1990 WM Amadeus
AKA the car that made the ultimate evolution of the WM Deus possible.
Built on an AHS steel spaceframe clad in alloy bodywork, the Amadeus was the ultimate statement of excess upon its debut in 1990, with a mid-rear-mounted 7.2L billet alloy block V12 delivering 600 horsepower and 570 foot-pounds of torque to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual gearbox and helical limited-slip differential. The Deus had a cheaper aluminum/silicon version of this engine, but even that had less horsepower (550 instead of 600) in its most powerful form, which came out two years after the Amadeus.
Good for a 0-60 mph time in the low four-second range and a top speed of 217 mph, this engine breathed through individual bodies and exhaled via long-tubular headers for a menacing mechanical symphony. Dual-wishbone suspension at each corner, combined with large vented disc brakes and staggered high-performance tires (245mm front/325mm rear) wrapped around 18-inch forged alloy wheels, yielded eye-popping braking and grip figures for its time, with superb handling that felt exploitable even at the absolute limit, whether on road or track.
In its default configuration, it had a surprisingly compliant ride, although its bespoke nature allowed customers to specify different settings and exterior/interior color and material combinations as they wished. With a hand-built, high-quality interior, such extensive customization was inevitable - this example has a black leather interior with dark woodgrain accents to match its exterior, as shown below. However, in place of the standard aluminum spherical shifter knob, owners could specify a genuine wood or carbon fiber item if they wanted to.
As befitting its positioning at the very top of the range, the Amadeus came with a top-shelf hi-fi stereo sound system as standard. In addition to a cassette tape deck and CD player (complete with an in-dash disc changer), there was also a graphical equalizer - heady stuff for the time, and all the better to enjoy any musical accompaniment the occupants had chosen to complement the deep-throated, barrel-chested V12 soundtrack emanating fromjust behind their seats.
Even today, the Amadeus is one of the most distinctive, menacing, and recognizable shapes ever to hit the public road, or any racetrack for that matter. However, some manufacturers decided to counter the Amadeus by offering something far harder-edged and consequently more focused - in particular, the LVC LS60 and AMS Archangel, both of which debuted for the 1995 model year, may not have had the raw aggression or lavish creature comforts of the Amadeus, but they felt every bit as special as the heavier, granitic Amadeus, if not more so.
