THE CHRYSLER ME FOUR TWELVE(PART 3)

ME-412 TEAM EFFECTIVENESS (BY BOB SHEAVES)

There are a grand total of 11 people working on the ME from Chrysler (out of about 10,000 at CTC, FREC, and JTE), according to press preleases. There are a handful of suppliers-let's just say under 10 that have admitted in the public forums (at least in the trade magazines and press).
With regard to the transmission research and development, in my opinion the most important piece of R&D, Ricardo is handling the "bodies" (meaning the people or "warm bodies") doing the work, under Chrysler direction and supervision. Approximately 30 people (2 from DCX, maybe) would be involved with this work, including design, engineering, manufacturing feasibility, testing, and process.


For this team to even make one driveable vehicle (or several, as the article states the car is under development - which, by inference, means there is at least one and probably 5 transmission assemblies - at least one for manufacturing development, at least one in a mule car, and least one in the show car, and at least two in dyno testing) in under 18 months (this time point has not been reached yet) is nothing short of phenomenal - especially given the money spent so far, which is about average for a show car by GM, let alone a functioning vehicle.

THE CHRYSLER ME FOUR TWELVE(PART 2)

In 2004, prototypes were being tested; top speed appeared to be 240 mph with quarter mile times of 10.6 seconds at 136 mph. When AutoWeek test drove it in August 2004, they found numerous differences in the prototype. It used the double-clutch automatically-controlled manual transmission designed and patented by Chrysler, with manual overrides via steering wheel paddles.

One shortcoming of the ME-412 is that it easily beat the expensive Mercedes SLR, which was years in the making, costing Mercedes a large sum of development money, especially when compared to Chrysler's ME4-12. Dieter reportedly was screamed at for this, and it may even have been one of the reasons why Wolfgang Bernhard was "de-selected" from the Mercedes-head job.

In early 2005, we received reports that the ME-412 had been cancelled entirely. In August 2005, we learned that Eckhard Cordes was leaving, along with Juergen Schrempp, and that Dieter Zetsche is replacing them; newspapers reported that the ME-412 had once again gone “under active consideration.”

THE CHRYSLER ME FOUR TWELVE(PART 1)

0-100 in 6.2 seconds, 0-60 in 2.9, Quarter mile of 10.6 @ 136 mph... and all put together in record time

The ME 4-12 is not a concept CAR but a prototype of a car that was never made. According to Deutsche Press, around 300 Chrysler ME 4-12 cars were to be built each year, incorporating carbon and light-weight metals such as aluminum. Road testing was scheduled for late January 2004, with production to start within two years. The concept cars / prototypes were built in the United States by Metalcrafters, the lead engineer is from Chrysler and the lead suppliers from North America. Stuttgart, we are told, wanted to use European suppliers and engineers. Most off the shelf parts appear to be from Chrysler aside from the engine.

CHRYSLER FIREPOWER

Before you start your yammering... yeah, we know this car was supposed to be put into production, but we've heard rumors that those plans for production were canned. It's not the definate "go" that a concept like the Camaro is, so the Firepower earns a spot on this list.

Why we like it: The Firepower is more-or-less a re-skinned Viper, only the sheetmetal is nicer, the interior is nicer, and it comes powered by a HEMI V8. Even with the nicer amenities, the Firepower was supposed to be at least a whole Neon cheaper than a Viper. Could you imagine what an SRT-8 version of the Firepower would have been like? Too bad we'll never find out...

FORD SPORTTRAC ADRENALIN

Here's another concept that was slated for production and then mysteriously axed. We think the Adrenalin's demise has something to do with the "SVT-is-gone-no-it-isn't"-thing going on at Ford, but as no one will confirm the status of SVT, we won't comment on it.

Why we like it: The SportTrac Adrenalin is one of the best representations of a "tuner" vehicle we've ever seen - and it just so happens to be a truck. Who would have thought that a truck could be an ultimate "tuner" vehicle? The SportTrac Adrenalin promised to have a sport-tuned suspension, aggressive aero kit, black-out grille and headlights and a powerful 390 horsepower V8 that was slated to be mated to SVT's first-ever 6-speed automatic transmission. For some reason, this truck got the axe. Bummer...

JEEP HURRICANE

We're three cars in and we finally get to a vehicle that was never slated to hit production. The Hurricane is one of the wildest vehicles we've ever seen. How wild is it? Try this on for size: not only can all four wheels be used to steer the Jeep, these wheels can be positioned to give the Jeep a 0-foot turning radius. That's right, the Hurricane can rotate in place. Secondly: the Hurricane has two -- count 'em -- two engines. Third: this Jeep is made out of our favorite space-age material: carbon fiber, making the exterior of this Jeep totally rad.

