Gumpert bounces back: Geneva 2014

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

By NickGibbs / Friday, 7 March 2014 / Loading comments

When crazed German supercar maker Gumpert went

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.