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Gumpert RG Nathalie Revealed, Runs on Hydrogen

Gumpert, the company that made the ugliest supercar in the world, is no more. From its ashes, a new firm called Apollo Automobili has risen. This is their latest creation, built in partnership with Chinese startup Aiways.
Gumpert RG Nathalie Revealed, Runs on Hydrogen 4 photos
Photo: Apolo
Gumpert RG Nathalie Revealed, Runs on HydrogenGumpert RG Nathalie Revealed, Runs on HydrogenGumpert RG Nathalie Revealed, Runs on Hydrogen
It's named RG Nathalie, after Roland Gumpert's daughter. What's more, it has almost nothing in common with the track-focused Apollo of old.

Instead of a fire-breathing V8, this sleek coupe is moved by four motors. The juice comes not from a big battery pack, but from a fuel cell.

Hydrogen fuel cells are nothing new - Honda, Hyundai and Toyota have them in production. However, due to the lack of hydrogen fuelling stations, Gumpert and Aiways decided to use methanol instead. A "reformer" split it into carbon dioxide and hydrogen, your exhaust being the former. How is that good for the planet?

Just because it's (supposedly) green doesn't mean RG Nathalie is slow. It will get to 100 km/h in just 2.5 seconds and has a theoretical top speed of 300 km/h (186 mph). And while we're on the subject of numbers, max range is said to be anywhere between 370 miles (595 km) and over 700 miles (1126 km).

The pictures don't do it justice, but we think the coupe looks good in the official video. It's a lot like an Audi, somewhere between the RS4 and the quattro concept from a few years ago. It's got balanced and understated proportions, thin headlights and angular shoulders. The rear has a big diffuser and the front sports large air intake. Carbon fiber makes it look like it's been tuned already.

Aiways brought the car to the 2018 Beijing Auto Show. It's intended for production with the first units of the RG Nathalie expected to be delivered in 2019. No pricing is available, but it's probably not going to be as cheap as a Toyota Mirai. Also, easy to buy in China?

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About the author: Mihnea Radu
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Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida.
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