5 Obscure Cars You Probably Didn't Know Were Powered by Mercedes-Benz Engines (2024)

Among today's automotive brands, few have a richer history than Mercedes-Benz.

With origins that can be traced back to Karl Benz, who designed and built the world's first passenger car powered by an internal combustion engine, the German manufacturer has been an automotive industry icon since its official inception in 1926.

Apart from its legendary models, Mercedes-Benz has also supplied engines to various manufacturers throughout the years. The most famous example is Pagani, which has been using Mercedes-AMG engines for its breathtaking supercars since the introduction of the Zonda in the late 1990s.

Another famous example is Aston Martin, which uses Mercedes engines for three of its current models.

However, the Stuttgart-based company's engines were also used on a series of obscure cars in the past, and in this article, we're going to remember the most interesting five.

SsangYong Musso (1st gneration)

The South Korea-based SsangYong is known in several parts of the world for building a series of affordable yet durable crossovers, SUVs, and pickup trucks.

Its origins can be traced back to the 1950s when it produced Jeeps for the US Army. This led to one of its first production models, a 1980s Jeep-inspired off-roader called Korando.

In 1993, SsangYong unveiled a new SUV-style off-roader named Musso. Larger, more luxurious, and more modern than the Korando, it became the company's flagship.

Affordable, potent, and reliable, the Musso was powered by a series of Mercedes-Benz gasoline and diesel engines, including the 3.2-liter M104 inline-six and the 2.9-liter OM602 inline-five diesel.

Sold in many markets, including Europe, the Musso was marketed with various badges, including SsangYong, Daewoo, TagAZ, or Chrysler.

Even more fascinating, the engine partnership with Mercedes-Benz included a clause that allowed the German manufacturer to sell the Musso with Mercedes-Benz badges in some Asian markets.

Monteverdi Tiara

In the 1960s, a Swiss dealer of exotic cars named Peter Monteverdi had a falling out with Enzo Ferrari over an order of 100 cars. That argument led to the creation of a new company called Monteverdi, which aimed to build cars that would compete with Ferrari's road-going models.

While Monteverdi never became a serious rival to the legendary Prancing Horse brand, it did develop a series of interesting cars.

By the 1980s, the company had drifted away from competing with Ferrari and was trying its best to become a leading brand in the world of luxury cars. One of the new models born out of this ambition was the Tiara.

Introduced in 1982, the full-size sedan was based on the long-wheelbase version of the W126 S-Class chassis.

Though it featured a modified body equipped with several components sourced from mundane cars like the Peugeot 505, the Tiara was more Mercedes-Benz than Monteverdi.

Apart from its chassis, the 3.8-liter M116 and 5.0-liter M117 V8s also came from the W126 S-Class.

Unfortunately for the Swiss company, the Tiara was a failure, mainly because it cost nearly as much as two S-Classes. Consequently, only two examples were ever built.

Isdera Imperator 108i

The 1980s was a decade when exotic supercars boomed. Apart from established carmakers such as Ferrari or Lamborghini, a series of newcomers attempted to break into the popular segment.

One of those newcomers was Isdera, a German manufacturer established by Eberhard Schulz, a former Porsche designer who was responsible for the Mercedes-Benz CW311 concept.

Since Mercedes had no intention to produce the concept, Schulz founded Isdera and began producing the CW311 as the Imperator 108i.

A fiberglass-bodied work of art with gullwing doors, the Imperator 108i received new headlights and tail lights, but other than that, it looked much like the original CW311 concept.

Produced from 1984 to 1993 in a run of 30 units, the model received several improvements throughout its lifespan.

The futuristic supercar was powered by different versions of Mercedes-Benz's M117 V8. In its most lethal, AMG-tuned guise, the engine displaced 6.0 liters and produced 390 hp.

Aixam Mega Track

If you think the Porsche 911 Dakar and the Lamborghini Huracan Sterrato were the first production supercars with off-road abilities, think again.

In the late 1980s, the French company Axiam, who was known in Europe for building plebian microcars, decided to develop the craziest supercar on the planet.

Unveiled at the 1992 Paris Motor Show, the Mega Track was a 16.6 foot-long (5 m) mid-engine behemoth equipped with a height-adjustable suspension system that provided up to 13 inches (330 mm) of ground clearance, four-wheel-drive, and large 20-inch tires developed specifically for the project by Michelin.

Initially, the plan was to use a French engine, but the company couldn't find one that was powerful enough for the 4,400-pound (2,000 kg) supercar.

Thus, Axiam struck a deal with Mercedes-Benz, which supplied its newly-introduced 394-hp 6.0-liter M120 V12.

Though the Mega Track was awesome in more ways than one, it failed to impress wealthy buyers, so only six examples were ever built.

Isdera Commendatore 112i

Isdera discontinued the Imperator 108i in 1993, but at that year's Frankfurt Motor Show, the company unvailed a successor dubbed Commendatore 112i.

Named in honor of Enzo Ferrari, who was nicknamed "il Commendatore" (the Commander, in Italian), the 112i was also designed by Isdera founder Eberhard Schultz, but it was a huge departure from its predecessor in terms of styling.

The beautiful supercar featured a curved aerodynamic body with a long tail, similar to the endurance cars of the era, and, like the 108i, came with gullwing-opening doors.

Power came from a modified 6.0-liter Mercedes-Benz M120 V12 that made 402 hp and helped the 112i accelerate to 100 kph (62 mph) in 4.7 seconds on its way to a top speed of 341 kph (212 mph).

Unfortunately, Isdera ran out of funds before commencing a production run, so only a single unit was officially completed. A second car, built using an uncompleted chassis and original body moulds, was built by an enthusiast years later, but the German company never recognized it as a true Isdera.

The original car changed hands numerous times and was modified by its owners. In 2016, the car was brought back by Isdera and restored to its original 1993 shape, then sold it again in 2021.