DCX puts brakes on Chrysler ME Four-Twelve

[AlienDB7]

After a year of study, DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group decided this week not to build the Chrysler ME Four-Twelve sports car, a concept vehicle billed as the fastest street car in the world.

The Auburn Hills automaker unveiled the sleek super car in Detroit at the North American International Auto Show last year as a "production prototype" and said it would build the 850-horsepower rocket in low numbers if it made financial sense.

Chrysler killed the project after an internal study completed Monday showed that building and marketing the car would cost "hundreds of millions of dollars" at a time when the company is still rebuilding, said spokesman Jason Vines.

Named for its mid-engine design, four turbo chargers and 12-cylinder engine, its top speed is 248 mph.

"We're proud of the excitement it generated around the world," Vines said. "But we could not make a legitimate business case for it."

Chrysler may also have less need for the hot sports car than it did a year ago. Last year at this time Chrysler was just completing a three-year restructuring, profits were down and new models such as the Chrysler 300 sedan had not yet hit the market. The ME Four-Twelve seemed the perfect distraction from the company's woes.

Today, however, Chrysler is entering this month's Detroit auto show from a position of strength, ending 2004 with a 3.7 percent increase in sales and a 13 percent U.S. market share, up from 12.8 percent the year before, according to Autodata Corp.

Yet many consumers still give Chrysler poor marks for the quality, reliability and durability of its cars and trucks. Investing money in those areas is smarter than building a super car, even if the model could add prestige to the Chrysler name, said David Hofer, chief executive of Above All, a marketing and brand communications firm in Birmingham.

"Branding is only as good as the promise you live up to," he said.

The ME Four-Twelve was a pet project of former Chrysler Chief Operating Officer Wolfgang Bernhard, who takes charge of Germany's Volkswagen brand next month. At the Detroit auto show last year, Bernhard said that in an auto market crowded with a dizzying variety of choices, vehicles like the ME Four-Twelve are needed to get customers' attention. Chrysler will unveil another high-end sports car concept at the Detroit auto show this month. The Chrysler Firepower is a rear-wheel-drive coupe based on the Dodge Viper with a 425-horsepower engine and an estimated top speed of 185 mph.

Source: http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosins.../C06-51812.htm

[nthfinity]

i was wondering when they would announce this; albiet, slightly disappointed.

i think if there were more mystique behind this car, and the marque... like the GT is to Ford, then it would've been a huge success in terms of being a halo car. a case where it appeared to be too much mercedes, and not enough chrysler. im cirtainly looking forward to this years show... what suprises awaite

[ikon2003]

Shoot, definitely disappointed, yet i kinda knew it would happen. for a while it looked as if they were going to go through with it... they had road going models out at car shows and stuff, showing it to consumers etc.

Shame, yet that's what happens to so many supercars. and I dunno about that 248mph top speed either... .35CD - that'd b kinda hard to do. well, i guess we might nevr find out now.

[bmwmpower]

i heard many stories about cars, that will have more power then boat,
but this seems to be serious, will see

[findleybeast]

DAMN! I was really looking forward to that thing coming out. Even though it looks like it was designed by a heating engineer, the raw performance would definitely shame some major auto manufacurers. I would have loved to have seen what a major American brand could do when they really wanted to get some serious performance out of a production car, no holds barred...

[PeleProdigyGTO]

That Fuckin' sucks!! I love that thing!

A friend told me he saw some hip-hop star chick get driven around in the prototype on some show on MTV... any truth to this? Did anyone see it?

[T-Bird]

Originally Posted by nthfinity i was wondering when they would announce this; albiet, slightly disappointed. i think if there were more mystique behind this car, and the marque... like the GT is to Ford, then it would've been a huge success in terms of being a halo car. a case where it appeared to be too much mercedes, and not enough chrysler. im cirtainly looking forward to this years show... what suprises awaite

well you can look for their new "Corvette Killer" built on a Viper Chasis with the new 6.1 Hemi V8 for one thing.

[jorge]

i liked the car, and the power it was going to have.

[graywolf624]

Corvette Killer

you mean wannabe..
I swear they are just going for the american brands to be more about marketing the car.. its enough to make me retch(ex: pt cruiser, 300c, crossfire)


the only good car they make thats branded american right now is the viper.. how long will that last before they screw it up...

disclaimer: the rams trannys break too often to be considered good.. though at least its not all about marketing.. .other then the fake hemi they keep touting.. it doesnt even have hemispherical heads people.. and its heavy... get over it.

long pent up rant done termporarily...though let this be a warning to the two biggest offenders.. chrysler wing of dcx and vw

[mv]

Well, this doesn't mean we're not bound to see an ultimate supercar/hypercar built by DCX...Something of this kind might eventually come up as a McLaren-Mercedes hypercar...If so, it will be even less affordable but even more powerful on the other hand.

[findleybeast]

Originally Posted by PeleProdigyGTO That Fuckin' sucks!! I love that thing! A friend told me he saw some hip-hop star chick get driven around in the prototype on some show on MTV... any truth to this? Did anyone see it?

Yeah I saw that. Can't remember who the star was, but she was the host for the cars episode of Cribs. They didn't show too much, but they talked a little about the car (like the electric kill switch on the hood, and another feature that fills the interior with foam in case of a fire) and she got a quick ride around an autoX track. The driver pulled a 180 right at the end and she stumbled out of the car. The car looked damn sweet too

[corvette97]

too bad the american car industry doesnt have the passion or the goals like the italian

[HeilSvenska]

Thank god it didn't go to production. Despite its supposed "capabilities" I doubt it would've mattered anyways. It was a waste of time, but a mistake averted. Speaking of American supercars, there will be Twin Turboed Saleen S7 with 750hp.

[nthfinity]

Originally Posted by corvette97 too bad the american car industry doesnt have the passion or the goals like the italian

or the reliabilty, or cost of maintatence, or the in-city drivers...

or the fun behind the wheel :cry:

[Pimp Racer]

This is kinda sad news. I was hoping they would make it! Oh well I guess just another concept until they get enough money.