“Headline figures don’t
  come much better
  than the Gumpert
  Apollo’s: 224mph top
  speed, 0-62mph in 3
  seconds and 0-124
  mph in 8.9 seconds!
  Driving it is even
  more impressive:
  ‘Wow, wow, wow!’ and
  ‘Unbelievable grip
  and power’ are just
  two of the reactions
  after laps behind the
  Apollo’s wheel...”

MENTION THE WORD SUPERCAR and a handful of names trip off the tongue. One that is rapidly entering the hearts and minds of British devotees of über-
exotics is the German-built Gumpert Apollo — the extra-ordinary, ultra-modern 224- mph supercar that celebrated its UK launch at Brands Hatch on 29 August (2007).

Even before you saw the car, you could feel the terrific atmosphere trackside beneath the Nigel Mansell Suite at Brands Hatch as potential buyers and members of the press waited in anticipation for their drive or ride — an encouraging and exciting sign for distributor Racetech UK's MD Andrew Ward. And a fitting reward for Andrew's wife Samantha, who had worked solidly for three weeks to prepare the launch. "To get to this stage in such a short time is fantastic," Andrew said. "Brands Hatch has been great and the reaction to the launch is overwhelming."

MotorBar has been following the progress of the German supercar since it was first spotted at Salon Privé in July, and we were also at The Bluebird on the King's Road to see off a supercar rally that marked the first outing on UK roads for the first UK-registered Apollo. So when Lancashire-based Racetech UK offered us the chance to run a com-petition to win a 'the ride of a lifetime' in the Gumpert Apollo at the UK launch, we naturally jumped at it.

The Apollo was created from a vision by Roland Gumpert — the man responsible for all Audi motorsport during the 80s and 90s. The delightful and talented German wanted to develop a super sports car that would combine style and practicality with outstanding road performance. The dream has since become a reality: the Apollo is a purist car that has the potential to be as much a success on the track as it is outstanding fun on the road.

Roland's overriding desire was to create a car with such superb aero-dynamics that the downforce would be sufficient for it to be driven at speed upside down on the roof of a tunnel. The Apollo has successfully achieved this, along with precise and predictable handling — even at its highest 224mph speed.

The attractive, functional, aesthetically-pleasing design of the Apollo
is not only seductive and refreshingly different from other supercars, but it also helps to offer an amazing driving experience — at a price that "cannot be matched by any other car in this exclusive class". Power and torque are available in abundance (700bhp and 627+lb ft of torque) from the bi-turbo 4.2-litre V8 engine. It propels the Apollo forward on a seamless wave of power at a heart-stopping rate! Incredibly, three seconds is all it takes to go from standstill to 62mph and 0-124mph is reached in a staggeringly quick 8.9 seconds. Eat my dust — if you can draw breath!

The road-authorised Apollo already fulfils international motor sports norms and the rigid chassis, tubular steel sub-frames and the carbon monocoque ensure both occupants will arrive safely — whether it is
to a destination or crossing the finish line.

The Apollo literature states that the car is "powerful, uncompromising and unique." We can't say better than that. But the acid test is the reaction of drivers and passengers. Our own John Steel has given his verdict elsewhere on this page, and we have the impressions of a number of other people, too — including the winner of our competition and also Racetech UK's track launch driver for the day, VW Cup Champion Tony Gilham.

From the many entries we received to win what was truthfully billed as the 'Drive of your Life', we narrowed it down
to six semi-finalists. The lucky winner — who turned out to be one of the few ladies to enter, was 43-year-old mother-of-three Ann-Mari Thomas from Surrey.

Formerly a Response Driver for the Police ("I loved every minute of it — I could take emergency calls and use the blues and twos but couldn't take part in a high-speed pursuit"), Ann-Mari gave up her career after thirteen years when her daughter was born. Ann-Mari is now a fitness instructor and a singer/ bass guitarist.

"I'd had a really bad week following a number of problems in my life," Ann-Mari explained, "so when MotorBar called to say I'd won the competition I couldn't stop shaking — I even shrieked down the line! Excitement is an understatement — I've never won anything before and I couldn't believe it!"

