By Steven D. Gatt, Editor-in-Chief
Dodge has the Viper, and now Plymouth has its own image car: the outrageous purple Prowler. During the recent weekend test drive of a pre-production 1998 Prowler, we absolutely got more looks than any car before-it wasn't even close. This is a summer car for parades and having fun in the sun. It is the most outrageously-styled production vehicle on the road today.
Two questions followed the slacked-jawed reactions. They were: Who makes it, and is it fast? The first question is obvious at this point, the second is a bit more complex. My definition of fast and others may differ, but with a 0-60 mph time of 7.0 seconds I'd say it was quick but not fast. Many people thought it was faster than the Dodge Viper--that it ain't.
Under the hood of the Prowler lies the familiar 3.5L V6 from the LH sedan (Dodge Intrepid, Chrysler Concorde). This 214 hp motor provides the Prowler with decent acceleration. The engine, and many of the other parts for the Prowler, came off the shelf from the vast Chrysler parts bin. For example, the heating, ventilation and air conditioning controls come from the Neon, and the air vents, come from the Caravan. Other parts, including the door handles, come from the Viper, and the AutoStick transmission comes from the Stratus. It is this usage of parts from other cars that made the production of the Prowler possible. It cost much less to develop a car if you use existing parts, and this also shortened development time.
The ride was stiff to say the least. The suspension had a precise feel, and on smooth pavement the ride would have been much better. Another reason for the stiff suspension was the Goodyear run-flat tires (there is no spare). These run flat tires have super stiff sidewalls so that, in the event of total loss of air pressure, they can still be driven at 50 mph for 50 miles.
The exposed front wheels make it look like a hot rod straight from the 1950's. In fact, a few people thought it was a kit-built car instead of production. It was neat to watch the independent suspension of the front wheels move up and down over the many undulations of the road. Much of the car is aluminum, including the doors, hood, trunk lid, and most of the frame.
My height was a huge advantage in driving this car. I was warned multiple times about bumping the long front end into curbs and other things. The warning came after many other journalists had hit something because they couldn't see the front end. While driving the Prowler you sit very low and very upright. For most people this causes visibility difficulties. With the top up there is enough head space but you lose a lot of visibility to the side and rear, though no one really wants to drive with the top up anyhow. There is a lack of knee room and the cabin is also narrow, but comfortable. The tiny trunk opens front to back and is only a couple inches deep, accommodating perhaps just a thin duffel suit bag.
There is a major advantage to buying a Prowler instead of building your own hot rod: The Prowler comes with a warranty and many amenities you'd never find in a kit car. The Prowler has only one price--$39,000--and comes in only one color: purple. Everything from the 6-disc CD changer to the leather is standard and destination is included. By the way, if you don't like the purple color you'll have to wait until about 1999 when the Prowler will come in bright yellow. Could you imagine the Prowler in a true hot rodder color of yore, hugger orange?