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As far as 90’s supercars go, we all know the obvious favorites; the Bugatti EB 110, the Lamborghini Diablo, the Ferrari F50, and countless others that captivated an entirely new generation of enthusiasts during this renaissance of automotive performance. Still, there remains a much more obscure supercar from this era that seems to have eluded the mainstream collective; the Aixom Mega Track.
This curious oddity from France packed a midship V12 from Mercedes, a bespoke AWD system, and air suspension that featured an adjustable ride height. The latter gave variable clearance that allowed the Mega Track to offer blistering performance on a variety of surfaces, including asphalt, snow, and gravel.
Sadly, despite immense enthusiasm and a high demand from potential buyers, only a handful of these cars were ever produced before the entire project was unfortunately laid to rest.
The Aixam Mega Track Stemmed From Some Very Humble Origins
For North Americans, the Mega Track is likely just as obscure as its parent company. On top of which, its very existence was something of an anomaly, especially when considering the Mega Track’s pedigree, both before and after its conception. Essentially, Aixam is a French manufacturer that was founded by entrepreneur Georges Blain in 1983.
Ever since, the firm has been producing exceptionally small microcars, with their target audience consisting of teenagers as young as 14 years old. In France, these vehicles are known as “voitures sans permis”, and citizens are legally permitted to drive them without a license or any form of training whatsoever. The cost of freedom is always high, however, as government regulations stipulated that cars in this category cannot exceed 28mph, must only have two seats, and with engines restricted to a maximum of only 8bhp. Given these criteria, it seems completely unlikely that such a company would ever jump the shark straight into the world of mid-engined supercars…but, that’s exactly what they’d decided to do.
Work on this project had started in 1991, when Aixam had partnered with Direct Design to create the initial prototype of what would eventually become the Mega Track. Basically, this prototype acted as a test mule to research the unique specifications that the platform had called for, particularly the AWD system and the air suspension. Designer Philip Colanson had been recruited to assist within development, as well as rally driver Bernard Darnish.
By 1992, Georges Blain had registered the marque Mega, a separate nameplate in which the Mega Track had originally intended to be branded, as to distance the car from Aixam’s much more sedated and mundane lineup. Furthermore, the Mega brand had also been projected as a method of parading Aixam’s overall technical and engineering prowess, which had clearly extended far beyond the slow, underpowered, and utilitarian nature of the microcars in which they’d been known for.
After establishing Mega and severely tweaking the test mules, a prototype of the Mega Track made its first debut at the 1992 Paris Motor Show. The car was well received by both the press and potential buyers, many of which were ready to place orders right on the spot. This immense public interest had further motivated Mega into perfecting their newfound, unusual creation. Nonetheless, due to the small nature of the company, this would take years to achieve.
The Aixam Mega Track Uses A Unique AWD System And A Mercedes-Benz V12
Technically speaking, the Mega Track was constructed upon a traditional, tubular-framed chassis that also came equipped with an integrated roll bar. A unique air suspension system had been developed and implemented specifically for this car by Mega, which also utilized independent, double-wishbone units on each corner.
All told, the Mega Track’s ride height could be altered from its normal clearance of 8.6 inches up to 12.6 inches, for optimal usage on harsher terrain. This factor was absolutely crucial to the Mega Track’s uniqueness, as its competitors simply had no desire nor format to accommodate such a feat. As a result, cars like the Lamborghini Diablo and the Ferrari F355 had been limited strictly for usage on pavement, whereas the Mega Track had been granted the ability to take the road less traveled, straight from the factory.
The drivetrain of this car was also inherently interesting. For power, Mega had opted to use a 6.0-liter V12 that Mercedes-Benz had originally developed for the W140. Mega had rated their version’s output at just a hair under 395 hp and torque listed at 422 lb.ft, which was highly competitive for its era.
The transmission, however, was mounted longitudinally in a reverse position to better suit the midship arrangement. As Mercedes-Benz had only intended for this engine to send power to two wheels, Mega was forced to create their own AWD system in order for the car to offer the capabilities they’d desired for this project.
The end result featured a torque-split ratio of 32:68 front-to-rear. In addition to having to create this system on their own, Mega had also experienced overheating issues with the V12 during development. This ultimately led to the application of four electric fans to assist with keeping the massive power plant within the normal temperature range. All of this tweaking had eventually paid off, as the Mega Track boasted a top speed of 155mph and could sprint from 0-62 mph in approximately 6 seconds.
Why The Aixam Mega Track Failed
With their limited production capabilities, it would take until 1995 until Aixam was finally ready to distribute the Mega Track into commercial production, a full three years after the car’s initial debut at the 1992 Paris Motor Show. Even with the staggering price tag of $400,000 USD, Aixam had still reportedly lost money on every single unit produced.
Additionally, the company had also lacked a sufficient workforce required to meet the demand set by consumers, which only further contributed to the high production costs. Officially, only five Mega Tracks were ever built, although some sources quote this figure as high as eleven. Regardless, it remains a testament to innovation and the desire to create something that, not only dares to be different, but also tremendously fun.
In modern times, high-end brands such as Ferrari and Aston Martin are just now setting their sights on performance SUVs for the premium market. It seems that Aixam, though, had been the front-runner for this venture over three decades ago. Sadly, it seems as if they’d bitten off more than they could chew.
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