Madcap Apollo Evo now production-ready
The first customer Evo throws bespoke design madness at an already bonkers nat-asp hypercar
Some of the recent hypercar crop – think Ferrari F80 or McLaren W1 – have perhaps looked a little muted compared to their truly iconic predecessors. Or, indeed, the seemingly endless supply of multi-million quid rivals around them. Cost of living crises don’t affect everyone, remember, and the market for unobtanium looks stronger than ever. Should you want the design of yours to punch just that bit harder, then it’s Gaimersheim (near Ingolstadt) you need to call. Ask to be put through to Apollo Automobil.
This is its Apollo Evo, a distant descendant of the old Gumpert Apollo, but one that’s not forgotten the family DNA of shock and awe styling. The Evo, if you need reminding, is the track-only spin-off of the Apollo Intensa Emozione. We’ve seen it already, but this is the premiere of a bona fide customer car; the very first of a ten-strong production run.
It makes its debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, so credit to its presumably very affluent owner for allowing their new toy near the sticky, ice-creamed hands of curious youngsters. Even more kudos for allowing it to fly up the hill in Friday’s First Glance display. And it’s worth sticking by the side of the hay bales to witness that moment if you’re in attendance. Beneath its joyously batsh*t bodywork is a Ferrari-built 6.3-litre naturally aspirated V12 pumping 800hp to the rear wheels alone through a six-speed sequential ‘box.
A very special setup, and rare for its flagrant lack of hybridisation, it would feel worthy of the £3m+ price tag alone. Yet with only 1,300 kilos to shift, a supremely driver-focused interior and carbon ceramics, forged wheels and Cup 2s below, it’s clearly a very chiselled tool beneath its jaw-dropping looks.
The first customer car has predictably leant all its modest weight into Apollo’s bespoke programme, emerging with the title ‘Caribbean Dragon’ to signify its bold white body panels contrasting against liberal blue highlights. If you’re seeing a little early Maserati MC12 in its colour scheme, that’s surely no bad thing at all. Perhaps its owner has one to match.
Its exterior design calls upon 75 individual carbon panels (!), each painted by hand over the course of eight layers and a sum total of 1,000 hours. Even braver to immediately show it off to the paying public, then. Perhaps the highlight, though, is Apollo’s ‘Dragon Skin’ exhaust system. Titanium and 3D printed, to avoid weld marks, it “provides monumental strength-to-weight, temperature resistance, and aerodynamic packaging benefits,” according to its maker.“Reflecting the living spirit of the vehicle, the natural titanium will dynamically transform in colour, shifting to deep hues of blue over time as a direct response to the intense heat generated during track use.” Keep a close eye as it hares past you up the Goodwood hill, then. You certainly won’t miss its approach...
)
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff