gumpert apollo

Gumpert Gives Us a Glimpse at the new Tornante Supercar

You may not have heard of the Gumpert Apollo, rare as it is, but it happens to be one of the most devastatingly fast cars on the market. That bit is owed largely to the fact that it's barely more civilized than a race car. But in an effort to attract more customers, the company founded by Audi's former racing chief is launching a new supercar called the Tornante at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show.

We brought you an initial report on the Gumpert Tornante a couple of weeks ago, but the manufacturer has now released the image you see above and some preliminary details on the vehicle. The Tornante will get the same 4.2-liter twin-turbo Audi V8 as the Apollo, but in a more luxurious package and more attractive bodywork designed by by Milanese coachbuilder Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera.

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Tags: 2011 geneva motor show, geneva motor show, gumpert, gumpert apollo, gumpert tornante

Seven Heavens: Jonathon Ramsey's Year of Empyrean Experiences

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Spirits, Luxury Cars & Autos, Sports, Men's Style

"Every day above ground is a good day" is the saying, and it depends entirely on how much latitude you give the definition of "good." There are other days, however – certain days, special days – that cannot be denied their inclusion in the ranks of The Best of the Good Ones. While we have no problem admitting that even the least among our days on the job are still pretty good, there are others that clearly and simply take their places at the front of a very competitive line. In no particular order, then, here are seven places and pleasures that have meant the most to us in 2010.

Tags: chopin, gumpert apollo, jochen70, lake okareka lodge, mammoth mountain, rizk ra, rolls-royce, wales

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Luxist Drives the Ferocious and Near-Mythological Gumpert Apollo

by Jonathon Ramsey (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Luxury Cars & Autos

Now this here is a fascinating little creature, a compound of contradictions. It goes by the unlikely name of the Gumpert Apollo, named first forRoland Gumpert, practically the father of Audi's Quattro system yet his creation is rear-wheel-drive only. The second name is for both the Greek god who had nothing to do with speed or handling prowess, and a space mission whose only intersection with cars was a lunar rover. The Gumpert Apollo's badge, however, depicts a Griffin, a creature with the body of a lion and head and wings of an eagle, which is an Indian or Central Asian creation that has essentially no connection to Apollo.

Nevertheless, these ostensible discrepancies live together beautifully in the compact body of the Gumpert Apollo: Roland Gumpert's aim was racing and two driven wheels are all that are allowed in most categories. Apollo might not have been the god of driving, but he did count victory among his oversight portfolio, something the Apollo car is quite familiar with. The Apollo space missions did represent, at the time, the ultimate in proven high-technology. And the Griffin, as a mix of the kings of beasts and birds, represents mastery of land and air. We got to drive it, and we have never found anything like it anywhere else on the planet. The words we found to describe it are these: Hoe. Lee. Cow.

Gallery: Luxist Drives the Gumpert Apollo