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Currently, Chrysler manufactures two vehicles. This is accurate – notwithstanding its elevated position within FCA’s full title, Chrysler emblems can be found on the Pacifica minivan and the 300 sedan. The rate at which its status has plummeted is truly remarkable. Recall the year 2004, when the company had a range of seven distinct models. Technically, it was eight if you consider one of the most exceptional American concept cars that progressed to the stage of being fully operational.
We’ve talked extensively about the LX cars, but truthfully, the 2004 Chrysler ME Four-Twelve was the pinnacle of its ill-fated 1998 partnership with Daimler. This collaboration, amounting to $38 billion, led to the creation of the Chrysler Crossfire. However, concurrently with the Crossfire hitting the roads, the company was discreetly evaluating a Chrysler-branded supercar prototype housing a mid-mounted, quad-turbo AMG V12 engine generating 850 horsepower, capable of accelerating to 60 mph in 2.85 seconds and hitting a top speed of 250 mph.
The ME Four-Twelve, Chrysler
Not just conceptualizing, or creating a model. A proficient team of engineers effectively constructed a functional, drivable, essentially pre-production version of what could have been America’s leading automobile, which unfortunately never materialized. Plans for production had been meticulously outlined, more than fifteen years prior to Chevrolet eventually embarking on the mid-engine C8 Corvette journey. The fact that Chrysler came so close makes the story even more tragicomic.
The COO of Chrysler, Wolfgang Bernhard, was on a mission to astonish. At the previous North American International Auto Show in 2003, his team revealed Dodge’s renowned Viper V10-powered motorcycle, the Tomahawk. This new attention-grabber needed to be, in Bernhard’s words, “thrilling, empowering, and enlightening,” something “completely unanticipated from Chrysler,” and an engineering marvel. His team did not disappoint.
The ME Four-Twelve, named for its four turbochargers and twelve cylinders, embodied the essence of a supercar. The AMG-derived, 6.0-liter aluminum V12 engine was enhanced with upgraded internals and a new cylinder head for improved durability. It was mated to a lightning-fast seven-speed Ricardo dual-clutch transmission with shift times of 200 milliseconds, propelling the rear wheels with their 335mm-wide tires, visible through expansive vents at the rear of the vehicle.
Looking at the handling? Rest assured it’s managed by aluminum control arms and horizontally-opposed coilovers up front and double wishbones in the rear suspension configurations. Despite the six-piston calipers grabbing 16-inch discs at the front, there wasn’t much car to bring to a stop. Thanks to the carbon-fiber and aluminum honeycomb tub, the ME Four-Twelve had a mere weight of 2,888 pounds.
Motor Trend tested it at Laguna Seca in 2004—it was admittedly incomplete, lacked power, and faced transmission issues, yet it succeeded. Plus, it was quick.
The heart of the ME Four-Twelve, Chrysler
Asserting that these components combined remarkably would be an understatement. Had the ME Four-Twelve gone into production in 2004, it would’ve been the swiftest and most rapid car globally. It would’ve overshadowed the Mclaren F1’s top speed by almost ten mph at 248. It would’ve left the Ferrari Enzo in the dust, outpacing it to 60 by two-tenths of a second. While 2.9 seconds is quick to sixty, its 0-100 time of only 6.2 seconds would’ve outmatched Porsche’s Carrera GT as well. It would’ve boasted a superior power-to-weight ratio compared to the Bugatti Veyron. Out of the factory, it would’ve covered a quarter mile in just 10.4 seconds.
Despite its probable price being above that of the new C8 Corvette, this vehicle surpasses it in nearly every aspect. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say this car also has a better appearance. Any vehicle flaunting a considerable amount of exposed rear tire typically means business.
The ME Four-Twelve’s striking rear design, Chrysler
Unfortunately, it was not meant to be. Internal cost projections at Daimer-Chrysler painted a tough reality for the proposed annual production of just a few hundred units. Hundreds of millions of dollars would’ve been necessary to develop the car for mass production. Additionally, the Mopar enthusiast site Allpar argues that the ME Four-Twelve would’ve been quicker and more cost-effective to produce than Mercedes’ own SLR McLaren. Allegedly, Chrysler’s German owners were not prepared for an American vehicle to overshadow their local hero, as the narrative unfolds.
Whatever the case, the ME Four-Twelve never materialized. All we can do now is gaze at the prototype and ponder that Fiat also holds Ferrari. Perhaps there’s a distant chance that Chrysler will not only produce two but three cars in the future.
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