Driver's Seat: Mosler

As Wagner puts it, "Within reason, we accommodate just about any customer request."

Need for Speed

Every dream has a beginning, and the MT900S is no different.

This super car has its roots in Mosler's early experiments with building high-performance racers to suit his craving for speed, as Wagner revealed to me in a discussion about this dream car's pedigree.

After forming Consulier Industries in Riviera Beach, Fla., just outside of West Palm Beach, Mosler began tackling the peculiar problems of building a new high-performance car from scratch.

Starting with the Consulier GTP in 1985, Mosler leapt the first hurdles on his way to assembling, racing and refining his dream car. The GTP competed successfully in a number of International Motor Sports Association super-car races, speeding ahead of such distinguished names as the Porsche 911 Turbo, Saleen Mustang and Corvette ZR1.

Unfortunately for Mosler's racing ambitions, however, the Consulier GTP was a little too successful. After winning numerous races, the IMSA banned the GTP from competition.

Despite this setback, a crucial point was taken from Mosler's success: weight is the enemy of speed.

Although the GTP's engine didn't equal those of many of its rivals, its 2.2-liter turbo with about 195 hp was matched to a light body weight. This combination handily bested its powerful, and heavy, rivals -- see Newton's law of acceleration: Momentum is the product of mass and velocity. This was a lesson carried through to the new MT900S.

Todd Wagner, director of engineering at Mosler, clarifies the design philosophy: "We really emphasize light weight. Other manufacturers may not watch their weight as much, so they have to add bigger engines to compensate. And the bigger the engines, the heavier the cars, so it becomes somewhat of a vicious cycle."

Obvious competitors to Mosler in the super-car market are Koenigsegg, Pagani, the Porsche Carrera GT and the Enzo Ferrari -- renowned cars crafted from composite materials. But there are three distinct advantages to owning the Mosler, as Jill Wagner points out: its lower initial price, light weight and cost of ownership.

A Koenigsegg CCX will set you back $750,000 and weighs in at 2,800 pounds. And that Porsche Carrera GT? It may seem a bargain at $450,000, but it's hefty at 3,043 pounds.

Conversely, Mosler's MT900S starts at $189,900 and has a fighting weight of just 2,500 pounds.

Cheap to Keep

Beyond weight issues, another benefit to the Mosler is the reasonable maintenance cost.

What happens when George Lucas needs to take his brand-new MT900S in for a tuneup?

Mosler purposely couples its exotic suspension and composite monocoque body with easy-to-maintain, proven mechanicals such as the LS6 engine -- the same one used in General Motors Corvettes since 1997. That means fewer trips to the shop -- and when you do have to take it in, any GM-certified technician can handle it.

Compare that with the costs of maintaining other exotics, such as the Enzo Ferrari ($72 per quart of oil, anyone?), and Mosler's MT900S begins to look positively cheap.

With specs like these, you can't afford not to buy one.

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