Isdera Imperator 108i (1984 to 1993)

The Isdera Imperator 108i was a limited production sports car that debuted in 1984. The Imperator 108i was originally born as the Mercedes-B...

The Isdera Imperator 108i was a limited production sports car that debuted in 1984. The Imperator 108i was originally born as the Mercedes-Benz CW311 concept, but Mercedes wasn't interested in putting the car into production, so its designer, Eberhard Schulz decided to produce it using his own company, Isdera. The 108i featured a sleek and striking design, that was at its heart, a mid-mounted coupe. While all of these cars were powered by Mercedes-sourced engines, a 5.0L V8 was the initial choice, later supplanted by a 5.6L V8, and finally a 6.0L V8. Regardless of engine, a 5 speed manual transmission sent drive to the rear wheels. Two evolutions of the 108i were made, the Series 1 and the Series 2. The Series 2 was introduced for 1992, and was stylistically much more similar to the original concept. By the end of Isdera Imperator 108i production in 1993, only a total of 30 examples had been built, with 13 being Series 1, and 17 being Series 2.