Can’t wait to get your mitts on the production version of the Audi Le Mans supercar? Don’t worry, German-based GMG Sportscar Manufacturing has built an Audi-powered road rocket of its own…
Can’t wait to get your mitts on the production version of the Audi Le Mans supercar? Don’t worry, German-based GMG Sportscar Manufacturing has built an Audi-powered road rocket of its own…
CARtoday.com reported recently that the mid-engined Le Mans (Codename AU714), revealed in concept form at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show was scheduled to go into production at Audi’s Neckarsulm factory in Germany in late 2006. Right-hand drive markets should see the introduction of the Le Mans by mid 2007.
The 1 527-kg Le Mans borrows components from the Lamborghini Gallardo and is powered by a longitudinally-mounted V10 twin turbo equipped with Audi’s FSI direct fuel injection system. The powerplant is said to produce 455 kW and 750 N.m of torque and Audi claims the car will catapult from zero to 100 km/h in 3,7 seconds and to 200 km/h 10,8 seconds.
In the meantime, Audi tuning house MTM has come up with the Apollo, a two-seater fitted with a 4,2-litre Audi V8 engine tuned to produce a claimed 485 kW. The eye-catching car will be built by Altenburg-based company GMG Sportscar Manufacturing.
It remains a mystery how MTM has extracted almost 500 kW from the unit that produces 246 kW in standard form (the A8’s 4,2-litre V8). There is no word on whether the engine has been twin turbocharged, although forced induction – whether turbo or supercharged – was probably used.
The car is 4,25m long and is based around a steel tubular frame strengthened with chrome-molybdane. The body panels will be made of either GRP of carbon-fibre reinforced plastic.
The Apollo has an overall bodyweight of 1 000 kg and a claimed top speed of about 360km/h, which would make it one of the world’s fastest cars (provided the car doesn’t fly apart at those speeds).
The first GMG Apollo will be constructed later this year and the company expects to build about 50 units next year. Price? The equivalent of between R851 000 and R1,3 million… A steal by supercar standards, but expect devaluation to be pretty steep.