Why we like it: Hello? Did you just read the last paragraph? 0-foot turning radius, 2 engines and a carbon fiber shell -- this Jeep is the ultimate off-road vehicle.

MASERATI BIRDCAGE

We almost never see concept cars from exotic/supercar manufacturers. In fact, the Maserati Birdcage is the only exotic concept we've ever seen.

Why we like it: The Birdcage is built on the MC12/Enzo chassis, so it's safe to say that this is one of the few concept cars whose performance can actually match its looks. Oh yeah, we also like the fact that the canopy opens and closes like a real jet-fighter cockpit. Take another glance at this car and realize that the Maserati Birdcage is the car you've been dreaming about since you were 6 brought to life. Why can't all cars be this sweet?

NISSAN TERRANAUT

Yeah, this is probably the geekiest car on the list, but we can't help but put it on here. There's not much going on with the car's exterior, but the inside of this Nissan is a Star Trek geek's fantasy come true. Okay, so it's not a Trekkie's true dream unless Jeri Ryan is sitting seductively in the vehicle, but it's pretty damn close. The Terranaut is a go-anywhere roving science lab. We've seen concept cars that act like pets and look like spaceships, but we've never seen a concept whose selling point is "science on the go".

Why we like it: We watched too much Star Trek: The Next Generation when we were kids, and as we said, the Terranaut's lab looks just like something out of Star Trek. Yeah... we weren't that popular in junior high... Moving on...

TOP 10 CARS OF 2009

Pagani Zonda F; 215 mph, 0-60 in 3.5 seconds – It’s no mistake that Pagani chose to use the “F” badging to represent the first step up in performance for the Zonda above the stock Zonda S. This fast car is driven by Mercedes Benz V12 engine packing 650 horsepower. Base price for this dream car is $694,000.
Jaguar XJ 220; 217 mph, 0-60 in 4.0 seconds – This fast car is driven bya V6 engine that packs 542 horsepower. This is one of the oldest as being released in 1992 but still got what it takes to remain the round of ten of hot wheels. Total of 281 cars were made and by 1997, few of these remained available for sale new at £150,000.

Ferrari Enzo; 217 mph, 0-60 in 3.2 seconds – It is driven by a F140 V12 workhorse with 660 horsepower. It is currently one of the most powerful naturally aspirated production cars in the world. There are only 399 of these cars worldwide and the price of a unit shoots up every time someone crashes one. This Ferrari typically trades above $1,000,000 at auction.

Ascari A10; 220 mph, 0-60 in 2.8 seconds – Although designed for racing A10 is intended to be a usable car or on the road. It is engineered and hand built in Banbury, England featuring a modified 5.0 L BMW V8 engine producing 625 bhp at a price of approximately $650,000 USD. Only 50 A10s lucky owners will have a chance to own one.

Gumpert Apollo; 220 mph, 0-60 in 2.7 seconds – This super car is produced by a German automaker in Altenburg. It is a mid-engined, rear wheel drive two-seater constructed on a tubular chromoly frame, with fiberglass or optional carbon fiber body panels. There are 3 engine types available with the race version rated at 789.06 bhp. The production of the Apollo started in October 2005 with a starting price of $400,000 USD.

McLaren F1; 240 mph, 0-60 in 3.2 seconds – It is power driven by powerhouse V12 engine that packs 62y horsepower. It is popular with its trademark doors that resemble bat wings. Up until 1998, when McLaren produced and sold the standard F1 models, they had a price tag of around 970 000 USD. Today the cars can sell for up to nearly twice that of the original price.

Saleen S7 Twin-Turbo; 248 mph, 0-60 in 3.2 seconds – This super fast car is powered by an 100% aluminum V8 engine packing with 750 horsepower. This twin-turbocharged monster went on sale for $585,296 USD in 2005 , replacing standard non turbo S7 production. Saleen offers an optional competition package with 33% increase in power.

Koenigsegg CCX; 250 mph+, 0-60 in 3.2 seconds – This Sweden-made fast car packs 806 power from its 90 degree V8 engine. The CCX was first unveiled on February 28, 2006 at the 2006 Geneva Motor Show although its existence was announced earlier. At a price of $1,820,000 and $2,050,000 for top of the line model, exclusivity is guaranteed.

Bugatti Veyron; 253 mph, 0-60 in 2.5 seconds – This is a lightweight super car powered by a W16 engine with 1001 horsepower. It sells at $1,444,000, easily the highest priced car in the top 10 list. The car produced by Volkswagen Group subsidiary Bugatti Automobiles was introduced in 2005 as the fastest production car in the world.

SSC Ultimate Aero; 257 mph, 0-60 in 2.7 seconds – This car was acknowledged by Guinness world records as the fastest car in March 2007. It is powered by a twin-turbo engine that packs an astounding 1183 horsepower. Only 24 cars were produced from 2006-2007 at a price of US $485,000.