It’s quite astonishing to come to terms with the fact that this car made it’s world debut during the 2004 North American International Auto Show, considering that it still appears as modern as ever. The 2004 Chrysler ME Four-Twelve (412) has likely appeared in several magazines, video games, and other forms of entertainment which you have seen before, as perhaps one of the most compelling Chrysler projects of all time. The ME 412 project was stealthily developed in the year 2003, and the idea was put into motion by Chrysler Group’s COO at the time, Wolfgang Bernhard, CEO Dieter Zetsche, and design chief, Trevor Creed. The initial concept car was engineered by Chrysler, and designed by Brian Nielander, an automotive stylist who has developed numerous impressive designs over the years. The naming convention “ME 412” stands for Mid-Engine with four turbochargers and a 12-cylinder engine. The ME 412 was also designed to have a number of luxury-oriented features such as a chrome-covered center console, dual-zone climate control, a push-button start system as well as a full glass roof. Atleast one of the two cars built featured a fully functional AMG V12 that produced 850 horsepower. This first car of the two ME 412 examples produced only offered limited operational capabilities. The functional prototype version was finished in a flat black color and was constructed using a carbon-fiber and aluminum honeycomb chassis tub (with Horacio Pagani of Pagani Automobili’s assistance), and a lightweight carbon fiber body. Following the NIAS 2004 show debut, the Chrysler’s Street & Racing Technology group, headed by Chrysler performance guru Dan Knott were tasked with the development of a fully functional unit by summertime. In January of 2005, a company press release would unfortunately put an end to this unique project for good.
How many made? 2
Engine: An AMG V12 quad turbo engine with 850 horsepower, 850 pound-feet (1,150 Newton-meters) of torque
Debut: 2004 North American International Auto Show
Top Speed: 248mph (claimed)
0-60: 2.9 seconds (claimed)
Photo credit: @the.main.chow
Research: @rarecarsonly