Launch of new ApolloN signals the return of niche sports car maker Gumpert, which has been rebranded as Apollo Automobil.
23 Feb 2016 | 2923 Views | By Darren Moss, Autocar UK
The ApolloN, which is billed as “the fastest road car on the planet” will make its debut in Geneva next month, signalling the return of the Apollo name for the first time since German niche car maker Gumpert was bought by Chinese investor group Ideal TeamVenture earlier this year.
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The ApolloN, which is billed as “the fastest road car on the planet” will make its debut in Geneva next month, signalling the return of the Apollo name for the first time since German niche car maker Gumpert was bought by Chinese investor group Ideal TeamVenture earlier this year.
Little is known about the new ApolloN, but it’s expected to be a spiritual successor to the original Gumpert Apollo, which entered production in 2005. Autocar UK understands that Apollo Automobil plans to show two cars in Geneva – one an evolution of the original Apollo, and one an all-new supercar which shares the Apollo's platform.
Ideal TeamVenture bought the Gumpert brand in January and promptly renamed the company to Apollo Automobil. The Chinese group also acquired the rights to the De Tomaso brand in April last year, in a deal worth just over one million Euros (Rs 7.64 crore). It’s understood that the investment group wants to manufacture cars for China under the De Tomaso brand.
Following slow sales, Gumpert filed for insolvency in 2012, but was seeking investment to fund its entry into the lucrative Chinese market. The firm's last hurrah came with the Apollo S, which made its debut at the Geneva Motor Show in 2013. It featured an Audi-sourced 4.2-litre twin-turbocharged V8 engine, available in 591bhp, 690bhp and 790bhp forms. In 690bhp guise, the Apollo S is claimed to reach 100kmph in 3.0sec, 200kph in 8.9sec and has a top speed of 224mph/358kph.
After the concept was revealed, a test mule version of the Apollo S was spotted performance testing at the Nurburgring, but it’s understood that the car never reached production. Gumpert declared bankruptcy in August 2013.
To support its claim of being the fastest road car in the world, the ApolloN will have to beat the 270.49mph/432.78kph top speed record set by the Hennessy Venom GT in 2014. Ideal TeamVenture could not be reached for comment.
Ideal TeamVentures was incorporated in July of last year, with Chinese businessman Sung Fung Choi listed as the company’s main director.