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Isdera Commendatore 112i - a super sports car that was lost in time

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Created on December 23, 2020

Reading time 8min

Written by:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Rémi Dargegen - Courtesy RM/Sotheby's

Bruno von Rotz

Archiv

Rémi Dargegen - Courtesy RM/Sotheby's

Bruno von Rotz

Archiv

Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - lässt sich fast komplett entblättern, der Kofferraum vorne fasst 200 Liter

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - auch die Breite ist mit 1,875 Metern heute nicht mehr aussergewöhnlich

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - die Frontscheinwerfer stammen vom Porsche 968, der Scheibenwischer vom ICE

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - der Motor sitzt in der Mitte, die Passagiere ebenso

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - die vier Flügeltüren werden durch Gasdruckdämpfer gehalten

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - herrlicher EInblick in die Technik und die Konstruktion

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - nur 1,04 Meter hoch

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - eine Skulptur von einem Auto

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - vier Flügeltüren, das hat nicht jeder

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - man sprach damals von Cab-Forward-Design, weil die Besatzung so weit vorne sass

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - mit ausgefahrenen Frontscheinwerfern

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - strassentaugliches Le-Mans-Langheck

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - wirkt schon im Stand sehr schnell

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - mit 4,665 Meter länge ist der Wagen kompakter, als man denkt

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - gegenüber dem kantigen Imperator ist der 112i deutlich rundlicher geformt

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - rund 340 km/h lagen drin, mit Strassenzulassung

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - nur wenige Leute kamen je in den Genuss, dieses Einzelstück zu fahren

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - das Sparco-Lenkrad gab's 1993 noch nicht

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - viel Leder, kein Carbon

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - in dieser Farbkombination wurde er auch 1993 zum ersten Mal gezeigt

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - Mercedes-Benz lieferte einige Teile des Interieurs

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - Mercdedes-Instrumente wie in einer E-Klasse

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - Blaupunkt Bremen Radio-Tonband

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - hier darf noch von Hand geschaltet werden

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - Recaro-Sitze und Sechspunktgurten

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - das Getrag-6-Ganggetriebe ist hinter dem V12 eingebaut

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - appetitlich präsentierter V12-Motor von Mercedes

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - der Rohrrahmen besteht aus ST 37-Stahl

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - der Sechsliter-V12-Motor

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - hier wird gekühlt

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - Typenschild

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - der berühmte Rückspiegel im Dach

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - durch das Fensterchen guckt man nach oben in den Rückspiegel

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - der Adler zierte von Anfang an alle Isdera-Sportwagen als Markenzeichen

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - Heckleuchte aus dem Hella-Programm

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - der Heckspoiler klappt automatisch aus

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B+B CW 311 (1980) - bekannte Studie, zum ersten Mal in Genf zu sehen - Genfer Autosalon 1980

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Isdera Imperator 108i (1986) - daneben der Spider, den es nun mit Mercedes-190E-2.3-16-Motor gibt - Genfer Autosalon 1986

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Isdera Spyder 033i (1983) - lässt Motorrad- und Autofans träumen - am Genfer Automobilsalon von 1983

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Isdera Imperator 108i (1990) - entwickelt auf Basis des Konzeptfahrzeugs CW311 von 1978

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Isdera Imperator 108i - Eberhard Schulz bringt ein attraktives Flügeltüren-Mittelmotorauto, das rund 0,5 Millionen DM kosten soll - am Genfer Automobilsalon 1984

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Isdera Imperator 108i (1985) - Rohrrahmenkonstruktion - Fertigung inzwischen angelaufen - IAA 1985

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Isdera Imperator 108i (1985) - dahinter der Spyder 033i - stückweise Herstellung angelaufen - Genfer Automobilsalon 1985

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Isdera Commendatore 112i (1993) - Supersportwagen als Einzelstück

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Isdera commendatore 112i (1997) - V12-Motor von Mercedes, 620 PS Leistung - Classic-Gala Schwetzingen 2017

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Isdera commendatore 112i (1997) - ein echter Super-Sportwagen mit 342 km/h Spitze - Classic-Gala Schwetzingen 2017

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Isdera commendatore 112i (1997) - mit BBS-Felgen - Classic-Gala Schwetzingen 2017

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Isdera commendatore 112i (1997) - rundliche Elemente dominieren - Classic-Gala Schwetzingen 2017

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Isdera commendatore 112i (1997) - schön gezeichnetes Isdera-Markenzeichen - Classic-Gala Schwetzingen 2017

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Isdera commendatore 112i (1997) - ungewohnte Lösung für den Rückspiegel - Classic-Gala Schwetzingen 2017

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Isdera commendatore 112i (1997) - eine Attraktion im Schlosspark - dass er einen 200-Liter-Kofferraum und sogar eine Klimaanlage aufweist, sieht man ihm nicht an - Classic-Gala Schwetzingen 2017

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Summary

It looks like it was built for the Hunaudières straight at Le Mans and indeed the Isdera Commendatore 112i was considered the fastest German sports car ever in 1993, but its genesis was difficult and its clock ran out before it could really show its talent. This vehicle report traces the history of the mid-engined sports car and shows all its evolutionary stages.

This article contains the following chapters

Schulz, the car enthusiast
Realization of a childhood dream
Presentation at the IAA in 1993
First customer in 1999
Back to the beginning

Estimated reading time: 8min

Preview (beginning of the article)

It looks like it was built for the Hunaudières straight at Le Mans and indeed the Isdera Commendatore 112i was once considered the fastest German sports car ever, but its genesis was difficult and its clock ran out before it could really show its talent. Eberhard Schulz was not a theorist, but rather a practitioner. This was perhaps also the reason why he dropped out of his mechanical engineering studies. In his spare time, he built his first own sports car, the Erator GT, visually modeled on the Ford GT40, but with much better technology. He drove this car to Mercedes-Benz and Porsche in 1971 to apply for a job. He was actually able to talk to members of the management of both companies and Porsche was satisfied with the self-built sports car reference and hired the now 31-year-old car enthusiast.

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