Friday 7th March 2014

Gumpert bounces back: Geneva 2014

Geneva mop-up continues with a closer look at Gumpert's Explosion and the firm's apparent revival

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When crazed German supercar maker Gumpert went into administration in 2012, it seemed another automotive dream had died. But then we spotted the company at this year's Geneva motor show with not just a version of the 650hp Apollo that made its name but also an intriguing little coupe. So we sought out founder Roland Gumpert and asked what was what.

The Apollo lives on too, mad as ever

He told us Gumpert is back in rude financial health after 'divorcing' the Asian investor that was the cause of all the strife. And that coupe, badged with typical Gumpert machismo as Explosion (the company once showed an Apollo version called Enraged), is Gumpert's vision of an Audi Quattro for the 21st century.

“We want to convey to all those drivers who love motor sports what it feels like to sit behind the wheel of a rally car", he said. If anyone's qualified to do this, it's Gumpert. He was an Audi engineer for more than 30 years, including a spell as head of Audi Sport when the Quattro was busy demolishing the competition in the early 80s.

The two-seat, front-engined Explosion has a carbon fibre body wrapping a tubular frame and powered by either a 420hp four-cylinder turbo or, for real Quattro authenticity, a five-cylinder turbo making 500hp. Both engines are derived from Audi blocks, just like the 4.2-litre twin-turbo V8 in the Apollo.

It's a Quattro for the modern age reckons Gumpert

There's four-wheel drive of course and inside the Explosion uses Audi dash parts from the Mk1 TT era. Slightly baffling that but we guess even older Audi bits are better than bespoke parts liable to be both expensive and prone to failure. The weight is 1,200kg and the performance apparently mind-boggling. Gumpert reckons the even the four-cylinder Explosion will hit 60mph in just three seconds and head onto a top speed of 186mph.

You can buy one right now and have it delivered in three months if you're prepared to stump up the £87,000 (plus VAT) it starts at. That's steep, but like the Quattro the Explosion is also practical, with a big boot and the option of a couple of small rear seats.

We remember talking to Gumpert in 2012 and back then they told us that investors were prepared to rescue them, but only if they diversified their range. That advice was obviously heeded because as well as the Explosion, Gumpert says next year he'll show a production version of the amazing Tournante concept designed with Italian coachbuilder Touring Superleggera.

Throughout this the venerable Apollo carries on. These days the Apollo S makes 750hp for 0-62mph of 2.9 seconds. And the famous claim continues: the downforce is such it'll drive on the roof if you need it to.

[Blackpuddin]

Body looks a bit like a Halfordised Cougar but I like the idea of what's underneath it.

[British Beef]

Audi A5 coupe in a bad fitting dress. Not attractive to my eyes.

Also what is going on halfway up the bonnet, looks like they could not coble together 1 piece big enough...

[McAndy]

Reminds me of the Quattro concept that Audi have bene parading aruond recently. Have Audi got cold feet and given the project to Gumpert?

Also...

The article said:

...inside the Explosion uses Audi dash parts from the Mk1 TT era. Slightly baffling that but we guess even older Audi bits are better than bespoke parts liable to be both expensive and prone to failure.

Mk1 TT dashes have a known issue that led to replacement dashes being required. From the forums..

I hope that they've fixed them!

[Tuvra]

£87,000?!?

What's the bets a £77k Nissan GTR beats it in every single possible test?!?

[Axionknight]

What an ugly beast that is, let's be honest, the smart money is going to buy a Nissan GTR instead, hardly a looker its self, but in my eyes a far more sensible proposition.

[ZX10Ben]

McAndy said:

Reminds me of the Quattro concept that Audi have bene parading aruond recently.

That's what I thought as soon as I looked at it. Not a million miles away from this...

[Fetchez la vache]

I'll file this under "can't afford one, but I'm glad they're back. Good luck!"

[Sexual Chocolate]

GTR is over 3 0 - 60 so this is supposedly quicker.

Its by Gumpert did you really expect it to look like a bland Audi A4?

[edinph]

This confirms to me that Germany has lost the plot on the styling front. With a rash of fugly BMWs, Audis and Mercs, this just make me thing Germans must have a totally different aesthetic. It's a mess.

[Tuvra]

Sexual Chocolate said:

GTR is over 3 0 - 60 so this is supposedly quicker.

Its by Gumpert did you really expect it to look like a bland Audi A4?

Yes, but the GTR is proven to do that.....

This new car suppose to do 0-60 in 3 seconds with 500bhp and yet their "supercar" with 750bhp takes 2.9 seconds at what x4 the cost?:

[Frimley111R]

WTF? Prize for the most ridiculous claims for the year go to.... They appear to have no idea what it takes to build a car like that.

[PaulG40]

I bet it's certainl got good mechanicals but good god, the body!! It looks like each panel was given to a separate person in different countries far away to design and never spoke to/saw each other ever.

[smilo996]

It real is the Audi Quattro turned up to 11. Bounced back is an understatement.

[smilo996]

It really is the Audi Quattro turned up to 11. Bounced back is an understatement.

[CraigyMc]

I like the idea of Gumpert.

"Engineers cars" would be a nice way of saying they pay a bit more attention to oily bits than shiny bits.

[Hatchoo]

Gumpert have never been known for making beautiful cars, but they do make fking quick ones. I'm glad they didn't go under and will be interested to see how fast the stupidly named "Explosion" is round the 'ring.

[tim milne]

Aside from all of the above, I'm not sure of the wisdom of calling a car EXPLOSION

Would make for some interesting dialogue if pulled by the police:

"What kind of car is this, Sir?"

"it's an Explosion, Constable"

"Well, maybe you better get out, then, Sir"

[MycroftWard]

ZX10Ben said:

Not a million miles away from this...

This Gumpert is clearly similar in both styling and concept. The profile seems fairly conventional but the rear and particularly the front looks a little odd with that sort of concave treatment. It's not pretty but I don't mind it.

I doubt it'll worry the GTR and 911 Turbo to much, but if you have to have something a bit different then...

[soad]

Don't like the look of this thing, but hey - if it's sales helps for the mad Apollo to continue, all is well.

[gonzales_turbo]

How to get a fully developed car a few months after insolvency?

http://www.xtreme-uk.net/performance-cars/detail.a...

Well you can just answer an ad.