Chrysler kills ME Four-Twelve supercar

DaimlerChrysler puts brakes on concept car

Chrysler sports vehicle costs too much to mass produce while the firm is rebuilding, official says.

By Brett Clanton / The Detroit News

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.


I never could have afforded it, but it disappoints. I was really looking forward to another American supercar to take on the Euro's.

Maybe Chrysler thinks their Firepower concept is a more logical idea...but they did have an operating model of the ME Four-Twelve that was track tested :think:

Did anyone really think they were going to build this thing. I sure didnt!

Did anyone really think they were going to build this thing. I sure didnt!

Yes and no. Chrysler is in the midst or trying to reinvent themselves right now and a Halo car, while it may have no financial impact may have given them a small image boost. With as many new cars they are putting out it really would not have surprised me.

Maybe Chrysler thinks their Firepower concept is a more logical idea...but they did have an operating model of the ME Four-Twelve that was track tested :think:

True! Right here in my own backyard (Laguna Seca) they gave the press quick rides in their engineering prototype last summer, while they had the show car on display over in Carmel (Concours de'Elegance). Wicked looking ride, but I'm not surprised it's not reaching production. I'm actually pretty surprised it went as far as it did, which is really a credit to Chrysler in getting Damlier to let it get that far! :thumb:

On the other side of the coin, I fully and completely expect the Chrysler Firepower to reach production (under a different name). It's based on the Viper chassis, and it uses the SRT 6.1 V8, so it's key components are already paid for. Throw in the prospect of Chrysler selling the car at Corvette prices (somewhere in the mid 40s to low 50s), and the halo it gives the Chrysler line, and it's a case that makes itself.

To be honest, it's probally far easier to make a case for the Chrysler Firepower than it is to make one for a Dodge Mustang competitor. :think:

a shame...it was a beautiful design (I saw it during the press days at NAIAS)...but honestly, at the estimated half-million bucks they would have been sold at, how many could they have sold (100 maybe??), and would it really have been worth it?

GOOD, I'm glad they aren't producing it. It seems Chrysler isn't as stupid as I thought. Nobody really liked the ME412 concept that much compared to other available super cars in the first place. I bet 10 Lamborghini Murcielagos would be sold before 1 ME412 sold at an exotic car dealership. About the only celebrity I know of who liked it was Usher (who drove it in some music video with terrible music). I saw the car in person at this year's Texas State Fair and while I liked the tail lights, that was about all. This ME412 is just a mismatch of a bunch of angled planks and just looks bad in person. There are a lot better looking cars than that car for even $100,000 or less, including the Acura NSX which has similar styling and much better looks. Not only that, but at least the NSX fits in a parking spot and in the lane on the road. I don't think Chrysler has gotten over selling Lamborghini to Audi personally...

I never thought they would build it.

True! Right here in my own backyard (Laguna Seca) they gave the press quick rides in their engineering prototype last summer, while they had the show car on display over in Carmel (Concours de'Elegance). Wicked looking ride, but I'm not surprised it's not reaching production. I'm actually pretty surprised it went as far as it did, which is really a credit to Chrysler in getting Damlier to let it get that far! :thumb:

On the other side of the coin, I fully and completely expect the Chrysler Firepower to reach production (under a different name). It's based on the Viper chassis, and it uses the SRT 6.1 V8, so it's key components are already paid for. Throw in the prospect of Chrysler selling the car at Corvette prices (somewhere in the mid 40s to low 50s), and the halo it gives the Chrysler line, and it's a case that makes itself.

To be honest, it's probally far easier to make a case for the Chrysler Firepower than it is to make one for a Dodge Mustang competitor. :think:


I find this very interesting. GM is moving the Corvette chassis upscale with the new Z06, aluminium frame, wide body, 7L LS7 while DCX is taking the Viper and moving it down scale. 6.1L hemi ect.... Would this allow a price drop on the Viper so it could go head to head with the new Z06 in price?

On the other side of the coin, I fully and completely expect the Chrysler Firepower to reach production (under a different name). It's based on the Viper chassis, and it uses the SRT 6.1 V8, so it's key components are already paid for. Throw in the prospect of Chrysler selling the car at Corvette prices (somewhere in the mid 40s to low 50s), and the halo it gives the Chrysler line, and it's a case that makes itself.



I question the future of the Chrysler Firepower! concept as a $50K car produced in volumes of 10-15,000 (25,000?) units/year. As I see it, producing the Firepower! on the current Viper's chassis, at the current Viper's low-volume production facility would hardly seems viable. Remember, the Viper is a $85,000 car that moves a couple thousand units/year.

Of course, a production Firepower! might be based on the Mercedes C-Class chassis in the same way the LX-platform cars are based on E-class. The LX-plaform cars ended up being Mercedes S-class size, so there's no reason that a Firepower! sharing the basic architecture of the new Mercedes SLK couldn't be close to the Mercedes SL in size. I should note that the Firepower! concept car is already few inches narrower and shorter than the Viper.

