Besides stunning classic cars such as the 1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900B Berlinetta Touring, the Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este also hosts concept cars and prototypes on the shores of Lake Como.
This year, the event marked the world premiere of an intriguing concept: the Austro Daimler Bergmeister ADR 630 Shooting Grand. Created by a company called Projekt Austro Daimler, it is an attempt at reviving a long-dead brand.
Austro Daimler was an Austrian automaker that was operational between 1899 and 1934 as a subsidiary of Germany’s Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft (DMG).
Given the connection to the parent company of Mercedes-Benz, it is not that surprising that the Bergmeister (German for “Hillclimb Champion”) features gullwing doors. Actually, the door handles are taken straight from the Mercedes SLS AMG.
Those are not the only Mercedes-sourced components, though. The 3.0-liter inline turbocharged six-cylinder gasoline engine comes from the AMG GT 43 4-Door Coupe, while the windshield and suspension are sourced from the AMG GT.
Nevertheless, the rest of the package is all new. The Bergmeister ADR 630 Shooting Grand is built on a bespoke aluminum chassis and the bodywork is a combination of aluminum and carbon fiber for a perfect 50:50 weight distribution.
The concept is 4,544-mm (178.9-in) long, 2,087-mm (82.1-in) wide and 1,331-mm (52.4-in) high and sports a wheelbase of 2,637 mm (103.8 in) and the result is a shooting brake body style with dramatic proportions. Besides the gullwing doors, design highlights include a very long bonnet, sleek LED headlights and taillights, as well as a panoramic rear window.
The design and engineering team led by Roland Stagl wanted to build a modern grand tourer that could be considered a spiritual heir to the legendary Austro-Daimler vehicles. There are certainly some retro design cues on the car, including the original brand logo, double-bubble roof, and the lavish cockpit combining wood and leather trim, but overall the Bergmeister looks very contemporary.
The powertrain definitely comes from this century. The Mercedes-sourced engine is paired with no less than three electric motors that produce 805 HP (816 PS/600 kW) and combined with the six-cylinder engine, the EV hypercar puts out a grand total of 1,182 hp (1,198 PS) and 1,600 Nm (1,180 lb-ft) of torque.
A 55 kWh battery, which is designed to support 150-kW charging, is located in front of the rear axle feeds enough energy to the motors to enable an EV driving range of 250 kilometers (155 mph). The beauty of this setup is that when the battery runs out of juice, the car can still cover an additional 750 km (466 miles) using the power of gasoline.
Unsurprisingly, the powerful plug-in hybrid powertrain gives the 1,650 kg (3,637 lbs) Bergmeister stellar performance. The claimed 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) time is 2.5 seconds and top speed stands at 330 km/h (205 mph). Apparently, the first Bergmeister has already been sold, but Projekt Austro Daimler wants to build several more examples.
The Austro Daimler Burgmeister lost the design award at the Concorso d’Eleganza to Bugatti’s La Voiture Noire but, unlike the bespoke hypercar, might not remain just a one-off — or at least that’s what the team behind it is aiming for.