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Gumpert Unleashes 800-hp Apollo Sport on Geneva

There's a pretty good chance you've never heard of the company Gumpert,or its full name, Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur, but it's a name you might be hearing more of in the future. Anyone familiar with the racing scene during the ‘80s, however, will not only be familiar with the name, but the man behind it. Roland Gumpert, the managing director of the car maker in question was an employee of Audi and had massive influence on its motorsports team. The original Audi Quattro changed the face of rallying in the ‘80s by being the first of the Group B rally cars to feature four-wheel drive. This vehicle was developed under the watchful eye of Gumpert, not to mention the role he played in developing its predecessor, the “Iltis”. During his time

A supercar for when an Enzo just isn't fast enough. (Photo: Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur)

at Audi, Gumpert guided the Coupe Quattro team to a total of 25 World Rally Championship race wins, and four World Rally Championships in the ‘80s.

More recently Gumpert teamed up with another Roland, Roland Mayer, the man behind the Audi tuning shop MTM. The two created the company's first car, the original Apollo, which made its debut at last year's Geneva Motor Show. Withexpertise in Audi products, Gumpert opted to use Audi power for the Apollo. Their development team twin-turbocharged the Audi 4.2-liter V8 to produce 650 horsepower,

What was once aluminum and carbon fiber is now covered in Alcantara. (Photo: Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur)

and in marked contrast to the cars developed at Audi the Apollo drives only the rear wheels through a six-speed sequential manual. At its heart, this mid-engined supercar is really a thinly veiled race car for the road, but despite its outrageous advantage over most street competitors the brand is returning to Switzerland once again to show off an even quicker version called the Apollo Sport.

As if 650 horsepower isn't enough for you, Apollo has boosted the power to an astonishing 800, allowing the new Sport model to hit 60 mph in under three seconds, and on to a top speed of 223 mph. At those speeds, stability and control rest in the hands of aerodynamics and airflow, which is why the Apollo Sport features a new rear wing and various

Apollo Sport makes 800 horsepower. The regular one makes a slightly saner 650. (Photo: Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur)

other tweaks.

Besides making the Apollo faster, and better handling, Gumpert has also given the cabin a more luxurious look as most of the interior's surfaces – the dashboard, steering wheel, gearshift gate, door panels and seats – are trimmed in grippy Alcantara. Like the original, the Apollo Sport is considered a “made to measure” vehicle. Gumpert arranges the seating layout, the pedals, steering column and even the seat's cushions and trim to fit the driver like a glove.

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