Describing herself as a 'rock chick', Ann-Mari enjoys travelling the country with her music trio 'The Unruly Mops'. She was formerly the Linda McCartney in a Wings tribute band and lives for her children, music and cars — one of her friends had a Ducati motorbike and she also liked riding pillion.

Ann-Mari hadn't heard of the Apollo until she saw the competition described on the UK's number one car website, MSN Cars. "When I read about the Demelza Hospice Care for Children charity I wanted to support it but I thought the car was absolutely gorgeous," she says.

The love of cars runs through Ann-Mari's family, who take their motor-ing very seriously. Richard came with her to Brands Hatch and assured us: "She'll burn that track up and if she doesn't, she'll answer to me."

Having acquitted herself well, Ann-Mari enthused: "As I put the har-ness on, I thought 'oh my goodness! It's like a fairground ride' but as soon as we got past the marshal, Tony put his foot down and I was pushed back in the seat. It was the kind of feeling you get from turbulence on an aeroplane — just amazing!

"Tony Gilham is an incredible driver — really astounding. He drove the Apollo so smoothly and effortlessly. When I drove, I felt I was fighting it at the bends. You do get whacked around a bit on the track at that speed (we were told she was driving at around 140mph). I liked the gearstick — it was push and pull and so easy. The car has a very definite feel about it — no degrees, just everything. I was too excited to be nervous until I sat in the car. But once I'd driven off without stalling I was fine. I couldn't wait to get my hands on the wheel and I wanted to put my foot down hard and go for it! I got it up to fourth gear. The car seemed very wide but I felt quite natural on the 'wrong' side of the car — it's a good spatial awareness exercise."

She added: "The best fun I'd ever had before this was when I had to drive a police van with eight of the riot squad trying to contain a prisoner. The challenge was to drive safely but get quickly back to the station before anything untoward happened with the van rocking from side to side.

"The Apollo's amazing; Tony's amazing — the whole day has been amazing! Tony was tremendous and I'd have gone on quite happily.
I loved cornering but I'd like to have a go at a long straight — I'd
take the Apollo home quite happily. It's curvy, it looks incredible.
The entire shape is lovely.

A friend was going to buy Ann-Mari a track day drive in something special for Christmas but, she says, nothing could top the Apollo. "At the first bend, my stomach got left behind! I wondered if I'd be able
to drive as fast as that. I feel really satisfied — I went in at the deep end and had The Best. It's Fantastic and I want to do it again — now! But I'd go faster next time."

"The Apollo has unbelievable grip and power," says Tony Gilham, the VW Cup Championship leader and Racetech UK's professional driver for the day. "It's absolutely awesome and brilliant to drive. All the drivers are doing well and having a lot of fun. Ann-Mari was very confident driving and got up to around 140mph."

Tony was with over one hundred drivers on a scholarship and came in the top four with Jensen Button and Anthony Davison — both of whom are now in Formula One. He'd never raced before but last year saw him racing a Mk I MR2 and he now races a Golf. Out of his last eight races he had eight podiums. Even on his first time out in the Apollo his skill and professionalism were clearly in evidence as he tirelessly drove around the track throughout the day at high speeds.

If you'd told Tony last year that he'd be driving a Gumpert Apollo at Brands Hatch, he wouldn't have believed it — he said the whole day had been "unbelievable and superbly well organised" and after two or three laps he was into the swing of handling the car.


Two representatives from Demelza Hospice Care for Children, Sue Piper and Louise Owen-Thomas, spent much of the day at the trackside watching the Apollo strutting its stuff — and Louise even managed to squeeze a passenger ride during the afternoon.

Louise climbed out of the Apollo reluctantly but with a huge grin. "Wow, wow, wow!" she exclaimed. "It's the most amazing car — corners are so smooth! I don't know much about cars, but the Apollo has the WOW factor in a big way. It's beautiful — a work of art."

Louise was not the only one to think that. By the time the Racetech UK team got to Brands Hatch, Andrew had already sold his first Gumpert Apollo. When MotorBar asked the buyer — a keen track day driver — what had made him decide to add the supercar to his stable, he was keen to share his passion for the marque. "It's an absolutely fantastic experience. Noise levels are low, you can get an excellent driving position and everything works as it should — which is more than I can say for some other cars. There is simply nothing to compare it with. I am a VW/Audi fanatic and when Andy mentioned he was taking on the Apollo I was hooked.

