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Thread: Isdera Commendatore 112i Prototype 1993

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    Isdera Commendatore 112i Prototype 1993

    The Isdera Commendatore 112i is a concept car conceived and developed by the German low volume automobile manufacturer Isdera. Introduced at the 1993 Frankfurt Motor Show, the 112i had a compact and sleek aerodynamic body work and was to be a successor to the Imperator 108i but the lack of financial reserves led the company into bankruptcy and only one prototype was completed. A second car was built in 1999 and was sold to a Swiss businessman.

    History and development
    After the Imperator 108i had ended production in 1993, Isdera was working on the development of a new model. In 1989, the first clay models took shape and development work was carried out through 1993. The new car called the Commendatore 112i was named in honour of Enzo Ferrari (Ferrari was awarded the title Commendatore II). Commendatore means Knight Commander in Italian language.
    The sleek design drew inspiration from the famous Group C race cars. Eberhard Schultz, the company's founder, engaged engineers and technicians from Mercedes-Benz with approval from the company in the development of the car.

    The 112i had a 6-speed manual transmission built by Getrag—transferring power to the rear wheels—which was shared with the Porsche 911 Turbo, the ABS brakes (which measured 330 mm (13 in) and the front and 305 mm (12 in) at the rear) and the suspension system were shared with the Porsche 928 while the head lamps were shared with the Porsche 968. The car has handbuilt body work on a tubular steel spaceframe chassis and has 18-inch gold BBS alloy wheels wrapped in tyres measuring 255/35 ZR18 at the front and 295/35 ZR19 at the rear. The large side intakes help cool the engine.
    The engine was a 6.0-litre Mercedes-Benz M120 V12 unit (first used in the Mercedes-Benz C112 and later used in the Mercedes-Benz SL600 AMG and the Pagani Zonda S). It was especially modified to cope with the manual transmission. The modifications included an in-house developed flywheel and a Bosch ECU. The engine generated a maximum power output of 414 PS (304 kW; 408 hp) at 5,200 rpm and 580 N⋅m (428 lb⋅ft) of torque at 3,800 rpm.

    The 112i had advanced technologies at the time, including gull-wing doors, a gull-wing engine cover for easier access to the engine, a velocity sensitive chassis which lowered the car by 76 mm (3 in) at high speeds, an active suspension system and an electronically controlled airbrake. The 112i retained the periscope rear view mirror from the Imperator 108i instead of conventional side view mirrors. It has a flat underbody and the windshield wiper from a bullet train for improved aerodynamics. The long tail of the car also improved airflow over it. The airbrake raised in an upright position while braking acting as a wind deflector to help slow the car down (similar to a parachute). The car had a drag coefficient of Cd=0.306 when tested in the Mercedes-Benz wind tunnel.

    The interior of the car was mostly custom made and contained two tone blue and black leather upholstery along with RECARO leather sports seats. The car had wide door sills which housed the two fuel tanks. The dials and other instrumentation (excluding the steering wheel which was from OMP) were from Mercedes-Benz and the speedometer read up to 400 km/h (249 mph).
    Isdera planned a limited production run of the 112i like its predecessor and quoted that each car would take six months to complete. The car was not functional when it was introduced. The development of the car reportedly cost a total of €4,000,000. This combined with the ongoing economic recession pushed the company into bankruptcy shortly after the car's introduction. The company was then bought by Swiss investors under whom Schultz completed the car in order to make it driveable on the road.

    Six years later, another fully functional car was produced based on the Commendatore 112i and was called the "Silver Arrow". On the exterior, the car had conventional side view mirrors and had silver five-spoke Mercedes-Benz alloy wheels instead of the gold BBS units. The engine was a 6.9-litre Mercedes M120 V12 unit, which generated a total of 619 PS (455 kW; 611 hp). Interestingly, there was no Isdera badging on the car and it had Mercedes-Benz badging instead. The Silver Arrow was unveiled at the 1999 Frankfurt Motor Show.

    Performance
    The 112i was claimed to accelerate to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.7 seconds and having a top speed of 341 km/h (212 mph). The Silver Arrow was claimed to have a top speed of 370 km/h (230 mph) during testing.

    Later use
    The Silver Arrow was bought by Swiss businessman Albert Klöti at a price of €1,500,000. Albert kept the car for 5 years after offering it on eBay for sale for US$3,000,000 in 2005. The car failed to sell after which it was sold again in 2010. The original Commendatore 112i was kept by Isdera and makes appearances at motor shows.

