Gumpert

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Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur
Private
Industry Automotive industry
Genre Supercar manufacturer
Fate Insolvent
Predecessor GMG Sportwagenmanufaktur Altenburg GmbH
Founded 2004
Founder Roland Gumpert
Headquarters Altenburg, Thuringia, Germany
Area served
 European, Middle Eastern and U.S. markets
Products Gumpert Apollo, Gumpert Apollo Enraged
Owner Roland Gumpert
Number of employees
 45
Website Gumpert.de

Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur GmbH is a German supercar manufacturing company headquartered in Altenburg. Roland Gumpert, the founder and owner of Gumpert, once held the position of director of Audi Sport.[1][2] Under his management, Audi won a total of 25 World Rally Championship races and four World Rally Championship titles.[3]

History

In 2001, Roland Gumpert proposed a new generation sports car, one that would be race-ready yet also street-legal. After Gumpert returned to Germany from China at the end of 2001, Roland Meyer asked him to assist in building a prototype sports car. Audi approved Gumpert's involvement in this project on the condition that the new sports car would be a series product and not a prototype.[4]

File:Gumpert Tornante 2011.JPG
Gumpert Tornante

The company was founded in 2004 under the name "GMG Sportwagenmanufaktur Altenburg GmbH". The technical guidelines were defined and the first designs of the car were drawn by Marco Vanetta. Upon Vanetta's completion of this process, the first 1:4 scale model of Gumpert's car was produced in 2002.

Gumpert continued with the development of the Apollo, along with the Technical University of Munich and the Ingolstadt University of Applied Sciences. They have assisted with the construction work, computer simulations, and wind tunnel tests. This research and development helped form the blueprint for the first full scale model. Finally two prototype Apollos were constructed.[3][5] The production of the Apollo started in October 2005.[6]

On July 27, 2008 an Apollo Sport was featured on the UK show Top Gear. Richard Hammond and the Stig drove the Apollo Sport. With a lap time of 1.17.1, the Apollo Sport became the new leader on the Power Lap Board,[7] 0.2 seconds faster than the former lap leader, the Ascari A10. The Apollo was faster than Bugatti Veyron and Pagani Zonda around the Top Gear track. It was later beaten with a time of 01:16.8 by the Bugatti Veyron Super Sport.

In August 2013, the company filed for bankruptcy and went into liquidation after an anonymous backer pulled out of a deal that could have saved the company.[8][9]

In January 2016, the company was purchased by the Chinese consortium Ideal Team Venture, also owner of the De Tomaso marque, and Gumpert was renamed Apollo Automobil GmbH.[10]

Development partners

Gumpert collaborated with several business and technical partners, including the following:[2][11]

File:Gumpert building.JPG
The Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur Factory
  • Apollo Germany Limited (paints and repairs)
  • ATS Group (development and production of wheels)
  • BFFT (automotive electronics)
  • Bosch Group (automobile components and systems, including ABS and TCS)
  • Eibach (sports chassis development)
  • HS Genion (automotive engineering)
  • KBF Kabelbaumfertigung (the Apollo’s cabling, measuring 4.2 km)
  • KW Automotive (sport suspension systems)
  • Mero TSK (Mengeringhausen tube system)
  • Pirelli (road and racing tyres)
  • TRW (active and passive vehicle safety systems)
  • Technical University of Munich (virtual prototyping, vibration technology and driver-vehicle interaction)
  • WIDOS (welding plastic tubing and moulded parts)
  • Contrust (optimized risk management)
  • Evolution MotorSports (US development partner and distribution)
  • GTE Engineering (development and production of kevlar clutch facing)

Availability

File:Gumpert factory.JPG
A new Gumpert Apollo in the Gumpert factory

The Gumpert Apollo, Apollo Sport and the Apollo Race are currently only available in the European, Middle Eastern and US markets. Gumpert also plans to export the Apollo to Australia, the Asian region and Russia.[12][13]

Since October 2005, a total of 45 employees, both from the production and administration departments, have produced and delivered the first cars. For 2009, an annual production of 30 cars was planned.[2] The base price for the Apollo, with its 4.2 litre V8 engine with bi-turbo delivering 650 hp (480 kW) is €301,600 excluding VAT. The Apollo Sport is available at an extra €77,910, and the Apollo Race at €125,320 more.[14] The waiting list is approximately four to five months.[6][15]

Motorsport

File:Gumpert Apollo Leipzig-Altenburg Airport.JPG
A Gumpert Apollo at the Leipzig-Altenburg Airport

During April 2005 the Apollo made its racing debut in the Divinol Cup. This Apollo was driven by the Belgian race driver Ruben Maes. Maes finished third on the Hockenheimring race track.[2] Three years later Gumpert announced that they would enter a hybrid electric version of the Apollo in the 2008 24 Hours Nürburgring, driven by 2004 winner Dirk Müller and former Formula One racer Heinz-Harald Frentzen. Three months passed between the first discussions and the finished hybrid Apollo. The Apollo was driven in the 24 Hours Nürburgring in May 2008. The hybrid Apollo can deliver up to 630 hp (470 kW), powered with a 3.3 litre V8 bi-turbo engine coupled with a 100 kW (136 PS; 134 hp) electric motor. The car has the ability to recharge the battery under braking.

References

  1. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  4. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  5. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.[dead link]
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  11. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

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External links

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