Apollo is the latest player on the hypercar scene. Reborn from past supercar glory, its Intensa Emozione, or IE, is meant to be a return to a time when supercars were truly intimidating machines. A lot of that stems from the use of a 6.3-liter V-12 engine that produces 788 horsepower and revs to more than 9,000 rpm. But as Alex Goy from Carfection/Jalopnik found out, Apollo is ready to unleash even more power and fury if the customer so desires.
As you can see in the accompanying video, Ryan Berris, general manager of manufacturing for Apollo, says the company has done a feasibility study that revealed the engine can be developed to produce 1,000 horsepower, rev to more than 11,000 rpm, and increase to a 16.5:1 compression ratio. A client can pay a more dough (likely quite a bit more dough) to cover the engine development costs to reach those numbers.
At that point, Apollo has what is basically an oversized Formula 1 engine from the sport's more entertaining eras, especially when you consider that the engine is naturally aspirated and uses no form of electrification. Apollo sees no need to deviate from that type of powertrain.
Why not just offer that increased output from the outset? Berris notes that Apollo isn't chasing stats. "This is not meant to be a numbers car. This car, it's philosophy is to pay homage to the old GT1 days, to be an analog car that was an emotional experience to drive on every level, and something that was usable, " Berris says. "There's only so much power that you can efficiently translate through the tires, especially to the rear wheels. So for this, 788 horsepower is more than enough, especially because the car is lightweight."
It sounds like the Intensa Emozione will be traction limited, especially for those who pay for the four-figure horsepower version. That's not surprising, as that's a colossal amount of power to send to the rear wheels and expect them to grip the road during hard launches.
Still, to have a car with a V-12 capable of howling away above 11,000 rpm is a treat we would expect plenty of supercar- and race-loving customers to choose.
The video reveals other details about the Apollo IE. For instance, it is offered with two exhaust systems, and its 3D-printed tri-tip exhaust outlet costs more than a BMW M4. The car has a massive rear wing, but no active aerodynamic components because the brand doesn't want to run the risk of failure during a high-load turn. The car comes with two sets of wheels, including racing wheels with slicks for the track. Buyers have the choice of two sets of brakes as well. Carbon ceramic brakes are standard, but iron Enkei racing iron brakes are included for track use so owners won't have to pay for the high-cost of carbon ceramics on a regular basis.
The interior features fixed seats with a reclined/feet up seating position. Drivers will be 3D-scanned and the seats will be mounted to accommodate them.
Click on the video above for more about all of this information, as well as a discussion of the design of Apollo's latest hypercar.
