CAR News

GUMPERT Sportwagenmanufaktur GmbH is celebrating 4 world premieres at the 80th International Motor Show in Geneva. The ultimate in high-tech versus the day-to-day and performance sport.

The new GUMPERT power package will be on show for the first time at the 80th Geneva Motor Show: two impressive versions of the further developed apollo sport, in contrasting black and white.

Optimised engine control, new recirculation valves and improved cooling have now improved the performance of the German Altenburg-built racing car to 750 hp/551 kW (previously 700 hp/515 kW). This increase in performance of more than seven percent can be felt above all on curved and fast stretches of road. The power per litre therefore increases to more than 180 hp per litre of cylinder capacity!

Extremely short gear shifts of up to 40 milliseconds (torque-to-torque) are provided with precise transmission from the apollo TT40e (electronic gear system), with faster gear changes thanks to rocker switches on the steering wheel. The Formula 1-type technology promises drivers spoilt by the apollo the ultimate in comfort along with their adrenaline rush. The apollo’s outstanding performance on the track and its excellent lateral acceleration, thanks to maximum surface pressure and grip in all driving situations, remains unaffected by this. A further highlight is the launch of the first apollo right-hand drive vehicle. Yet a further reason for an international push!

With its supreme driving performance, the apollo recently became a test champion (Supertest “sports auto”, 11/2009). The new lap record of 7:11.57 minutes recorded on the Nordschleife of the Nuerburgring track is an impressive indication of the super sports car’s claim to be the best. Driving enthusiasts with sporting ambitions will note the improved ergonomics of the vehicle thanks to its extended monocoque and the larger adjustment area of the pedals.

“Although the apollo demonstrates its strengths above all on the racetrack, with its optimum aerodynamics and resulting breathtaking curve speed, it is largely suitable for day-to-day use, as proved by tests conducted by a number of independent car magazines. We think of the driver and his comfort…” confirms Roland Gumpert, founder and Managing Director of GUMPERT Sportwagenmanufaktur.

The LED daytime running lights ensure clear conditions in temporary traffic. In the course of reducing the vehicle’s drag coefficient, the front and tail now have a significantly more striking and forceful design, making the apollo seem more aggressive. A completely re-designed flap-controlled exhaust system with two times two tail pipes produces an unmistakeable earthy sound. In addition flaps in the tail area ensure optimised down force, something that has always been a priority of the apollo. The integration of a brand-new reinforced CIMA gearbox (apollo S1000) into the apollo sport now gives it improved reliability in long-distance races. Further innovations in 2010: a considerably improved CD/DVD player sound system and a central flashlight for motor racing on the redesigned tail.

2 ravishingly exquisite apollo sport await you in Geneva to satisfy your curiosity in Hall 2 on stand 2045!

It is one of only a handful of super sport cars and after its debut at Geneva’s international Motor Show in 2006 it was clear: the apollo is a synthesis of dynamic and design with pure driving pleasure and unique performance. On the road it speeds like a god and on the race track it cries out to be challenged by an opponent that can match its breathtaking acceleration and incomparable handling. Now, it is due to get a worthy competitor out of its own stable. At the 77th Geneva Motor Show, the Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur will present the apollo sport to the wide public.

The apollo sport is the rebel amongst the super sport cars. Its bodywork combines sexy curves with potent edges and angles and aims for uncompromising aerodynamics. A clear demonstration of the principle “form follows function”. Its challenging sporting design derives from the requirement to built a street legal racing car, whose number one priority is to provide extraordinary performance on the circuit, but at the same time embodying a vehicle suitable for daily use.

The highest importance was attached to safety: the tubular space frame in chrome-molybdenum steel with integrated safety monocoque fabricated in carbon-fiber passes all crash-tests regulations, while a cashbox offers additional protection. The gaping air intake stub over the roof and on the rear signals power, dynamics and superiority. The eight cylinder, bi-turbo mid-engine with up to 800 horsepower is capable of catapulting this 1200 kg missile from 0-100 km/h in only 3 seconds.

The apollo sport is equipped with an extended aerodynamic package and, in contrast to the three part spoiler of the apollo, possesses a racing wing which gives even more down force and pushes the apollos’s maximum speed up to 360 km/h.

As you can guess, it is not for nothing that this cars is named after the fierce Greek God.

The two-seater also convinces from the inside, with its sporty and elegant alcantara interior, and offers air-condition, CD-player, navigation system and reverse view camera as standard equipment. A two-layer metallic finish available in any conceivable color, gives this bolide a particular luster. As a special accessory the apollo is equipped with an airjack, a pneumatic jacking pad.

The standard version of the apollo sport costs 299.500,- € plus VAT.

The Hybrid Apollo uses both an 100 kW electric motor and a 3.3 liter V8 bi-turbo petrol engine and produces 630 hp. The electric motor will be recharged when the car brakes. During its maiden race, the hybrid-concept took on race cars like the Porsche 911 GT3, Dodge Viper, Lamborghini Gallardo, BMW Z4 and Chevrolet Corvette.

Gumpert is fully aware of the 2009 Formula 1 rule that teams must use hybrid engines and has therefor formed a team around the former F1 driver Heinz-Harald Frentzen. “Motorsports can not ignore the necessity to save energy. I see a chance that our sport will go back to the forefront of technical development, making cars outside of the ractrack much more energy efficient,” said Frentzen.