Photo: Guido ten Brink / SB-Medien
I can’t help but feel for the underdog. It is human nature and it applies to the automotive world as well. That is why I want Apollo to make ends meet in the super performance domain with the Arrow.
Before we go through the star of the Apollo stand in Geneva, what’s an Apollo? I’ll keep this short. Remember the Gumpert Apollo? Yes, the insolvent company of Roland Gumpert, a man who helped Audi win 25 World Rally Championship races and four titles.
The Apollo Arrow isn’t a Gumpert Apollo v2.0. It’s a fresh design with stupendous go-faster credit. A 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine is mounted in the middle and sends 1,000 PS (986 horsepower) to the XXL-sized rear wheels via a 6-speed sequential transmission and a self-locking Torsen differential.
Thanks to that amount of ponies and the right type of gearing, the Apollo Arrow is capable of hitting 223 mph (360 km/h), which is more than the top end of the Porsche 918 Spyder hybrid hypercar. As for the accompanying 1,000 Nm (738 lb-ft) of torque, these help with hitting 62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.9 seconds and 124 mph (200 km/h) in just 8.8 seconds. Impressive specifications, alright. The exterior design isn’t bad either, as it combines supercar styling with soft lines conditioned by aerodynamic principles. But then again, take a good look at the greenhouse of the show car. You’re spot on - this unit is a non-functional mock-up.
And that’s why I have to return to the paragraph that opens this report from the Geneva Motor Show. I wish the Apollo brand all the best in getting itself established, but I’m afraid the Chinese-owned outfit from Denkendorf, Germany, will follow in the footsteps of Gumpert. As in a slow death that will end in insolvency.
P.S.: The advertising slogan of Apollo is "The art of German engineering" written in bold, capital style. Right...
The Apollo Arrow isn’t a Gumpert Apollo v2.0. It’s a fresh design with stupendous go-faster credit. A 4.0-liter twin-turbo V8 engine is mounted in the middle and sends 1,000 PS (986 horsepower) to the XXL-sized rear wheels via a 6-speed sequential transmission and a self-locking Torsen differential.
Thanks to that amount of ponies and the right type of gearing, the Apollo Arrow is capable of hitting 223 mph (360 km/h), which is more than the top end of the Porsche 918 Spyder hybrid hypercar. As for the accompanying 1,000 Nm (738 lb-ft) of torque, these help with hitting 62 mph (100 km/h) in 2.9 seconds and 124 mph (200 km/h) in just 8.8 seconds. Impressive specifications, alright. The exterior design isn’t bad either, as it combines supercar styling with soft lines conditioned by aerodynamic principles. But then again, take a good look at the greenhouse of the show car. You’re spot on - this unit is a non-functional mock-up.
And that’s why I have to return to the paragraph that opens this report from the Geneva Motor Show. I wish the Apollo brand all the best in getting itself established, but I’m afraid the Chinese-owned outfit from Denkendorf, Germany, will follow in the footsteps of Gumpert. As in a slow death that will end in insolvency.
P.S.: The advertising slogan of Apollo is "The art of German engineering" written in bold, capital style. Right...
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