Bucketslash11
Das Beste Enthusiast
Gumpert is coming back, though this time they're only called Apollo automobil GmbH
Gumpert successor Apollo unveils 224mph Arrow hypercar
Now under Chinese ownership, the company formerly known as Gumpert has revealed a mid-engined supercar with 986bhp and 737lb ft
Apollo, the new company founded on the remnants of Gumpert, has followed up the launch of the familiar ApolloN with the international debut of an all-new mid-engined supercar: the 986bhp (1000hp) Arrow.
Still at the prototype stage, the car reuses the tubular chromoly spaceframe and carbon tub, twins it with a new 4.0-litre bi-turbo V8 and a dramatically redesigned body.
The latter is the work of a British-led team, and is intended to broaden the customer base from the niche audience which found the ultra-hardcore Gumpert such a compelling prospect.
Its engine is again supplied by Audi, and, as before, is likely to be tuned to offer buyers different power options; the most extreme of which will be the 986bhp variant also producing 737lb ft of torque.
Combined with the firm’s continuing obsession for low mass - the Arrow is currently said to be sub 1300kg - it confidently predicts 0-62mph in 2.9 seconds and a top speed of 224mph.
Of equal importance though are the engineering alterations intended to make the Arrow much more usable than its predecessor. By shrinking the 120-litre fuel tank and revising the front section of the chassis, Apollo has significantly enlarged the cabin, allowing it to accommodate drivers up to 6ft 5in.
Along with a 100mm dropping of the sill, the car is said to be far easier than the Gumpert to get in and out of, and will eventually be offered with the convenience of sat nav and air conditioning, confirming its entry to the road-going hypercar market.
Prices, volume and launch dates all remain, for now, distant targets. But the car is real, still engineered in Germany and, it was revealed at the Geneva motor show, still benefiting from the involvement of former company boss Roland Gumpert, who appeared in support of the firm’s new Chinese owners.
source: autocar
