The canceled American supercar that predicted Hypercar technology twenty years in advance

The year is 2004. People were still using MySpace. YouTube lasted another year. The Chevrolet Corvette was still in its fifth generation. And Chrysler unveiled a very un-Chrysler car at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Michigan in 2004. That’s right. The brand that still made the much-maligned PT Cruiser decided to roll out a V12-powered hypercar before hypercars were all the rage.

It is the Chrysler ME Four-Twelve, a daring concept MotorTrend Called “Ford GT-challenging” when first meeting it in the carbon fiber flesh. A look at Chrysler’s forgotten hypercar ancestor would be dramatic enough. But even wilder than the ME Four-Twelve’s Martian aesthetic is what Chrysler said it could do when unleashed. Unfortunately, the tire-deflating monster never got the chance to challenge the greatest supercars of the time.

The Chrysler ME Four-Twelve, a forgotten American hypercar

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Chrysler executives were reportedly electrified to unveil the brand’s latest creation. Granted, rival Detroit Motor Company still patted itself on the back for introducing the angular fifth-generation Ford Mustang (S197) at the 2003 show. But Daimler-Benz-era Chrysler went in a very different direction with its 2004 North American International Auto Show steal. Instead of an old-fashioned pony car resurrection, Chrysler unveiled the 12-cylinder ME Four-Twelve concept car. And it was packed with the technology and futuristic materials you’ll find in many more modern hypercars.

A never-produced weapon from the DaimlerChrysler era

It followed the formula for supercars and hypercars greatness. Hilariously powerful? Bill. Huge engine behind the driver? You bet. Absolutely striking style? Also yes. Unfortunately, the Chrysler ME Four-Twelve’s larger-than-life presence wasn’t enough to bridge the gap between concept and production. Chrysler only built two of the performance cars: one to show off the looks of the ME Four-Twelve and another for testing at locations like Laguna Seca. Not exactly the kind of production numbers that supercar dreamers and those genuinely interested were hoping for.

The numbers just didn’t work

Unlike the Bugatti Veyron, the powers that be at Chrysler couldn’t make the numbers work. Certainly, Dieter Zetsche, then president and CEO of the Chrysler Group, said there is “no doubt” he would put the car into production. “We have a very clear and good definition of the technical specifications of the car,” he added. “We can use this to make a calculation for building 10, 100 and 1000 cars and determine the price points.” But it didn’t happen. According to The Detroit Newsa spokesperson reported that the development and marketing of the supercar would have cost ‘hundreds of millions of dollars’, at a time when the brand was still rebuilding. The number was reportedly the result of an internal investigation at the company. Frankly, Chrysler didn’t have the courage to do it.

Predictions of future hypercar technology

Today, the hypercar segment and its offshoots are well established. It’s not unusual to visit your favorite car show YouTube channel and see hybrid and all-electric performance weapons that use the latest technology to break speed benchmarks. But in 2004, the Chrysler ME Four-Twelve worked into several of the mainstays you’d find in the greatest supercars and hypercars of the modern era. And not just a huge, fire-breathing V12. It features weight-saving materials, racing-inspired construction and an air-cheating design.

Lightness and space-age materials

Chrysler’s mad engineers built the ME Four-Twelve around a honeycomb carbon fiber and aluminum monocoque tub. The monocoque construction is something you’ll find in more modern Koenigseggs and even the ‘MonoCell’ of the McLaren MP4-12C, years after the ME Four-Twelve had its carbon fiber and aluminum honeycomb affair. It’s a kind of rigid, structural sandwich, designed to keep things light and very, very strong. The onslaught of weight savings continued with the carbon fiber bodywork, a popular presence in newer production hypercars.

It’s all in the name

Some cars get their nicknames from fearsome wild animals or nods to motorsport greats. But not the Chrysler ME Four-Twelve. And while it may seem like a confusing morsel, there is a method to this madness. It’s all about the engine that’s ahead of its time in the ME Four-Twelve. It’s an AMG-developed 6.0-liter V12 with not one, not two, but four turbochargers. Therein lies the explanation for the funny name: mid-engine, four turbos and 12 cylinders. Do you get it? You would probably expect serious figures from such a mill. You would be right.

Chrysler ME Four-Twelve Performance Specifications

Chrysler claims the AMG-produced engine produced 850 horsepower and the same torque on pump gas. And the performance is even better. Chrysler says the 0-60 mph sprint was over in 2.9 seconds, on its way to an estimated top speed of 250 mph. Anything close to that would have made the Chrysler one of the fastest cars in the world at the time.

Active Aero before it was cool

Today, many supercars and hypercars feature active aerodynamic components to trick the air at high speeds and create downforce for high-G turns. The Chrysler ME Four-Twelve had it over twenty years ago. Chrysler built the car with active and passive aerodynamics, including an air-ducting front splitter, an underbody with an integral rear diffuser, a “ski slope” tailgate, and ducts to release air into the engine compartment. Of course, what aerodynamic arsenal would be complete without a spoiler? The active rear spoiler of the ME Four-Twelve deploys at high speeds and develops a downforce of 300 kg at 300 km/h. Add to that the electronically controlled suspension and huge 335mm rear tires and the ME Four-Twelve would have felt right at home on the track.

Chrysler’s formula to rival the Bugatti Veyron

If you’re an engine spec nerd, you’ve probably read about four turbos and thought of one name: the Bugatti Veyron. The Chrysler ME Four-Twelve and the Bugatti Veyron. It’s the epic rivalry that could have been. When the Veyron went into production in 2005, it produced a whopping 1,001 horsepower from its hollow, quad-turbocharged 8.0-liter W12 engine. Furthermore, the Bugatti Veyron managed to dethrone the iconic McLaren F1 and its long-standing top speed record from 1998 by reaching a speed of 400 km/h. If Chrysler’s estimates for the ME Four-Twelve had come true, the Veyron might have had a fight.

Not the first crazy thing Chrysler Group rolled out

So 2004 was a wild year for concept Chryslers. But the Chrysler ME Four-Twelve isn’t the only wild child the auto group launched in that time frame. A year earlier, at the 2003 North American International Auto Show, the Chrysler Group introduced the Dodge Tomahawk. But instead of a supercar, the Tomahawk was a concept motorcycle with the V10 engine from a Dodge Viper. Certainly not ME Four-Twelve, but no less crazy. Needless to say, it was a wild time at Chrysler.

Sources: Petersen Automobile MuseumChrysler, Stellantis, MotorTrend, The Detroit News