Mosler TwinStar Eldorado

The Mosler TwinStar Eldorado is a twin-engine all-wheel drive prototype based on the Cadillac Eldorado coupe, produced from 1995 to 2002. The name TwinStar (from the words "Twin" and "Northstar") means two Cadillac Northstar V8 engines, which are located - one in the front, one in the rear.

According to Warren Mosler, TwinStar was born out of a project originally intended to convert the Cadillac Eldorado into a mid-engined car. Other than the hassle of making the rear engine subframe and suspension mounting points, it wasn't all that difficult. Since each engine operates independently, there is no need to synchronize anything other than gear selection and throttle position. In fact, the car is equipped with two completely different engines with a total displacement of 9.1 liters. In front was a 275-horsepower Northstar, the same as in the base Eldorado, and in the rear (in the luggage compartment) was a 300-horsepower unit from the Eldorado Touring Coupe. Each motor was linked to a nearby axle, creating an all-wheel drive (AWD) arrangement.

The Twinstars' twin powertrains operated almost entirely independently of each other, with separate ignition circuits, engine control units, and separate four-speed automatic transmissions—no center differential or transfer case. The rear engine had a higher redline but shorter gearing, which meant the engines almost never shifted in tandem as the car accelerated.

The estimated maximum speed was 322 kph and was artificially limited to 203 kph.

The downside of the twin-engine sports car was its distinctive appearance with a long wheelbase, air intakes for supplying air to the rear engine and a ventilated trunk lid. The result was a typical Mosler approach - non-standard, effective and frankly not aesthetically pleasing due to the changed proportions.

Apart from the loss of the trunk, the refurbishment did not affect the interior, except for the appearance of an additional instrument panel in front of the passenger and an engine starting system. The regular ignition key started the front engine, then you had to press a small black switch on the center console to start the rear engine.

The Mosler TwinStar competed in the 2000 Michelin Car and Driver One Lap of America series, where it finished 90th out of 113 entries (and last, 10th, in its Luxury Sedan class).

According to available information, about five cars were produced at a price of about 70,000 US dollars.

It is known that saxophonist Clarence Clemons from Bruce Springsteen's E Street Band ordered one from Mosler. The same car sold for $45,000 at Auctions America a few years ago, and was listed on eBay in 2015 by Corvette Experience for $39,900.

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