The Lotec C1000 is a one-off sports car designed, developed and built by the German company Lotec in collaboration with Mercedes-Benz. It was constructed in 1995 for an Emirati oil tycoon, and the 1000 in its name stood for the horsepower it produced.
Lotec C1000 at a glance
| Maker | Lotec, Kolbermoor, with Mercedes-Benz |
|---|---|
| Built | one car, 1995 |
| Commissioned by | an Emirati oil tycoon |
| Engine | twin-turbocharged Mercedes-Benz M117 V8 |
| Power | 1,000 PS (735 kW; 986 hp) |
| 0–60 mph | 3.2 seconds |
| Top speed (claimed) | 431 km/h (268 mph), theoretical |
| Development cost | reported at US$2.2–3.6 million |
| 2024 | third in class at Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance |
| Museum show | Petersen Automotive Museum, June 2025 – April 2026 |
The English article on the C1000 is short and is the main source; company background comes from the German article on Lotec. The two differ on the dates of development and first presentation, and both are given in the text.
History of the Lotec C1000
A car ordered, not sold
The C1000 was not a series model. It was a single car commissioned by a wealthy client from the United Arab Emirates, and Lotec built it with help from Mercedes-Benz, whose V8 engine and engineering the small Bavarian firm knew well from its tuning and bodywork work. The English Wikipedia article dates the conception of the car to 1994 and its construction to 1995; the German article on the company places the development of its street sports car in 1990 and its presentation at the Geneva Salon in 1991.
Engineering
The engine was a twin-turbocharged Mercedes-Benz M117 V8 rated at 1,000 PS, or 735 kW, which is where the model name came from. Lotec quoted 3.2 seconds from rest to 60 mph and a theoretical top speed of 431 km/h, a figure never demonstrated on a public road. Developing the car is reported to have cost Lotec between 2.2 and 3.6 million US dollars.
After the build
For almost three decades the C1000 was rarely seen in public. In 2024 it appeared at the Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance in Monterey, California, entered in the class for wedge-shaped concept cars and prototypes of the late period, and took third place. From June 2025 to April 2026 it was part of the Petersen Automotive Museum exhibition devoted to the cars and culture of the 1980s and 1990s.
Design and features
- Mercedes-Benz V8: a twin-turbocharged M117 engine rated at 1,000 PS.
- One example only: the car was built to a single customer’s order, not as a production model.
- Claimed 431 km/h: a theoretical maximum that was never verified.
- Long obscurity: the car surfaced at Pebble Beach in 2024 and in a museum exhibition in 2025.
Lotec C1000 versions
- C1000 (1995): the single car as commissioned by its Emirati owner.
- Pebble Beach car (2024): the same car, shown in the wedge-shaped prototypes class and placed third.
- Petersen exhibit car (2025–2026): the C1000 as displayed in the museum’s 1980s and 1990s exhibition.
The other road car from the same small firm is the Lotec Sirius, built in 2000. More cars are in the Lotec collection.
Sources
- Lotec C1000, English Wikipedia: engine, performance, commission, concours and museum history
- Lotec, German Wikipedia: company history, development and Geneva presentation
