Background: Sometimes cleaver ideas turns into reality. Take the Plymouth Prowler. This two-seat, convertible roadster made its public debut in 1993 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit as a concept car. The vehicle drew such large crowds and positive public feedback to the exhibit, Chrysler executives took special note. After all, most people who took time to ohh and ahh around the funky Prowler at the exhibit would stick around and check out all of the road-ready Chrysler cars. After another year on the auto show circuit as a concept car, Chrysler announced it would build a limited number of Purple People Pleasers each year for the general public. This year marks the first time Prowler becomes available to the general public. Production started in June at Chrysler's Conner Avenue assembly plant in Detroit, the same facility that produces the limited-run, super-sporty Dodge Viper. Only 1,200 Prowlers are scheduled to be built by the end of this year. During the next couple of years, Chrysler plans on assembling just 4,000 units annually.
Price: Chrysler set the price of nostalgic-looking Prowler at $39,000. However, with such a limited number and a public anxious to get their hands on one, the laws of supply and demand are taking over and dealers find themselves in the envious position of accepting more than the posted asking price.
Trim levels: Since only a handful of Prowlers are scheduled for production, one decently-equipped trim level is offered. In fact, Plymouth offers no factory options.
Exterior: You'll never loose a Prowler in the grocery store parking lot. No other production car comes close to its hot rod appeal. It's like a go-cart on steroids. The long, slim hood comes to a point where the dual front bumper extends out from the hood. Front tires and fenders also extend out from the slimmed-nose body. Twenty inch Goodyear run-flat rear tires and 17 run-flat front tires add to sleek, slopping look. Run Flat allows the car to be driven an extra fifty miles or so after it's punctured. That's good because Prowler comes with no spare. If a tire does puncture, its a good idea to find a Goodyear tire store to pick up a new tire. This year, Prowlers are available in any color you want, as long as its purple. Next year, Chrysler is expected to add a second color, possibly yellow. Prowler's exterior is constructed largely of aluminum. Its hood, front side panels, front suspension and doors are all aluminum. Plastic sheet molding is used for other assorted body parts. Side windows are small and one must reach up when tossing coins into the tollbooth, or waving to curious onlookers. One person could easily handle the black manual convertible top, which folds conveniently out of sight under the rear deck lid. One nice touch; the rear window is glass, not plastic.
Interior: The interior combines modern conveniences with a 1950s look. The instrument panel stretches the length of the dashboard, so the speedometer (with a top speed of 150 miles per hour) and turn signal indicator end up in the middle. Not the most ergonomically correct design but what the heck; ergonomics was never a buzz word in the 1950s anyway. Power windows, mirrors and door locks are found on the driver's door while the headlight knob is prominently featured slightly left of the steering wheel on the dashboard. Secondary stereo volume and preset button controls are conveniently found on the underside of the steering wheel, while cruise control operates from the front of the steering wheel. Windshield wipers operate from the turn signal stalk. A single cup holder accommodates 12-ounce cans and 32-ounce big cups and situates in front of a flip-top storage bin. The stereo system is all 1990s. A six-disc compact disc magazine stores behind the passenger side seats backrest while the AM/FM/cassette player situates above the temperature controls.
Standard equipment: Air conditioning, tilt steering wheel, cruise control, power windows and mirrors, power rack & pinion steering, intermittent wipers, and rear window defogger come standard.
Seating comfort: Once your body contorts into the soft leather bucket seats, the cushy feel is terrific. Our pre-production Prowler prototype's doors did not swing out very far. This coupled with a high step-in design made getting into and out of our Prowler a bit of an exercise. Of course, if the convertible top is down, drivers and passengers can just hop right in. And with the convertible top down, nagging blind spots simply go away.
Trunk: Trunk....what trunk? If you need to transport your golf clubs, make sure nobody's sitting in the passenger seat because that's the only place where the clubs fit. The rounded rear end is hinged near the bumper and opens from the top once the convertible top is unsnapped. Pillows or a couple of small, flatly-packed suitcases can squeeze into the curved storage area.
Safety features: Dual air bags are standard as is remote keyless illuminated entry. Anti-lock brakes and traction control are not offered.
Engine: The sole Prowler engine is a peppy 214-horsepower, overhead camshaft 3.5-liter V-6. Its similar to the engine found in Dodge Intrepid and Chrysler Concorde. Unlike these two full-size sedans, Prowler is rear-wheel drive and incorporates a rear-mounted, four-speed automatic transmission. Although a true manual transmission would be more at home in the Prowler, Chrysler does include the autostick feature, allowing drivers to manually switch gears from the floor-mounted shifter without using a clutch.
Fuel economy: Surprisingly, Prowler registered decent gas mileage figures. With 10,300 odometer miles, the Prowler registered 24 miles per gallon in combined driving. The vehicle requires premium unleaded fuel. The outside fuel door does not lock.
Dimensions: Wheelbase: 113.3 inches Overall length: 165.0 inches Overall width: 76.5 inches Overall height: 52 inches Weight: 2,860 lbs.
Final thoughts: Chrysler already has clocked miles and miles of favorable publicity out of the cagey Prowler, and it recently just started trickling off the assembly line. This vehicle fueled an image resurgence in Plymouth, a Chrysler division that only a few years ago was struggling with an identity crisis. During our five-day test drive, we received more thumbs up and polite horn honking than any other vehicle in recent memory. On more than one occasion, passengers in cars next to us were taking snapshots from their own cars while driving 60 miles an hour down the expressway. Everywhere Prowler stopped, I became a Chrysler spokesperson answering questions from curious passerby's. From a soccer mom's point of view, this car just doesn't rate (no trunk room, challenging to maneuver in and out of and no room for the kids). But hey, it's the sharpest looking car on the road. It feels, sounds and looks like a 30-year-old roadster with many of the amenities of a modern car. More automakers need to step out of the box and create more excitement. It's good for the auto industry which sometimes forgets about it's flashy past. |