil, as a brand, can be traced back to 2004, when Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur was founded by Roland Gumpert, the former director of Audi Sport. During the 1990s, Gumpert worked for Audi Sport. He was a bespectacled engineer born in East Germany. As part of Audi’s internal team, he helped guide the company to success. Together, they won 25 World Rally Championship (WRC) rallies. They also secured four WRC titles. This success inspired Gumpert’s vision. He wanted to create a unique sports car. The car would be ready for the racetrack. It would also be road-legal.
Roots have sown as early as 2001. Shortly after returning to Germany from China, Gumpert was contacted by Roland Meyer, the founder of Motoren Technik Mayer, to develop a prototype sports car. Audi granted permission to Gumpert if it was a series-production car and not a one-off prototype.
The company was initially called “GMG Sportwagenmanufaktur Altenburg GmbH” and began its technical development with designs by Marco Vanetta. Gumpert established cooperation with the Technical University of Munich and the Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences, utilizing their know-how in construction, simulation, and aerodynamic testing.
Roland Gumpert’s Audi Legacy
Roland Gumpert had earlier done wonders to the industry before establishing Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur. While he was the head of Audi Sport, he was a powerful force in Audi’s rally dominance of the 1980s, overseeing 25 wins in World Rally Championship rallies and 4 championships. His performance engineering will serve as an excellent foundation for future projects involving the creation of road-legal race cars.
The Birth of Apollo Automobil
Gumpert imagined a sports car of a different kind in 2001-conceived as one that accords track performance levels with street legality. Audi agreed to Gumpert’s involvement with the condition that it would produce a car, not just a concept. It was in 2004 that Gumpert officially founded GMG Sportwagenmanufaktur Altenburg GmbH, the name that would afterward become Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur.
The Gumpert Apollo
Engineered from the ground up for ultimate performance, the Apollo has reduced the design specifications of the bodywork to little more than an aerodynamic shell. The car is powered by an Audi 4.2L twin-turbo V8 engine giving out 650 to 800 hp depending on the variant.
Two prototypes were produced; extensive wind tunnel tests and computational simulations were performed to complete the design through further refinement. By October 2005, production officially commenced, and the Apollo swiftly carved a reputation for its violent acceleration and handling feedback.
Top Gear Fame and Record-Breaking Performance
Apollo shot into global fame at Top Gear UK in 2008. The Stig and Richard Hammond raced an Apollo Sport, posting a scorching 1:17.1 around the test track-surpassing both the Bugatti Veyron and the Pagani Zonda F, and, more to the point, dethroning the Ascari A10. Though it was later surpassed by the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport. The Apollo truly consolidated its status as a real hypercar player.
Variants and Special Editions
- Apollo Sport: An even more track-oriented version with developed aerodynamics.
- Apollo R: A naked version ready race-wise with more power.
- Apollo Enraged: Limited edition with 780 hp and extreme styling.
- Gumpert, despite all his successes, went bankrupt in 2013 because a significant investor withdrew its support.
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Rebirth Under New Ownership
In January 2016, the company became property of Ideal Team Venture, registered in Hong Kong and quickly resumed production under the name Apollo Automobil GmbH. The new owners intended to renovate the brand by manufacturing modern hypercars while still sticking to the DNA of racing.
| Year | Event |
| 2004 | Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur founded |
| 2005 | Apollo enters production |
| 2008 | Apollo Sport features on Top Gear |
| 2011 | Tornante concept revealed |
| 2013 | Company files for bankruptcy |
| 2016 | Purchased by Ideal Team Venture and renamed Apollo |
The Apollo Arrow: A New Identity
Apollo, at the Geneva Motor Show 2016, launched their hypercar, Arrow. This sleek-futuristic vehicle is powered by a monstrous 4.0L twin-turbo V8 roaring with 1,000 PS (986 hp). Apollo launched the Intensa Emozione (IE) during the year 2017; it is a hypercar with 6,3L of NA-aspirated V12 developed jointly by HWA AG (the people behind the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR). The IE comes with a design mimicking ‘an insect’, extreme aerodynamics, and redlines of 9,000 RPM. This makes it one of the most otherworldly aggressive-looking and sonically thrilling hypercars ever made.
The Future of Apollo Automobil
That was when Apollo brought Project EVO into the limelight, which marked the company’s entry into hypercars of the next generation. This announcement was made during the 2021 China International Import Expo (CIIE). At this point, details remain scarce. However, we do know that the EVO will not just be another Apollo hypercar—it will feature a completely unique hybrid or fully electric powertrain. Yet, it will undoubtedly retain Apollo’s signature high-performance DNA.
| Specification | Detail |
| Engine | Twin-turbocharged 4.0 L V8 |
| Horsepower | 986 hp (1,000 PS; 735 kW) |
| Projected Top Speed | 360 km/h (224 mph) |
| Debut | Geneva Motor Show, March 2016 |
Apollo Future Mobility Group
Apollo has gone beyond hypercars, into the Future Mobility Group, which will focus on luxury EVs made by German engineering and Japanese NEV (New Energy Vehicle) technology. This will be where Apollo competes with Rimac: a performance-oriented and sustainable mobility approach, also with Lotus ascendant brands.
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FAQ’s
Q1) What is Apollo Automobil and how did it start?
Apollo Automobil took off and made the mark of an expensive German hypercar maker in the course of its beginning as an entity in the year 2004, prominently presided over by Roland Gumpert, former director of Audi Sport. It has the ambition of building a track-ready car that can…
Q2) Who found Apollo Automobil?
Apollo is basically founded by German engineer Roland Gumpert, former head of Audi Sport. He was behind the phenomenal victories in World Rally Championships in the 1980s and 1990s by Audi.
Q3) What was the first Apollo car?
The Gumpert Apollo was launched in 2005. It was the brand’s first production model. It used a V8 engine developed by Audi. The engine was a 4.2-liter twin-turbo.
Q4) What are some of the Apollo model variants?
The variants include:
- Apollo Sport (race ready variant)
- Apollo R (racebred with absolute power)
- Apollo Enraged (780 hp limited production)
Q5) Why did the company declare itself bankrupt?
In 2013, Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur declared bankruptcy immediately after declaring the cessation of production after a big investor had withdrawn from the company.