    Other media
    The Commendatore 112i was featured in the 1997 Electronic Arts racing video game Need for Speed II. The Silver Arrow was featured in a short documentary on Albert Klöti.

    Source: Wikipedia

    Specs
    Powertrain Layout Mid Engine / RWD

    Dimensions
    WheelBase 2600 mm / 102.4 in
    Length 4665 mm / 183.7 in
    Height 1040 mm / 40.9 in
    Width 1885 mm / 74.2 in
    Weight 1480 kg / 3263 lbs
    Front / Rear Track F 1550 mm / 61.0 in
    R 1550 mm / 61.0 in

    Engine
    Configuration Mercedes V12
    Valvetrain 4 valves / cylinder
    Displacement 5987 cc / 365.3 cu in
    Power 304.3 kw / 408.0 bhp @ 5200 rpm
    Torque 580.0 nm / 427.8 ft lbs @ 3600 rpm
    Bore 89.0 mm / 3.5 in
    Stroke 80.2 mm / 3.16 in
    Compression Ratio Not Available
    BHP / Liter 68.15 bhp
    Redline 6200 rpm

    Transmission
    Type 6-Speed Manual

    Top Speed 212.0 mph / 341.2 kph
    0 - 60 mph 4.7 seconds

    Source: unknown
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    Last edited by Man of Steel; 11-04-2019 at 04:07 PM.
    I am easily satisfied with the very best.

    "It is a very good looking car, If you have cataract" - JC about the Alpine A610

  2. #2
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    400 hp and 212 mph top speed?

    Seems these are a bit too optimistic...
    Minimising losses can maximise net gains

  3. #3
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    a Yaris for example does half that with 85HP....
    I dont think theres a formula for how much HP you need to reach 200, its a very complex matter involving too many variables
    I am easily satisfied with the very best.

    "It is a very good looking car, If you have cataract" - JC about the Alpine A610

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    I read article about Isdera in mid 90's and it said that owner of Isdera is such a patriotic German that all the parts in all Isdera's are made in germany.

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    Quote Originally Posted by ErWin76 View Post
    I read article about Isdera in mid 90's and it said that owner of Isdera is such a patriotic German that all the parts in all Isdera's are made in germany.
    This could explain why it looks like a Porsche.

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    Gt1Street, I had to change my book today... I couldn't fit any more plusses and stars in the old one under your name. You'll get an A in Hide-Out Moderating!
    Thanks a lot

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by ScionDriver View Post
    This could explain why it looks like a Porsche.
    It doesn't look much like a Porsche does it?

    Except for the front perhaps.
    Lack of charisma can be fatal.
    Visca Catalunya!

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    i think it uses the 928 headlamps

    Quote Originally Posted by lightweight View Post
    400 hp and 212 mph top speed?

    Seems these are a bit too optimistic...
    it might have used high gearing

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ferrer View Post
    It doesn't look much like a Porsche does it?

    Except for the front perhaps.
    It does to me anyway, especially the front.

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    Isdera Commendatore 112i #2
    Last edited by Man of Steel; 11-04-2019 at 04:01 PM.

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    1993 Isdera Commendatore 112i

    Chassis No. W09112218PWJ02001

    RM | Sotheby's - PARIS 13 FEBRUARY 2021
    Offered Without Reserve

    • The only Isdera Commendatore 112i built
    • With Mercedes-Benz’s iconic M120 V-12 engine
    • Less than 10,500 km from new, presently road-registered in Germany
    • Offered directly from Isdera, an unrivalled opportunity to acquire a ground-breaking supercar from the original manufacturer




    Chassis No.
    W09112218PWJ02001

    The only Isdera Commendatore 112i built
    Fitted with Mercedes-Benz’s iconic M120 V-12 engine, also found in the Pagani Zonda
    Less than 10,500 km from new, presently road-registered in Germany
    Offered directly from Isdera, an unrivalled opportunity to acquire a ground-breaking supercar from the original manufacturer

    The story behind Isdera’s Commendatore originates in 1971, when a young Eberhard Schulz drove his homemade sportscar, the Erator GTE, to Porsche and Mercedes-Benz and persuaded them to give him a job in their design department. Schulz had very few recognizable qualifications, but eventually Porsche rightly considered the Erator in the car park evidence enough of his talent and ambition.

