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Two units were built, and its name is a combination of the Mid-Engine with Four turbochargers on a Twelve cylinder mill.
Have you ever wondered what iconic car you could build if money wasn’t an issue, and you could have access to the best engineers and technicians to manufacture the most spectacular iconic car ever? If you did, you are not alone. Most exotic cars start from a concept similar to this one, but unfortunately, design, technology, production, and research and development costs surge to such heights that many prototypes get abandoned.
Autoblog estimates that the cost of developing a new car is around $1 billion. Meanwhile, John Wolkonowicz, Senior Auto Analyst for North America at IHS Global, has an even more scary perspective when it comes to costs.
”It can be as much as $6 billion if it's an all-new car on all-new platform with an all-new engine and an all-new transmission and nothing carrying over from the old model,” said Wolkonowicz.
Given the incredible costs associated with building new vehicles, it is hardly surprising that so many concept cars were abandoned. With that being said, in the past decades, there were too many beautiful prototypes that broke our hearts when they didn’t go into production, like the Mazda Furai, Saleen S5S Raptor, Maybach Exelero, Pininfarina’s Maserati Birdcage 75th and the Chrysler ME-412. All of them defined perfection, being beautiful, ultra-high-performance cars, but the Chrysler ME-412 had unique features.
Related: Simply Stunning: The Chrysler ME-8 Is The Perfect Evolution Of The ME-412
Calling the Chrysler ME-412, “the fastest car in the world” is not a fake marketing or a clickbait. In 2004, at a test drive, these absolutely insane prototypes reached the top speed of 248 miles per hour (400 kilometers/ hour). And if that wasn’t impressive enough, the ME-412 accelerated from 0 to 60 miles per hour in 2.9 seconds and from 0 to 100 miles per hour in 6.2 seconds.
The ME-412 achieved this outstanding performance thanks to the mid-mounted (ME), quad-turbo, AMG V-12 engine that reached 850 bhp at 5,750 rpm, with 850 lb-ft. (1150 N-m) of torque. The engine was paired with a seven-speed Ricardo double-clutch transmission with 200-millisecond shift times.
Most people know that car performance is impacted by extreme weather. For instance, summer heat and extreme cold can cause serious damage to your vehicle, but recent technologies have found innovative ways to combat these issues. The Chrysler ME-412 was ahead of its time in this as the car was “designed and packaged to achieve outstanding thermal performance under extreme operating conditions,” according to the press release that announced the arrival of the exotic vehicle.
“Its large capacity, high-efficiency engine-cooling system allows this engine to retain optimum thermal performance – a key advantage in the super car arena,” said the press release.
The mastermind behind the interior and exterior styling is Brian Nielander, who in 1998 graduated from Detroit's College for Creative Studies. Nielander secured the project after winning a competition to design the ME-412. And without a doubt, he did a fantastic job with the ME-412.
Nielander’s design envisioned a two-seat cabin that was spacious and plush. Driver and passenger could enjoy 37.2 in (942 mm) of headroom, and 42.7 in (1085 mm) of legroom. Above their heads was a large glass roof panel, which created a feel of open space and increased visibility. Also, the co-pilot could enjoy the adjustable foot support, which kept him in position during extreme driving.
Elsewhere, on the leather tilt steering wheel, the driver found mounted controls, including a column mounted F-1 racing style paddle shifter with aluminum shift paddles and centrally mounted driver controls. Evidently, the cabin also had comfortable leather-covered seats, dual-zone climate control, and a state-of-the-art audio system. Ultimately, the ME-412 was as beautiful in the inside as it was on the outside.
Related: This Is What Made The McLaren F1 So Special
The Chrysler ME-412 was truly a mythical vehicle having unique engineering and design features that only enhanced its performance. For instance, the carbon-fiber and aluminum honeycomb monocoque tub helped the Chrysler ME-412 achieve a curb weight of 2880 lbs. Also, the prototype had a record-breaking weight-to-power ratio of 3.4 lbs/bhp.
Meanwhile, the braking system had 15.0-inch ventilated carbon ceramic composite disc brake rotors with six-piston aluminum mono block calipers. As per the company’s press release, these discs were 65 percent lower in weight than analogous cast iron rotors.
The prototype also used Michelin 265/35ZR19 tires in the front and 335/30ZR20 tires in the rear. Furthermore, double wishbones, aluminum control arms, horizontally-opposed coil-over dampers with electronically controlled compression and rebound tuning, stainless-steel push rods and a blade configured anti-roll bar are employed for the suspension.
Eugenia Akhim is a luxury car aficionado. She naturally gravitates towards the legendary 911 and the classic Ferrari because they are fun to drive and have a killer aesthetic. In her column, expect to read more about turbo-powered vehicles.