Love it, unbelievable. . . . trying to find the write up I read about the testing that was just done on the first prototype, until then. . . pics!
Enthusiasts will be impressed by the earnestness of Chrysler's audacious mission--dreaming up and building the kind of car that normally comes only from Italy or England. Cadillac demonstrated the notion of an American mid-engine exotic a few years back, but to date, the V-12-powered Cien remains just an idea. Another example that finally did make it to market is the $400,000 Saleen S7. The $140,000 Ford GT is certain to be a hit. Which path will the ME Four-Twelve follow? The name, by the way, stands for Mid-Engine Four (turbo) Twelve (cylinders). Wolfgang Bernhard, Chrysler Group chief operating officer and former AMG CEO, was a leading force behind the car's development. Last year's interesting but useless Tomahawk "was a design statement. This is an engineering statement," Bernhard says. The ME's AMG-developed 6.0-liter V-12 has an aluminum block and heads, two throttle valves, four catalysts, and dry-sump oiling. Each turbo has an intercooler, and boost is 1.4 bar, or roughly 20 psi. Compression ratio is 9.0:1. Its 850 horsepower was measured during extensive dyno testing in Germany, and its 850 pound-feet of torque is good from 2000 to 6000 rpm. "We started with an engine, and allowed no compromises to the engine whatsoever as we built a car around it," Bernhard explains. The quad-turbo V-12 is backed by a paddle-shifted seven-speed Ricardo double-clutch transaxle. On paper, the ME has a better power-to-weight ratio than any other supercar. The exotic powerplant makes one horsepower for every 3.4 pounds, versus Chrysler's projections of 3.9 pounds for the McLaren (BMW) F1, 4.1 for the Bugatti Veyron, 4.2 for the Ferrari Enzo, 5.4 for the (also AMG V-12-powered) Pagani Zonda, and 6.6 for the Ford GT. When it came time to design a body around this impressive powerplant, Chrysler wanted a structure that met and exceeded all crash standards and built in modules to make repair not only possible, but easy. The monocoque tub is aluminum honeycomb and carbon fiber, and bodywork is carbon fiber. Crush structures are aluminum and the subframes are chrome-moly. Chrysler says this prototype's overall weight is just 2860 pounds (roughly the same as a Honda S2000).
That sounds like quite a car. I wonder if eventually all Chrysler-branded vehicles will be powered by Benz engines.
Dunno. . . thought about that too myself. . . kinda neat that it takes Chrysler to get some serious numbers out of the AMG motor. The prototype has been run at 2.5 bar (thats 32.5psi) and has put out well over 1000bhp. But, as for engines. . . hmmm. . . I wonder. . .imagine if GM continued making their own 4 bangers and didn't rely on honda, if Lexus actually made their own motors and didn't use Toyota power plants, if Infinity didn't use the same motors found in most nissans. Wow. . that would be so amazing. Its going to happen man, two minds are better than one, and it looks like the merger between Mercedes and Chrysler has been for the better, at least for Chrysler.
When i see it from the back end, it reminds me of those mokeys at the zoo with the big bald red asses....
GM does make thier own 4 cyl motors, they are called Ecotec and share absolutely nothing with any Honda motors (save, of course, for the 4cyl layout that all 4cyl motors share). GM does, however; put Honda's corporate V6 into some Saturn products. That's it. As far as Toyota/Lexus and Nissan/Infiniti... Lexus is a luxury offshoot of Toyota (and has many unique engines in it's lineup) and Infiniti is the same relation to Nissan... it's not like Chrysler/Mercedes that were seperate companies.
Yeah, sorry bout that. . .I was slacking man. BUT, GM making their own 4 bangers and them being called Ecotec, that would be like saying "Honda makes 4 cylinders, they're called VTEC". I dunno where I planned to go with this argument, but. . . meh. . . can't think straight right about now. But as for Chrysler using Mercede's engine, who cares? It works. You think that every car company thinks up all their ideas on their own? Not likely. most car companies buy other companies vehicles and strip them down, just to see how things are made, how they're held together, what designs and features are used. I know its not toally interchanging motors, but. . . it is KINDA close (thats a big stretch of a kinda).
i love the wheels.. the tails are gay thought.. but who cars about the tails... look at the rest of the car.. and the numbers
Yeah, but when most people would be looking at the Tails, then I could see it becoming a problem! lol In most those pics, the tail lights are one, they're something stupid like 80 some odd LED's.
4 exhaust systems actually.I've seen 4 tips on a lot of cars factory though. I believe that GM has a thing for quad exhaust tips. Not sure bout many super cars, but some probably do. 4 exhaust manifolds (3 cylinders to each one) spinning one turbo, the exhaust out of each turbo (coupled with the waste gate pipe) and running back to an exhaust system then outta the car.
Actually, Honda makes the D, B, K, F, and H-series 4 cylinder motors and names them that way, VTEC is just the designator for the versions that have variable valve timing. They make almost all of those series of motors without VTEC.
Pat!!! Please don't tell me you're going to try to give me a lesson in honda?! For the record, D, B, K, F and H are all Honda motor "series codes" (F and H both being damn near identical), but you've also left out the single A series 2.0L, the C series (3.0 and 3.2L NSX motor and the 3.5L from the 3.5RL) the EW (1.3L and 1.5L from the 3rd gen civic/CRX), the G (2.5L out of the 2.5GL) the J (2.5 to 3.2L motors found in various models ranging from the V6 accord, to the Aspire, to the 3.2 series acuras) and the ZC series motor (1.5 - 1.6L motor found in various hondas primarily in the Japenese/European market).
I was referring to more recent motors (hence no A, EW) and we were talking about 4cyls so the rest don't matter! Merry Christmas! Oh and Ecotec is internal as well.. whee!
Oh Touchez, you got me there. As for the Ecotec, go knows. . . I'm sure I could find out, its a chev motor. . . 2.2L in earlier models now a 2.4L, makes more torque than horsepower, twin cam, and features electronically controlled camshaft "phasers" which alters the relationship in degree between the intake and exhaust cam (something nuts like 45 or 50 degrees, I'm thinking it was 50 though). Either way though. . . now we're discussing four bangers?! The car in question here has triple the amount of cylinders, and makes at least 4 times the power that any of them we've mentioned have.
