Isdera Commendatore 112i
The Isdera Commendatore 112i was the ultimate expression of Eberhard Schulz's singular vision: a mid-engined supercar powered by a Mercedes-Benz V12, capable of over 340 km/h, and built entirely by hand in tiny numbers. If the Imperator 108i was rare with 17 examples, the Commendatore was practically mythical — only 2 were completed.
The Commendatore (the name means 'Commander' in Italian) was a natural evolution of the Imperator concept. The mid-mounted engine was now Mercedes-Benz's M120 6.0-liter V12 — the same unit found in the S 600 and SL 600. In Isdera specification, the naturally aspirated V12 produced 408 hp, though Schulz explored turbocharging that could have pushed output beyond 700 hp.
The design retained the Imperator's signature features — gullwing doors and the periscope rear-view mirror — but the bodywork was entirely new. Lower, wider, and more aerodynamically refined than the Imperator, the Commendatore was designed with a claimed top speed of 340 km/h. The body was a mix of carbon fiber and Kevlar over an evolved tubular space frame.
The Commendatore first appeared as a concept at the 1993 Frankfurt Motor Show, where it created a sensation. The dramatic styling, V12 engine, and gullwing doors made it one of the stars of the show. However, the reality of small-scale manufacturing meant that Schulz could only produce the car in extremely limited numbers.
The interior was more refined than the Imperator's, with a better-integrated dashboard and higher-quality trim. Mercedes-Benz components were used throughout, giving the Commendatore a level of switch-gear quality that other small-volume supercars could not match.
With only 2 completed, the Commendatore is one of the rarest automobiles in existence. It represents the extreme end of the one-man supercar builder phenomenon — a car conceived, designed, and built by a single visionary engineer using components from one of the world's finest automakers. The Commendatore may be the ultimate expression of automotive individuality: a car so rare, so personal, and so uncompromising that it exists outside the normal rules of the automotive world.
Effectively impossible to buy — with only 2 built, the Commendatore would only change hands through private negotiation between known collectors. Any car offered for sale should be authenticated directly through Isdera and Eberhard Schulz. The Mercedes V12 engine components are available through Mercedes-Benz, but all Isdera-specific components are unique. This is a museum-grade collector car of the highest order.
Only 2 Commendatore 112i cars were completed. The car was first shown at the 1993 Frankfurt Motor Show. Production was hampered by funding constraints and the challenges of small-volume manufacturing. Eberhard Schulz continued to develop the design throughout the 1990s. A twin-turbo version was planned but never produced. Schulz later developed the Autobahnkurier, a modern GT based on similar principles.