Apollo Says Other Modern Hypercars Are ‘Too Easy To Drive’

Apollo is proud of the fact that its other-worldly Intensa Emozione hypercar won’t be as easy to drive as some of its rivals.

While speaking with Motor1 ahead of this weekend’s Goodwood Festival of Speed, Apollo Automobili general manager Ryan Berris said that the IE was designed from the outset to demand a certain level of skill from the driver.

“Our favourite days were the GT1 days of the 1990s. We like a raw, scary kind of car that takes some skill to drive. Cars now are becoming almost too capable – it dilutes the driving experience,” Berris said.

“Everyone is chasing numbers. But there comes a point where you can’t do anything with the car. The problem we see today is that everyone is so disconnected. It’s like you can become a pro within 30 minutes of driving.”

Instead of opting for a velvet-smooth dual-clutch transmission, Apollo has opted for the a sequential racing ‘box.

“The six-speed sequential gearbox is the same one you’d find in a Le Mans car – there’s a clutch to get in and out of first but then it’s straight up and down. We know it can take 24 hours of punishment, but it still takes skill to use,” Berris said.

Additionally, the Apollo IE will use a naturally-aspirated 6.5-liter Italian V12 that’s free of any hybrid trickery.

Apollo’s commitment to offering a pure driving experience isn’t all talk. The carmaker recently confirmed that HWA, a spin-off firm from Mercedes-AMG, will be responsible for the final development of the Intensa Emozione.

HWA has been responsible for much of Mercedes’ motorsport activities in the last two decades and was the company that made the CLK GTR road-going monster.