If you thought the Apollo Arrow looked like a serious piece of hardware, just wait until you see the follow up. Launched overnight, the Apollo Intensa Emozione has been designed as a ‘feast for the human senses’ with a free-breathing V12 and face-tearing downforce.
Apollo was brought to life in 2013, after an injection of Chinese money saved boutique track-car maker Gumpert from the brink of bankruptcy. Its first car, the Arrow, was launched at the Geneva motor show last year.
With 746kW from a twin-turbo V8 engine, the Arrow was seriously powerful, and a production run of 100 ensured its exclusivity. But the world of supercars moves fast, and Apollo clearly had bigger dreams. That’s where the Intensa Emozione comes in.
Power comes from a naturally-aspirated V12 redlined at 9000rpm, with 582kW of power and 760Nm of torque. The company hasn’t provided acceleration figures, but you’ll be doing 335 km/h flat out.
All that grunt is put to the rear wheels through a longitudinally-mounted six-speed sequential gearbox with electro-pneumatic paddles, mounted on the back of the steering wheel instead of the steering column. Apollo says the single-clutch gearbox is lighter than a dual-clutch transmission, but still delivers whip-crack shifts on the move.
The thought of a screaming, naturally-aspirated V12 engine is exciting, but the Apollo IE is more than a one-trick pony.
Thanks to its aggressive wings, scoops and flics, the car produces a whopping 1350kg of downforce at 300km/h. According to the company, the downforce has a 44.5/55.5 front/rear split.
Apollo has outfitted the IE with a pushrod-actuated double-wishbone suspension with adjustable anti-roll bars, along with adjustable Bilstein dampers at all four corners. Each owner will actually have a hand in setting their car up, too, for a bespoke ride and handling setup out of the factory.
Those (crazy) people who want to drive their Apollo on the road will be pleased to know a nose-lifter, capable of raising the front end by 50mm at speeds up to 30km/h, is standard. Also standard is an air-jacking system, which lifts the car off the ground for quick tyre changes or mechanical tweaks at the track.
Speaking of the track, 380mm carbon-ceramic Brembo brake discs and 6-piston front, 4-piston rear calipers are designed to resist fade under extreme duress, while the Michelin tyres are capable of dealing with “lateral forces in excess of 2G.” Hold on tight, kids.
Holding all the madness together is a bespoke carbon-fibre monocoque, with carbon front and rear subframes. The setup is designed to be light and stiff, and allowed Apollo to shrink-wrap the bodywork around it for ideal aerodynamic efficiency. What’s more, the chassis and subframes weigh just 105kg combined.
Just look at the pictures of the uncovered chassis (above). They’re like automotive art pieces, complete with gold suspension components and wheel hubs.
The interior is overwhelmingly red, with flashes of carbon-fibre scattered throughout. Like Ferrari, Apollo gives owners a steering wheel festooned with buttons, tasked with controlling everything from the nose-lift to headlights – it looks overwhelming, but the driving experience will likely be enough to distract you.
As is usually the case, such stunning engineering doesn’t come cheap. Just 10 examples of the Apollo Intensa Emozione will be built, with prices starting at €2.3 million ($3.52 million). Along with the car, owners will get access to a Time Attack program, run on European circuits and priority when ordering the upcoming Arrow successor.
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