Drive unit for a motor vehicle

A drive unit for a motor vehicle comprising - an internal combustion engine that includes an internal combustion engine (10) as well as an exhaust system through which exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine (10) can be discharged, and - a cyclic process device that can be used to convert the thermal energy contained in the exhaust gas into mechanical work in a clockwise thermodynamic cyclic process, wherein the cyclic process - comprises a heat transfer from the exhaust gas to a working medium in a first heat exchanger device, whereby the temperature and/or the pressure of the working medium is increased, - comprises an expansion of the working medium in an expansion device (30) for the generation of the mechanical work, and - comprises a heat transfer from the working medium to a cooling medium in a second heat exchanger device is further developed in that the first heat exchanger device comprises a first heat exchanger (20) and a second heat exchanger (26) as well as an intermediate circuit (22) with a transfer medium, wherein in the first heat exchanger (20) thermal energy transfers from the exhaust gas to the transfer medium and in the second heat exchanger (22) thermal energy transfers from the transfer medium to the working medium.