Isdera
Encyclopedia
ISDERA or Ingenieurbüro für Styling, DEsign und RAcing (Engineering company for Styling, Design and Racing) is a privately-run automaker
Automaker
The automotive industry designs, develops, manufactures, markets, and sells motor vehicles, and is one of the world's most important economic sectors by revenue....
based in a small workshop in Hildesheim
Hildesheim
Hildesheim is a city in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the district of Hildesheim, about 30 km southeast of Hanover on the banks of the Innerste river, which is a small tributary of the Leine river...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. The company was formerly based in Leonberg
Leonberg
Leonberg is a town in the German federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg about 10 miles to the west of Stuttgart, the state capital. Approximately 45,000 people live in Leonberg, making it the third biggest borough in the rural district of Böblingen .Leonberg is most famous for its picturesque market...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Each high-performance sports car
Sports car
A sports car is a small, usually two seat, two door automobile designed for high speed driving and maneuverability....
is hand-built by a small team of craftsmen, and the only way to purchase an Isdera is to call the CEO directly. Each vehicle is custom built for its buyer, and a waiting period of six months is to be expected.
History
The first vehicle designed by Eberhard Schulz appeared in 1969. It was Erator GTE, the replica of Ford GT40 race car. In 1978 Mercedes-Benz presented the concept car CW 311, engineered by Schulz and promoted by the company b&b.The company Isdera was founded in 1981 in Leonberg its first car, the Spyder 033, was presented in 1982. Some other vehicles in the company's history are the 1985 Spyder 033-16, 1987 Spyder 036i and the 1984 Imperator 108i. Each model was unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show
Salon International de l'Auto
The International Geneva Motor Show is an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva. The show is hosted at the Geneva Palexpo, a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
.
In 1993 Isdera designed the Commendatore 112i. The Commendatore weighed 1450 kg (3,197 lb), could go 0 to 60 mph in 4.7 seconds, and had a top speed of 342 km/h (213 mph). The car had a mid-mounted
Mid-engine design
A mid-engine layout describes the placement of an automobile engine between the rear and front axles. Another term for this is mid-ship.-Benefits:The mid-engine layout is typically chosen for its relatively favorable weight distribution...
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes-Benz is a German manufacturer of automobiles, buses, coaches, and trucks. Mercedes-Benz is a division of its parent company, Daimler AG...
6.0 L V12 engine
V12 engine
A V12 engine is a V engine with 12 cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of six cylinders, usually but not always at a 60° angle to each other, with all 12 pistons driving a common crankshaft....
producing 402 hp and a 6-speed manual transmission
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
. The Commendatore had many advanced and unique features such as two sets of gull-wing door
Gull-wing door
Gull-wing door is an automotive industry term describing car doors that are hinged at the roof rather than the side, as pioneered by the 1952 Mercedes-Benz 300SL race car and its road-legal version introduced in 1954....
s, a velocity-sensitive electronic chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...
that lowers the car at high speeds, and an automatic air brake
Air brake (road vehicle)
Air brakes are used in trucks, buses, trailers, and semi-trailers. George Westinghouse first developed air brakes for use in railway service. He patented a safer air brake on March 5, 1872. Originally designed and built for use on railroad train application, air brakes remain the exclusive systems...
. The 112i was featured in the video game Need for Speed II
Need for Speed II
Need for Speed II, released in Japan as Over Drivin' II, is a 1997 racing video game, developed by Electronic Arts Canada and published by Electronic Arts...
.
An estimated 70 cars have been sold by Isdera since 1983. Projects since 1993 have been kept top secret by Isdera. The company’s most recent automotive ventures and sales figures have not been released to the general public.
In 1999, Isdera produced a fully functional prototype called the Silver Arrow C112i. The vehicle shared the same body and chassis as the 1993 Commendatore 112i, but was powered by a Mercedes-Benz, 400 hp V12. The car's top speed was recorded at 205 mph (330 km/h). At the time of its introduction, the Silver Arrow was the only car in the world to feature an automatically lifting airbrake.
The Silver Arrow prototype was offered for sale on eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
in October 2005 for US$3 million, but was not sold. At the time of the auction, the car was located in Switzerland.
In 2006, Isdera introduced the Autobahnkurier AK116i, a controversially-styled vehicle powered by two Mercedes-Benz V8 engines - one for each axle - from the W126-500SE, and reminiscent of a 1930s touring car.
External links
- Isdera website
- 1999 Isdera Silver Arrow C112i
- All Isdera cars specifications and performance data in automobile-catalog.com