    Despite working for Porsche, Schulz developed in his spare time a concept which should be considered as a successor to the Mercedes-Benz 300 SL. After departing Porsche, Eberhard Schulz joined B&B GmbH & Co Auto KG in Frankfurt/Main which allowed Schulz to finish the development and to build one prototype the CW311 which was shown in 1978 at the IAA at Frankfurt. To spice up the market reaction, B&B put a Mercedes-Benz star at the grill which was later sanctioned by Mercedes-Benz. After splitting from B&B, in 1982 Schulz setup his own company for small-series production, design and engineering services and named it Isdera (an abbreviation of Ingenieurbüro fur Styling, DEsign und RAcing). Starting with the Isdera Spyder, the dream of Schulz was always to introduce the road going version of the CW311. Eventually in 1983 the car was launched as Imperator 108i. Comparable with exotic sportscars of its day, it featured gullwing doors and was powered by Mercedes’ M117 5.0-litre V-8 engine, whilst much of the interior was sourced from OEM parts. Less than 20 examples were produced between 1983 and 1991, all built to order with each car taking a year to construct.

    Not a man to rest on his laurels and in an era dominated by engine size, technological innovation, top speed, and visual drama, Schulz’s successor to the Imperator was a step up in every department. Unveiled in 1993 and named in honor of Enzo Ferrari himself, the Commendatore 112i was a far more thoroughbred affair than the Imperator it replaced: under the rear gullwing engine cover nestled a 6.0-litre Mercedes-Benz M120 V-12 engine, which had dual overhead camshafts on each bank and was capable of in excess of 400 bhp. Mercedes-Benz had never developed manual gearbox for the M120, so power was channeled to the rear wheels via a bespoke flywheel, driving a specially adapted version of a RUF Porsche gearbox by adding a sixth gear to achieve the desired max speed of 340km/h.

    To minimize overall mass, the bodywork for the Commendatore was made out of GRP, whilst the chassis was a no-frills spaceframe affair that connected to the road by a similar suspension setup to the Porsche 928, albeit with an active function developed together with BBS and Bilstein that lowered the car by three inches at speed to reduce drag. Schulz was so concerned with reducing drag that Isdera developed and own windscreen wiper and a periscope mirror was favored in place of conventional wing mirrors; it was no secret that the 112i had sights on racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, where there was a premium on straight line speed for the Mulsanne sections. When tested in the Mercedes-Benz wind tunnel, the car returned a drag coefficient of just 0.306 in road going form, which unlocked a top speed the interesting side of the magic 200 mph barrier.

    Sadly for Schulz, 1993 also coincided with an economic slump in Japan where the majority of Isdera’s funding originated and the company was forced into restructuring. As a result, the dream of participating at Le Mans vanished, as the Commendatore 112i was meant to homologate a Le Mans-eligible racing car. Fortunately, however, the project was somehow rescued by a Swiss consortium who took the original Commendatore to the 1999 Frankfurt IAA six years later, under a new name - ‘the Silver Arrow’. Gone though were the two-piece BBS racing wheels and the periscope rear view mirrors, replaced with more conventional five twin spoke alloys and wing mirrors akin to those found on the CLK GTR. The car was also featured in the 1997 videogame Need for Speed II for Playstation and PC, helping to build its cult following.

    In the ensuing decade, the car was only offered for sale once by a renowned Swiss collector in 2005, who had owned the car since the 1999. By the end of 2016, Isdera managed to re-acquire it and set about returning it to its correct 1993 specification. It is in this guise that the car is offered for sale today. It boasts its correct BBS wheels, which had to be specially commissioned, Porsche Arctic Silver paintwork, Recaro blue and black trim and most importantly, the iconic Isdera periscope rear view mirror. Today, it has covered less than 10,500 km from new. Having been rebuilt with road-use in mind, the car is currently registered in Germany and was previously registered in Switzerland, showcasing that this is no museum piece, and a car best enjoyed on the open road. It is accompanied by an intriguing history file, as well as its certificate of authenticity from Isdera, confirming it to be the only example in existence.

    Offered directly from Isdera, this is undoubtably one of the most interesting one-off automobiles built in the 1990’s. Modern one-off such as the Commendatore 112i are truly few and far between the automotive landscape and this car’s significance will surely only grow with time. It would not be surprising to see the Commendatore 112i attracting lots of attention at concours events in the coming years, alongside comparable boutique supercars developed in the 1990s, such as the Koenigsegg CC8S or Pagani Zonda C12s.

    Needless to say, this is an unrepeatable opportunity to acquire a completely unique 1990s hyper-car with an exceptional story.
    Last edited by Duell; 01-15-2021 at 05:19 AM.

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    Isdera Commendatore 112i

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    Isdera Commendatore 112i more details

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    Isdera Commendatore 112i even more details

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    NFS hero car !
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