It isn’t every day that we get to see a special one-off supercar. With just a singular example being made, the chances are it’s either cosseted by a collector or the manufacturer itself has kept its hands on it. But for some lucky visitors to Lake Como recently, they were able to feast their eyes upon the amazing Mercedes C1000 supercar.
With the Concours d’Elegance taking place along the western shore of Lake Como, it was perhaps no surprise to see such an incredible car out and about. But it is still a big occasion to see a one-off not sat in a garage, and actually doing what its designers intended it to do.
The C1000 was a joint venture between Lotec and Mercedes-Benz in the 1990s, and is one of the coolest cars ever produced in that period. Unlike some other one-offs and concepts, this did have a proper engine under the hood, specifically a V8 that could deliver nearly 1,000hp.
In the last couple of years, the C1000 has been out and about more often, with Petrolicious getting the chance to have a proper look at the car in August 2025. It is a stunning piece of design, and it makes you wonder what else could have been achieved had it gone into production.
Why the Mercedes C1000 Was Out at Lake Como
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An Instagram user was able to spot the car on its recent excursion around Italy. It appeared to be taking part in an event where equally fantastic cars were out in the sun. The post didn’t reveal the specifics as to why it was there, but the Concours d’Elegance is likely the main reason it was on display. This certainly explains why it was out in public.
The car itself had an unusual upbringing. At the time of its conception, the Porsche 959 and Ferrari F40 had changed the game, with the McLaren F1 following on not long after. Race shop Lotec wanted to get in on the action in the supercar world, and had already built Group 5 racers and some interesting hypercar projects. So the step up to a monster co-created by Mercedes was only logical.
This led to the emergence of the C1000, a Mercedes-Benz-powered hypercar that really did stand out. It was one of the fastest and most powerful cars ever made at the time, and even back then, it felt slightly excessive. It had a carbon fiber monocque, while the bodywork had both sharp intakes plus swollen arches, with the general proportions feeling very Mercedes. At some angles, it resembled the Mercedes CLK GTR that came after it.
Mercedes and Lotec Had Created a Monster
Under the hood of the C1000 was a monster M117 V8, twin-turbocharged, with a displacement of 5.6 liters. This car could produce 1,000hp, several years before Bugatti unleashed the incredible Veyron on the world. It easily beat its rivals, as at the time the McLaren F1 had 627hp, the Bugatti EB110 Super Sport had 603hp, the Dauer 962 had 730hp and the Vector W8 had 625hp.
The top speed was claimed to be 268mph, but Mercedes was never able to put that to the test. After it was built, it disappeared into hibernation and lived a life of obscurity. It was, in fact, being kept alive by Charlotte technician John Hooper before collector Jonathan Weisman bought the car, and it has been lovingly looked after ever since. It underwent a refresh under Hooper’s guidance with Curated from Miami, enabling the outside world to, on occasion, witness something truly special.