This is the 1992 Spiess TC 522, a one-off super car that was built by German mechanical engineer and entrepreneur, Robert Spiess, alongside a team of approximately a dozen specialists. Up until 2008, Spiess was the managing director of several individual companies in the electrical engineering, power generator manufacturing, and stamping and die-casting industries. Founded in 1961, Metallwarenfabrik Gemmingen GmbH & Co., along with the brands Geko and Eisemann are to this day still known for their innovation in these fields. In the year 1989, under the newly installed SPIESS-Fahrzeugbau GmbH & Co. (Vehicle Construction division), design ideas of the companies first ever vehicle were completed. In 1990, the team of specialists got their first glimpse at the 1:5 scale plaster model, and also began using CAD (Computer-aided design) to assist them. The 1:1 scale model took shape in May of 1991, and by the time the TC 522 was completed, an initial goal of a 20-car production run was made. The end result was the TC 522, shown here, with a chassis and body made entirely of carbon and aramaid fiber composite materials. The car was created in collaboration with Karl-Heinz Knapp, who worked previously with Mercedes/AMG, and the project itself demonstrated a beautiful 2+2 seat hybrid monocoque design with plans for over 500 horsepower. The TC 522 was also equipped with paddle-shifters, a rear-view camera, electronically adjustable foot pedals and much more. The TC 522 featured a futuristic interior with lots of exposed carbon and a curved center console that encompasses a wide variety of buttons and screens. A second car with plans for natural aspiration was built, simply called the ‘C 522’ (blue), and both cars were exhibited side by side at the 1997 IAA Frankfurt show by RHP (Robert Hillmann Products). Neither car made it beyond the concept/prototype stage.
How many made? 1 TC522 (silver), 1 C522 (blue)
Engine: C5 Corvette Callaway tuned 5.5L Turbocharged V8
Debut: Frankfurt Airport 1992
Top Speed: N/A
0-60: N/A
Photo Credit: @cartefacts.official (cartefacts.com)
Research: @rarecarsonly