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Lotec C1000: The 1000-HP 1990s One-Off That's Allegedly Faster Than a Bugatti Veyron

Developed in Germany and powered by a race-bred Mercedes twin-turbo V8, the Lotec C1000 is the fastest, most outlandish 1990s supercar you probably never knew existed.
Lotec C1000 13 photos
Photo: Curated
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When it comes to epic supercars, there was never a decade as exciting as the 1990s. During that period, we witnessed the birth of four-wheeled icons like the timeless McLaren F1, which is still considered by many enthusiasts the best all-around supercar ever created.

But Mclaren F1 aside, the list of legendary supercars that hit the streets during that decade is huge. It includes well-known models like the Lamborghini Diablo, Dodge Viper, Bugatti EB110, Ferrari F50, or road-legal race cars like the Mercedes-Benz CLK GTR and Porsche 911 GT1.

Apart from these famous examples that adorned our bedroom walls in poster form back in the day, the 1990s also saw the introduction of many other fantastic vehicles that never reached supercars stardom and have long been forgotten. Arguably the best example is the Lotec C1000, a one-off that few still remember, despite its mind-blowing spec sheet.

Commissioned by a member of Dubai's royal family

Lotec C1000
Photo: Lotec GmbH
The story of the C1000 starts in 1991 with an unnamed member of the House of Maktoum, Dubai's ruling royal family, who dreamed about owning the world's fastest car.

Unsatisfied with what the market had to offer, he traveled to Germany to turn his dream into reality. Some sources state that he commissioned Mercedes-Benz to develop the vehicle, but the Stuttgart-based manufacturer passed the project on to race car builders Lotec, while others argue that the wealthy enthusiast went straight to Lotec and handed the company a blank check to make his dream come true.

Since information about the C1000 project's beginnings is scarce, we don't know exactly on which company's drawing board it started, but what we do know for sure is that the royal wanted a bespoke supercar that was sensibly faster than any other street-legal car in the world.

Inspired by endurance racing prototypes

Lotec C1000
Photo: RK Motors
Whether the wealthy customer commissioned the company directly or indirectly, Lotec was in charge of developing the insane ride.

Founded in 1962 by former race driver and designer Kurt Lotterschmid, Lotec began building race cars, and by the 1980s, it added performance tuning of Porsche, Ferrari, Mercedes, and BMW models to its resume.

Although the company was never as successful when it came to racing or tuning as the likes of Koening, Alpina, and AMG, the team in charge of the project rose to the occasion and delivered a full-blown endurance racing prototype that could be driven on public roads.

Unlike similar supercars like the Dauer 962 LM, Koenig C62, Mercedes CLK GTR, or Porsche 911 GT1, which were basically race cars converted for the streets, the C1000 was developed from scratch by Lotec who only drew inspiration from the world of endurance racing to make it more aerodynamically-efficient and thus faster than anything that could be brought from a dealership.

Carbon fiber bonanza

Lotec C1000
Photo: RK Motors
While the project started in 1991, the Lotec team built the C1000 after four full years of design and prototyping. According to the company, the total development cost reached around $3.4 million, which, counting inflation, equates to $6,7 million today.

At its core, it featured an advanced carbon fiber monocoque chassis with a fully integrated roll-cage, height-adjustable suspension, and an IMSA-spec braking system courtesy of AP.

The body was also made entirely from carbon fiber to keep the car's curb weight down to 2,380 pounds (1,080 kg) and was extensively tested in the wind tunnel to increase aerodynamic efficiency. It resembled an endurance racing prototype, albeit it received many futuristic styling cues that set it apart from the era's Group C or GT1 cars.

The race car similarity was more evident inside. The steering wheel, shifter, and adjustable pedal assembly were mounted on the right-hand side like a Le Mans-spec prototype. It was generally spartan in terms of design, but it was upholstered in red leather and featured creature comforts like air conditioning or a high-tech stereo system.

Powered by a monstrous twin-turbo V8

Lotec C1000
Photo: RK Motors
Apart from a lightweight and aerodynamically-superior body, Lotec needed a powerful engine to guarantee that the C1000 was the fastest road-legal car in the world. But, since the company wasn't in the business of building engines, they sourced one from Mercedes-Benz.

Mounted in the middle of the chassis, the heart of the C1000 became Merc's venerable M117 V8. However, it wasn't the same unit found under the hood of the carmaker's production models, but a race-bred powerplant closely related to the 5.0-liter used in the 1985 Sauber C8 Group C prototype.

Displacing 5.6 liters and beefed up with a host of race-spec components, including a Garrett twin-turbo induction system, the rabid engine was able to spit out 1,000 hp and 723 lb-ft (980 Nm) of torque delivered to the rear wheels.

Mated to a Hewland five-speed manual, it could propel the C1000 from 0 to 62 mph (100 kph) in an astonishing 3.2 seconds. Even more impressive, the car could theoretically reach a top speed of 268 mph (431 kph), which meant that it was the fastest car in the world in 1995 by a large margin and is still one of the fastest road-legal cars ever built, almost three decades later. However, it's worth mentioning that these figures were never verified through an independent test.

The C1000 today

Lotec C1000
Photo: Curated
Shortly after the car was completed, it was showcased at various motor shows before being delivered to its owner. But, like most obscenely wealthy people from the Middle East, the C1000's owners apparently grew tired of his new toy quickly and sold it.

After that, the incredible one-off switched owners multiple times and arrived in the US during the 2010s. Still, it didn't find a forever home on American soil and was auctioned off on more than one occasion.

Most recently, it ended up in Miami, Florida, as part of Curated's inventory, with just 2,576 miles (4,145 km) on the odometer. As the company specializes in tracking, sourcing, and selling some of the world's rarest rides, we expect the car to go under the hammer again in the near future. The only question is how much money it will fetch this time.

We can only hope that it ends up in the hands of someone who will truly cherish it and doesn't just buy it to make a profit. Despite being forgotten by most enthusiasts, the C1000 remains one of the most fascinating supercars of the 1990s, and it deserves more respect.

You can take a virtual tour of this magnificent machine in the YouTube video below by Saabkyle04.

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About the author: Vlad Radu
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Vlad's first car was custom coach built: an exotic he made out of wood, cardboard and a borrowed steering wheel at the age of five. Combining his previous experience in writing and car dealership years, his articles focus in depth on special cars of past and present times.
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