First Impression: Gumpert Apollo

Germany is responsible for producing high perfomance cars. Germany is home to Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, and has produced the Porsche Carrera GT, Audi R8, and the Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. Germany is also home to the Gumpert, which was founded in 2005, and the Gumpert Apollo, one of the fastest cars on the market.

I first saw the Gumpert Apollo at the October 2010 edition of Houston Cars and Coffee. This was the main exhibit. There was a constant crowd around the car. There was a Ferrari F50 present, but most people were concentrated around the Apollo. This car is stunning to look at. It is a race car designed for the roads. It looks fast and the gull-wing doors add to its sleek design.

The Gumpert Apollo comes with three different power output for the twin turbocharged 4.2L V8 engine. The basic engine produces 650 hp and 627 lb-ft of torque. The Sport version gets 750 hp and and 649 lb-ft of torque. The Race version gets 800 hp and 664 lb-ft of torque. The Apollo goes from 0 to 60 mph in 3.0 seconds and reaches a top speed of 225 mph.  It is the fastest car from Germany and the sixth fastest car in the world. When it launched in 2005, it cost $400,000.  It is a bargain compared to other high performing cars.
                         

Top Gear did a review of the Gumpert Apollo Sport during the finale of Series 11, where it held the fastest power lap time of 1:17.1. It was the fastest car around the Top Gear test track, until the Bugatti Veyron beat its time during Series 15. The Apollo has been featured in many video games.  It was part of the super sport DLC for Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit.  It was a club car for Test Drive Unlimited 2.  It is also drivable in Project Gotham Racing 3 and 4, Burnout Revenge, World Racing 2, GTR Evolution, Shift 2: Unleashed, Forza Motorsport 3, and was the design for the Cobretti 530 GTS in Split/Second.

Final Thoughts: It is not the best looking supercar, but it is stunning. It is as fast as it looks. This is a great debut car for Gumpert. Whoever buys this car will get the ride of his or her life. It is extremely fast.

CarJunkie
Photo taken from Houston Cars and Coffee Facebook page.