A CUSTOM motor business has become the sole UK dealer for one of the world's newest supercars.

Burnley's Racetech UK Ltd is the sole dealer of the Gumpert Apollo, a £215,000 4.8 litre German speed machine, designed and built by the man behind the original Audi Quattro.

Able to go from 0 to 60mph in less than three seconds, the Apollo has already attracted interest from Jamiroquai front man and car enthusiast Jay Kay, whose mother, singer Karen Kay, came from Blackburn.

The man responsible for getting the car in to the UK is Racetech's managing director Andrew Ward, who set up the business three-and-a-half-years-ago.

Racetech's main business is car tuning and the installation of hi-tech audio systems but they also import high performance cars from Europe.

Andrew, 32, from Barrowford, believes their is nothing currently available that matches the Apollo and said initial interest in the car has been high.

He said: "There's nothing that compares to it. It's a pure performance vehicle, it's a GT1 race car for the road.

"This deal really came about by chance. A colleague of mine in Germany that we deal with for BMW and Porsche imports had a friend of his working at the factory where the car was being built.

"I went to the factory and had a look at it and got talking to the owner about dealerships and we continued to talk for the next 12 months.

"Earlier this year we went to a motor show in Geneva, Switzerland, with Castrol and took along one of our custom cars.

"The Apollo was there and we struck a deal to become the dealer for it in the UK. I'd discussed it with them and they didn't really know what they were going to do so we stepped in.

"We ordered a demonstrator which I picked up last week and it's the first in the UK.

"They are aiming to build 40 or 50 a year and we are hoping to get 15 of those each year."

The Apollo began development five years ago in Altenburg, Germany, and went into full production at the end of 2005.

The man who lends his pedigree to the car's design is Roland Gumpert, managing director and the driving force behind company Gumpert Sportwagenmanufaktur GmbH.

In the mid-1970s, the long-standing Audi Sport director was the driving force behind the development of the four-wheel drive vehicle Iltis, the original predecessor of today's Quattro.

In 1979 he prepared an Iltis for the Paris-Dakar rally and achieved victory. Under his management in the following years Audi Sport won a total of 25 World Rally Championship races and was the four-times winner of the World Rally Championship.

As for the interest from Jay Kay, Andrew said he spoke to him at a London motor show and said he could well be getting in touch after its launch at Brands Hatch race track next Friday.

Germany's Apollo speed.

Weighing 1100kg, it has a bi-turbo 4.2-litre V8 engine delivering 650bhp and maximum torque of 627lb ft at 4,500rpm.

It hits 62mph from rest in 3 seconds and 124mph in 8.9 seconds. Its top speed is 224mph.

The Apollo has 650 break horse power (bhp) and can be tweaked to an output of 700 or 800bhp.

To improve the safety of the vehicle a crashbox has been integrated into the front section - just like in Formula One racecars.

The Apollo's gadgetry includes a DVD player and sound and navigation systems. A rearward facing camera integral to the system helps the driver when reversing.