The Apollo Intensa Emozione is a screaming 9000rpm V12 middle finger to turbochargers

TURBOCHARGED this, downsized that, electrified everything. That’s the mantra of the modern automotive world.

The days of the large naturally-aspirated engine are numbered, but thankfully, a select group of brave companies are ensuring atmo screamers continue to live on and buck the trend.

Apollo is one such company, rising from the ashes of what once was Gumpert – German creators of very fast but very ugly supercars in mid-2000s.

Their first creation is this, the Apollo Intensa Emozione, and it is a tribute to old-school supercars, and the vehicles you used to draw on the back of your school notebook.

Looking like mash-up of a futuristic concept car and GT3 race car, the Intensa Emozione is unfortunately track-only. But it’ll almost certainly be the most dramatic car you’ll see at a local track day.

At the heart of the car’s carbon tub (the entire chassis weighs just 105kg) is a wailing naturally-aspirated V12 heart.

The entire car tips the scales at just 1250kg, but can produce a whopping 1350kg of downforce at 299km/h thanks to the huge wings front and rear. Top speed is 334km/h.

The 6.3-litre V12 is mid-mounted, and screams to a 9000rpm redline. Apollo didn’t build the engine itself; it is a heavily fettled version of the same unit seen in Ferrari’s LaFerrari hypercar, with engineering partner Autotecnica Motori doing a majority of the work. Just don’t call it a Maranello donk; the Germans don’t enjoy it much.

Peak power is 573kW, which is on the smaller side of hypercars these days. Torque maxes out at 759Nm.

But total output top trumps aren’t the aim here, it’s about providing an emotional feeling in those that drive and witness the car in motion.

Power is transferred to the rear wheels through a six-speed Hewland pneumatic racing dogring gearbox, and the car will sprint to 100km/h in just 2.7 secs.

There’s pushrod suspension at all four corners, along with an in-built air jack for swift and efficient pit stops.

The Intensa Emozione won’t be cheap to put in your garage, with pricing in the $3.5 million bracket. Only 10 will be built, so you’re unlikely to run into another owner popping down to the shops.

Top marks, Apollo. More of the same please, but next time make it road legal!