"The Ultima I have is a machine and a half but I couldn't drive it on
the road. When my Apollo is delivered, I will use it — you can sit in it and drive all day and every day. The cooling system is fine; it can be hammered all day — as it has been here — and it's still reliable and easy on consumables.

"On the way down Andy got 25mpg, so the Apollo is practical as well as being a track day car. It has proved to be very durable during the track day launch — nothing has broken; everything is as it should be. It has a very good warranty — you can just jump in it and go without wondering what will fail next!

"I've had ten Audis over the years — RS and S — and never had any issues with them. My RS6 was driven over 70,000 miles without any trouble at all. I'd say the Apollo is as bombproof as that. It will be the seventh car in my stable — and even my wife approved."

Towards the end of the day, Andrew Ward took stock: "The most remarkable thing is that the car's not stopped all day. It has worked hard — not stuck in a showroom. Out there on the track everyone can see what the Apollo is capable of — it can be used and appreciated, not wrapped in cotton wool. Buyers will enjoy it on the road or at the track where it will make a great impression."

MotorBar was equally impressed by the way the Apollo, with just 1,250 miles on the clock and only just run-in, was hammered all day long on what is a very demanding track, yet continued to run faultlessly. And running on standard road tyres, too — which stood up to the treat-ment as well as every other part of the Apollo. With the pedigree and uniqueness of the Apollo — the first time a road vehicle design concept has been created with a racing car's construction — it was no surprise that the UK launch of this fabulously different über-exotic was such a resounding success.


DOES JOHN 'NERVES OF' STEEL have what it takes to go the whole way with the Gumpert Apollo? Absolutely. Here he is again, proving that there is nothing he wouldn't do to get the full story for MotorBar.

One hundred and sixty miles per hour with the infamous Paddock Bend at Brands Hatch just ahead is a test of car and driver. Neither misses
a beat despite the 'standard' road tyres — a dab on the brakes to
set the car up, a little initial understeer, a head full of 'G' forces, then a few deft movements of the controls negotiated the daunting corner without drama and it was back on the power. The Gumpert Apollo driver is the VW Cup Championship leader Tony Gilham, and he is having to temper his pace as the brand new car is still being run-in.

Attending the UK launch of the 700bhp Apollo at Brands Hatch was another personal coup, following the great success of the Rio Rally in Scotland exclusively reported on MotorBar. Memories of my very modest efforts in testing and racing at a very different and — by today's standards — a rather basic and officiously run Brands Hatch in the 1970s were quickly dismissed because the new regime sparkles by comparison.

Much to my pleasant surprise, the drivers' brief was the start of the enjoyment as Alan Wilshire — chief instructor of the day — went through all the procedures and formalities. Often these briefs seem to be to establish a pecking order — ie, "I am top of the pile and you .." OK, it is difficult when you have a serious message to get across, but Alan covered everything without belittling any of us from the highly- skilled down to me. And he made it interesting. Just a pity not every-one listened as we were told not to hog the left-hand side of the track (overtaking on the left only on open track days) and someone created a great crocodile.

There were some experienced and serious supercar owners invited to the Apollo launch who rode — and drove — with Tony Gilham. Our hosts, the Gumpert Apollo's UK distributors Racetech UK, had invited prospective customers, a number of other guests and a few hangers-on including yours truly. There was a little spare time for me to be driven in the car and when my turn came, I shoehorned myself into the passenger seat — easier said than done, as getting that second leg in without scuffing the paint needed both hands! However, once seated, although a snug fit, it was comfortable and the four-point harness tightened enough to enable me to relax without hanging on.

The short distance from the pit exit to the bottom of Paddock bend rewrote the rule book as this phenomenal machine created both accelerative and lateral 'G' forces more commonly associated with the Red Arrows before we even exited the corner.

