Tuesday 6th August 2013

Isdera Imperator 108i: Time for Tea?

What to do with a ultra-rare AMG-engined supercar? Hoon it round Spa, obviously

---

Today's Time for Tea? is a little earlier than usual but, frankly, the prospect of sharing an Isdera Imperator 108i video was too tempting to postpone.

But first, a small Isdera history lesson. Back in the late 1970s, a Mercedes engineer named Eberhard Schulz Isdera worked with Stuttgart to produce the CW311 concept. It was a dramatic, mid-engined wedge of unadulterated supercar, with lots of glass and gullwing doors. But Mercedes had no interest in producing the CW311, and so Isdera took on the project and created the Imperator 108i.

Here's bravery in a screen grab!

Its nearest equivalent today is probably the Pagani Zonda as they both house an AMG engine in a wild body. For the early Isderas, it was a 5.6-litre V8 with 300hp and 335lb ft, later upgraded to a 6.0-litre version.

That just 30 Imperators were produced makes the driving on show in this video all the more astounding. It's been filmed at Spa (great circuit choice), from the Bus Stop chicane, and is essentially a minute or so of a 108i leaving the corner very, very sideways.

Amongst modern cars, it looks like a spaceship with an internal combustion engine. It would be a very cool car to see stationary, but to have it on video being driven hard is a real treat. Kudos to the owner for doing so (or allowing someone else to!) as well.

[CraigyMc]

TFA said:

Today's Time for Tea? is a little earlier than usyal but, frankly, the prospect of sharing an Isdera Imperator 108i video was too tempting to postpone.

usyal?

Are we allowed to make up words now?

Run it thought a speelchicker.

[4a4]

SO MUCH WANT

[80quattro]

I had a toy one of those when I was a nipper. Always thought it was a Mercedes racing car of some sort. Might scuttle off into the loft after work.

[T.K]

Splendid car. Supercool, if dotty, owner.

[PowerfullyBuilt]

Splendid indeed. Can anyone else see a lot of McLaren F1 in the close-ups of those headlights?

ETA: Rear-view PERISCOPE??? Loopy

Edited by PowerfullyBuilt on Tuesday 6th August 15:23

[Repent]

That, sounds frickin' insane! Brilliant looking thing too.

Spoilt by modern performance though, not that it takes away from it in any way but you expect it to vanish down the straight! I'd forget about the 54bhp/l pretty quickly bathed in that noise.

[Krikkit]

Fantastic car. Where's that video of another lap (possibly around Spa) where it belches smoke into the cabin half way through?

ETA: Found it.

[GTRene]

indeed lovely and special cars Isdera made, some very fast models they have also.

[nonegiven]

I think it's the same car being thrapped around the 'ring but with much better camera work

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TOeTKlCPOss

The noise, the noise!

[BMWill]

GTRene said:

indeed lovely and special cars Isdera made, some very fast models they have also.

and some star wars fans, we have

= )

[anonymous-user]

4a4 said:

SO MUCH WANT

Dig deep then........

http://suchen.mobile.de/auto-inserat/mercedes-benz...

[acespizee]

WOW

[James1972]

Popping the door on the run into the pits - just how cool can you get ?

[mondeoman]

Love the noise - suspension looks a bit soggy.

[GranCab]

James1972 said:

Popping the door on the run into the pits - just how cool can you get ?

...and the video stops just before one of the pit crew is decapitated

[ducnick]

What a noise! In these days of dual clutch boxes and socially acceptable super car exhaust systems its great to hear how it used to be done.

[Marvin Trill]

Always prefer the Isdera Commendatore. Beautiful.

[loudlashadjuster]

mondeoman said:

Love the noise - suspension looks a bit soggy.

Das ist der 1970er jahre für dich!

[GranCab]

If my memory serves me correctly the original was called a C111 and had a wankel rotary engine.

[IDrinkPetrol]

GranCab said:

If my memory serves me correctly the original was called a C111 and had a wankel rotary engine

I don't think that this is directly related. AFAIK this is a development of the CW311 (which wasn't a pukka Merc while the C111s were). Happy to be corrected though.