CHRYSLER
ME FOUR-TWELVE
// Amazing Speed, sorry not
for sale
A
stunningly gorgeous design. A mid-mounted AMG V12 with four turbos. Zero to 100
mph in 6.2 seconds. It's hard not to think "what could have been"
when it comes to the 2004 Chrysler ME-Four Twelve Concept, especially when it
could have been an American Ferrari Enzo fighter.
The
ME Four-Twelve could then be considered the ultimate Daimler-Chrysler car. When
it debuted at the 2004 Detroit Auto Show, it stunned audiences and sparked
instant demand. Sadly, it was not to be.
ME
Four-Twelve" stood for mid-engine, four turbochargers, and 12 cylinders.
It was a serious engine. The concept's 6.0-liter AMG-derived V12 put out 850 hp
at 5,750 rpm and 850 lb-ft of torque between 2,500 and 4,500 rpm. Power was
sent to the rear wheels via a 7-speed double wet-clutch transmission with
paddle shifters. With a carbon-fiber and aluminum honeycomb chassis, and
liberal use of carbon fiber throughout the rest of the vehicle, the ME
Four-Twelve weighed in at just 2,888 pounds.
It
was quite fast, for one thing. Chrysler said the car could rocket from zero to
60 mph in 2.9 seconds, zero to 100 mph in 6.2 seconds, and had a better power
to weight ratio than the Bugatti Veyron, McLaren F1 and Ferrari Enzo. It also
had a remarkably sophisticated suspension with dual-control-arms front and
rear, stainless steel pushrods and adjustable shocks.
There's
also its design. It's eye-catching, aggressive but elegant, and it is easily
the best use of Chrysler's early-to-mid 2000s design scheme. It still looks
incredible today.
The
flat-bottomed steering wheel, heavily bolstered seats, large shift paddles and
realistic gauge cluster all made the car feel like it was for real instead of
some far-flung thing that would never see the light of day outside of an auto
show.
It's
probably not ever coming back, sadly. It's hard to imagine the
budget-conscious, post-bailout, Fiat-owned Chrysler of today making something
so extreme, especially when the new SRT Viper barely squeezed through.
The
ME Four-Twelve is incredible, but it's definitely the product of a different
time.