Despite having driven all day with only a short lunch break, Tony drove with verve and was keen to show everyone the potential in both the Apollo and himself as he is seeking sponsorship to race an 800bhp Apollo in the UK GT1 series next year. His handling of the car was exactly right — everyone could immediately appreciate that the Apollo is a very sophisticated piece of engineering and requires a very light touch to get the best out of it. And no need of the 'chuck it in and sort it out later' cornering technique mandatory with less well-honed machinery.

There was obviously no pussy-footing about Tony's approach, whether it was the way mobile chicanes of other track users were despatched into the distance or the way Brands Hatch's most difficult corner — Clearways — was tackled. Smooth, free-flowing and stunningly quick everywhere.

In the all too brief time I was in the Apollo, it was difficult to assess it relative to the Koenigsegg, Pagani and Spyker on the memorable Rio Rally. Those cars were all very different in temperament and here was another with its own unique character. I thoroughly enjoyed all four, but other people had their individual favourites and I can appreciate why they would single out a particular car. The Apollo will dance to your tune; ask and it will be done. It seems to be able to communicate what is happening through the seat of your pants, even for the passenger — so it must give chapter and verse to the driver. Mind you, managing all that horsepower is no easy task. Give the wrong command and you have to account for that excess of 50+mph that appears as if by magic — more than Whoops.

'My' allocated three laps were being gobbled up very quickly but I wanted to tease a little more out of Tony, despite the knowledge that the Apollo was being run-in using only 550 of its 700bhp. I asked how many tenths we were travelling: "7½". "Is there room for an extra tenth?" An extra lap was offered and the scenery went into fast for-ward. However, other track-users' mirrors were filled rather too quickly with the electric blue Apollo for their drivers — particularly for one car at Graham Hill Bend. We had to manoeuvre and lose speed rather rapidly in mid-corner, but both the Apollo and Tony were as cool as cucumbers and probably didn't even note it.

For everybody, the worst part of the drive was ending it. But not a murmur of discontent from anyone. The car park for our party included some very quick cars, including an SLR 722 and a Diablo VT. The latter did some laps at a speed that restored faith in the Lambourghini marque and its driver extolled the virtues of the Apollo, being more than happy with his drive.

If I were in a position to buy one, I would want two optional extras: something to stop scuff marks on the leading edge of the cockpit door sill — although it could be quite a struggle for some to get in, with practice it must get easier. However — apart from the mental struggle of not wanting to leave the Apollo — it was surprisingly easy physically to step out. The other extra would be a set of 'slick'-tyred wheels to give a reported extra third in grip. The mind boggles. Wives and part-ners will be amazed that the Apollo also has a boot with a capacity for more than the proverbial tooth brush — eat your hearts out Enzo owners (and wives) on that point.

The complete package of the car, from the entire drive chain through suspension to tautness of the chassis — and, I would add here, our driver — were far superior to the massively wide road-going tyres. They were being asked to do something they are not designed for; but, to their credit, they hung on well, letting go in a predictable manner. Quite extraordinarily, after a long day of being truly thrashed they
were still in remarkably good shape. And that bodes particularly well
for more normal road use.


The Apollo did not miss a beat all day and, although everything was constantly checked, the only items added during the day was petrol and a constant stream of new passengers and drivers.

A great experience and a steep learning curve as the speeds that can be enjoyed on a circuit are way, way in excess of anything approach-ing sanity on the public roads. We will certainly hear much more about the Apollo as it will follow the Mclaren F1 in being a fabulously fast road car that can also make its mark on the circuit. It would be a shame for someone to buy it for road use only because so much potential would go untapped.

The odds are that at least one of the more serious car-share/owner-ship clubs will add an Apollo as it has very serious performance, is more than eye-catching and cloaks the Audi heritage that underwrites its reliability. It also has the ultimate in exclusivity and a price tag that — whilst being the cost of a provincial terrace house — represents excellent value for money. In this club context only, I would even add that the fuel consumption for the trip from Lancashire down to Kent was reportedly well into the twenties.

And if there is another chance of a ride or a drive aboard a slick-shod Apollo, I will be battering down every obstacle in my path to enjoy that extreme experience. — John Steel

Click to view full slideshow of Brands Hatch launch

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