The Ultimate German Engineering Dream: Isdera Imperator 108i

By Patrick Morgan - November 1, 2016

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What you see here is the ultimate expression of brainstorming from the 1980s. Isdera, which stands for “Ingenieurburo fur Styling, DEsigh und RAcing,” (or Engineering Bureau for Styling, Design and Racing) is the brainchild of Eberhard Schultz, himself a former Porsche, AMG, and Sauber design engineer.

If you’re wondering why the car looks familiar, that’s because this car can trace its roots directly back to the C111 prototypes. Those prototypes deployed a range of engines, including some experimental Wankel power plants. Ultimately, those projects would be shelved.

Schultz, however, took his know-how from those efforts and applied them to the Imperator 108i. Featuring a 5.0-liter Mercedes V8 mounted behind the driver, this car was far ahead of its time. It was the first Imperator to use the 32-valve V8, which was mated to a 5-speed transaxle. That combo was enough for 330 horsepower. Acceleration to 60 was under the 5-second margin, and a top speed of 180 mph was claimed. Even today, that’s impressive.

Only the 17th Imperator built, this car was the only export to the U.K., and is now being offered for sale. Read the listing, and the interesting history here, then let us know what you think.