Between 2005 and 2012, a German supercar manufacturer called Gumpert built what is likely the most divisive of supercars, the Apollo. While its performance credentials were better than most track-based thoroughbreds, the looks were anything but desirable thanks to a focus on downforce and downforce alone.
Styling, apparently, was never part of the picture and the end result was a supercar that resembled a piece of cleaved beef (see for yourself in the gallery below). Now, the company is back, it’s dropped the unappealing Gumpert name, and says it will introduce a better-looking hypercar called the Apollo Intensa Emozione (IE).
Little is known about the upcoming IE hypercar other than what is shown in the short 40-second teaser below. From what we can discern, the IE will look at least as extreme as recent hypercar entries like the Aston Martin Valkyrie and Mercedes-AMG’s Project One with a minimalist cabin, fixed racing seats, a clip-in racing steering wheel, and a dramatic exterior design that, like its predecessor, looks to be focused on generating vast quantities of downforce.
That said, from the darkened shots we see here, it looks like a much more appealing design than the Gumpert.
After we see the camouflaged Apollo crest atop the IE’s hood, and a quick shot of the tiny cabin, we get our first real look at its exterior with a shot of the front splitter which is covered with dive-planes, intakes, and a massive front diffuser.
But not to be outdone, the next shot we see is of the huge rear spoiler and Le Mans-esque rear fin. While the wing is teased only briefly, the actual shape of it makes us think that it’s likely an adaptive unit, similar to the McLaren DRS system found in the P1 or the unit found on Koenigsegg’s One:1.
A central-exit three-port exhaust is our next interesting glimpse as we’ve never seen anything quite like it. The exhaust tips themselves are shaped like elongated diamonds and should provide a unique resonance to whatever engine Apollo ends up using for the IE.
Immediately after the exhaust is shown, a racing driver closes the gullwing doors and settles into the cockpit by attaching the steering wheel. We get a shot of the central-locking wheels and massive carbon ceramic brakes built by AP Racing, and another shot of the staggeringly large rear wing.
One of the coolest features comes next with a roof-mounted ignition system and the first sounds of the IE’s exhaust. We’re not certain about what engine configuration the exhaust sounds like, but to our ears, it sounds naturally aspirated and high-revving.
According to the video, we’re due for all of the details next week when the Apollo IE will be unveiled to the public for the first time on October 24. Let’s hope Apollo stays around a little longer than last time and they’ve made a better-looking car.
Source: Apollo via YouTube