I'm not saying that Chrysler can't pull off a real Corvette-competitor, but I see problems with producing a Viper-based car at competitive prices and volumes. I just hope DCX doesn't attempt to make a Chrysler "SSR."

I don't have the production numbers at hand (I looked, must not have saved them) but last time I checked, Dodge produces less than 290 Viper SRT-10s a year. That may not be a year... that may be half a year... I'll try to find out.

I don't have the production numbers at hand (I looked, must not have saved them) but last time I checked, Dodge produces less than 290 Viper SRT-10s a year. That may not be a year... that may be half a year... I'll try to find out.

I thought the production figure for a single month (May 2004, for instance) was something like 187. So we're talking 2,000/year domestic sales plus a few units overseas. That's a long way from a Corvette competitor.

Still, Chrysler also had the capacity for the long dead Prowler. Perhaps we're talking about a capacity approaching 10,000 units/year. Hmmm. Maybe a Viper-based Corvette competitor is possible.

i really don't understand some of you guys's logic but i'll go ahead. we never thought we would get here, expecially those that experienced a lack of it in the 70's. we have many new fast cars coming out. many. too many for hte to try and list. the viper was just redesigned, so was the vette. the viper coupe is coming out, so is the z06. the ford gt just came out. the new mustangs also. the srt-8 and the charger will be out aswell. there have been numberous compact cars that came out aswell that are trying for perfance, and some suceeding. now we have a rumored shelby cobra, chrysler supercar, and the firepower concept. tons of powerfull cars have come out and are on there way. oh yea, and the saturn sky, solstice, and possible slingshot. i didn't forget the gto. i could keep going. keep in mind that this is just 3 relatively domestic companies.

the market can only take so much though. even though we want to see all cars be fast, it isn't practical. manufacturers have learned that if they include performance with everything else they belive they've done right with a car it will help it a ton. problem is, soon the perfance factor will be what people care about. creating tons of mini-classes on a performance scale.

however, of all these cars, one class is missing. a pure sports car in the 20-35k range. a low priced coupe who's performance is the first priority, above that of cup holders and dvd/navigation options(some cars are made with those as a first priority). first, power, handling second. (as opposed to the sky, which is ok cause thats what its market is for, a fun car)

in some of these newer cars, the performance is a ploy to make the buyers finaly mind. can't decide which car you like best, that funfactor might be what makes the sell.
but with what i've heard, the performance will get you in the door and sell the car with the Camaro

however, of all these cars, one class is missing. a pure sports car in the 20-35k range. a low priced coupe who's performance is the first priority, above that of cup holders and dvd/navigation options(some cars are made with those as a first priority). first, power, handling second. (as opposed to the sky, which is ok cause thats what its market is for, a fun car)



The sports car you're talking about is called the Nissan 350Z.

I read in one of the rags that the Viper plant was shut down because the dealers just cant sell the Viper. I think DCX is looking at a way to make the Viper's chassis profitable. Its one thing to have a small volume Halo car that brakes even. But when you cant sell them!

I read in one of the rags that the Viper plant was shut down because the dealers just cant sell the Viper. I think DCX is looking at a way to make the Viper's chassis profitable. Its one thing to have a small volume Halo car that brakes even. But when you cant sell them!

there's currently a pretty healthy viper surplus at the dealers...i read a little about it on the viperclub.org board, but I can only stand to read their drivel for so long, so I go there very seldom

The sports car you're talking about is called the Nissan 350Z.
:lol:

I bet Vipers would sell better if they would quit the idiocy about making it in limited colors. I mean come on, I don't mean to insult anyone (notice the color of my cars in my signature) but who the hell wants just a white, black, silver, or red Viper?! They would sell so many more if they would just come out with a bunch of different colors. I'd want one if they came in teal, in fact I would drool over a teal one.

Dodge has always had a problem with colors. They finally get something right (blue with white stripes) but they have nothing else to offer. I have a picture of an orange viper from a car show and it looks great!
scroll down a lot (http://members.aol.com/speedbbb/2004-dallas-auto-show.jpg)

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.

I think they are going to build the ME412, just at a later date(2010?). Also, I believe that the Firepower will replace the Crossfire mostly bcuz of how closely they look alike.

there's currently a pretty healthy viper surplus at the dealers...i read a little about it on the viperclub.org board, but I can only stand to read their drivel for so long, so I go there very seldom

They are only finally wising up and offering a coupe. Odd, since the vast majority of Viper sales were coupes until they redesigned the car and no longer offered them.

So, Vipers are selling for less than sticker? What type of discount can you get on one?

So, Vipers are selling for less than sticker? What type of discount can you get on one?

:lol: Now that will be the day.