Welcome to Down On The Street, where we admire old vehicles found parked on the streets of the Island That Rust Forgot: Alameda, California. Today we're going to prove that DOTS isn't just about old cars, nor is it just about daily drivers or beaters with potatoes for gas caps. If it's parked in public within the city limits of Alameda, it's fair game. And whaddya know- here's a shiny new Gumpert Apollo Type S, parked in front of one of the hangars at the former Alameda Naval Air Station!
All right, I didn't just find it. This Apollo was brought into the country by Mr Mota, the gentleman you see above. He deals in European exotics, but this one's not for sale; it's going to be driving in the Gumball 3000, which starts in San Francisco this Saturday (hence all the stickers). One of his business partners was on the SSPP22 Volvo 780 Bertone team that pitted next to the Black Metal V8olvo at the 24 Hours of LeMons SF a couple months back, and that connection led to a Gumpert photo session on the island.
That's an Audi 4.2 V8, like the one in the RS4, R8, and S5, only with twin turbochargers and about double the horsepower. Oh, it sounds mighty good!
I asked what it was like to drive in city traffic, and the answer was a sort of pained grimace. The seats are not adjustable, the minuscule ground clearance means speed bumps spell certain doom, and the engine's berserk power output isn't well-suited to stop-and-go traffic. But who cares? This thing can likely blow away any other street-legal production car on the planet on a racetrack!
Before we get to the next couple of galleries, let's see The Stig take the Apollo Type S around the Top Gear track and get the best lap time in the history of the show.