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Secret Supercar To Top McLaren

Chrysler wowed the Detroit Motor Show crowds when it unveiled its own 'take' on the McLaren F1 - the new ME Four-Twelve supercar. The firm claims the sensational machine will sprint from 0-60mph in only 2.9 seconds and go on to a 248mph top speed. If those figures prove to be accurate, that would make the ME Four-Twelve the fastest car in the world, beating the McLaren.

By Craig Cheetham

14th January 2004

The supercar came about because bosses were keen to recapture the excitement created at last year's Detroit expo by the Tomahawk motorbike. The ME Four-Twelve's striking lines were penned by Chrysler's in-house design team at Auburn Hills, Michigan.

And it was such a closely guarded secret that many of Chrysler's own management team didn't know of its existence until the wraps were pulled off at the show. "It was apparent we were working on a secret project, but nobody knew what," said senior vice president of design, Trevor Creed.

The unusual name comes from the powertrain set-up. ME stands for mid-engined, while Four-Twelve refers to the amount of turbos and cylinders involved. And Chrysler bosses say a full production version of the model is a distinct possibility - it could even be on sale as soon as next year. It's not only the ME Four-Twelve's looks that catch the eye. The mechanicals are equally impressive. The 6.0-litre engine is a tuned version of the V12 unit found in the Maybach 57 and 62 luxury saloons, but this one has four turbos.

A maximum of 850bhp comes at 5,750rpm, while a huge 1,150Nm of torque is developed from 2,500rpm. To ensure stability, an active rear spoiler extends from the bootlid at 186mph.

Such muscle must be carefully transmitted to the road, however, so the ME has a transmission exclusively designed by British specialist Ricardo. The semi-auto seven-speeder uses two integrated clutch plates, and changes are made using steering wheel-mounted buttons. Stopping power comes courtesy of ceramic brakes, with discs 65 per cent lighter than conventional cast iron.

Further weight-saving gains come with the suspension and body. The wheels, meanwhile, are cast aluminium - 19-inch at the front and 20-inch at the back - while the double-wishbone suspension uses a mixture of aluminium and stainless steel. There's very little metal on the outside of the car. The main bodyshell and panels are made from extra-tough carbon fibre, as found on Formula One racers. The central body tub, which provides the model's structure, is cast from aluminium.

Although Chrysler has hinted that the ME Four-Twelve is likely to be built, only a handful will end up with private owners. The car has been created to compete with ultra-exclusive machines such as the Ferrari Enzo and McLaren- Mercedes SLR, and when it reaches production with a price tag of around ΂£500,000, it will only be built in tiny numbers for sale to selected customers.

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