Chrysler Corp. hopes you like its startling new Plymouth Prowler two-seater, which is the first car of its type from a big automaker. But if you don't, it frankly doesn't give a darn.
I'll tell you who did give a darn about the Prowler. It was just about everyone strolling in downtown Lake Geneva who saw the purple roadster when I cruised top-down there in a pre-production version on a recent sunny Saturday during a press preview for the car.
It's been a long time since I've been in an auto that caused so many people to smile, wave and do double takes. But admirers will have to wait until next April to buy the car, which will cost about $35,000. And only 3,000 will be made in 1997.
I asked a bunch of folks what they thought the Prowler would cost, and most guessed between $30,000 and $40,000. But car collector and Chicago media personality Jack Taylor said, "If the Prowler had the Ferrari, Porsche or Mercedes badge, nobody would think it unusual if the cost were $70,000."
"Half the people will think we're crazy for making the Prowler, but the other half will do anything to get one. Already, we have 90,000 inquiries about the car, from doctors to plumbers," said Chrysler engineering chief Francois Castaing, who once ran the successful European Grand Prix Renault race team and was at the preview here.
If it weren't for risk-taking, car-crazy Chrysler executives like Castaing and President Bob Lutz, who both own classic, thundering 1950s Chrysler 300 models, there would be no Prowler.
The slick little car debuted as a 1993 Chrysler auto show concept car, and most analysts agree that General Motors or Ford would not take an auto like the Prowler beyond the concept stage.
"You must take chances to stay ahead," the flamboyant Lutz said in an interview early this year. "The Prowler encapsulates Chrysler's spirit. Those who don't get it or don't like it, never will. And that's OK. We're doing this car for those who get it, want it and can't wait to have it."
The Prowler would cost considerably more than $35,000 if Chrysler had not kept the price down by using parts from conventional models, such as the 214-horsepower, overhead-camshaft V-6 from the automaker's LH sedans and its four-speed AutoStick transmission. AutoStick lets a driver switch between fully automatic and clutchless manual transmission modes with the flick of a lever.
Still, the Prowler has fairly exotic construction, with a race-car-style front suspension and advanced lighting that allows headlights to be placed close together for a rakish front-end appearance. There also is extensive use of aluminum.
"The Prowler taught us a lot about such things as aluminum construction that we can apply to conventional Chrysler production autos," said Prowler program manager Cynthia Frey. "More than 900 pounds of the 2,780-pound car is aluminum, including body, frame and suspension parts." All automakers want lighter, more-economical cars, and aluminum will help them build such autos.
Alloys used on the Prowler are said to be as strong as steel, so durability isn't expected to be an issue. And the car is so light that the 3.5-liter, 24-valve V-6 whisks it from 0-60 m.p.h. in only about 7.5 seconds.
Importantly, Chrysler expects the Prowler to throw a spotlight on its Plymouth brand products, which are overlooked by many. It is hoped that the car will draw lots of curious potential customers to Plymouth showrooms.
The Prowler looks like a hot rod, and its rumbling exhaust sure makes it sound like one. But this really is a refined two-seater with sedan comforts_including power windows and locks, air conditioning and a killer sound system.
"The Prowler has the looks and essence of a hot rod, but we don't expect to sell the car to many hot rodders because they like to custom build their own autos," Castaing said.
Rather, the Prowler is directed at people who want an adventuresome car they can drive the entire year_although the lack of a traction-control system and the Prowler's superwide tires likely will make the rear-wheel-drive car occasionally lose traction on icy winter pavement.
"The Prowler is stylish, and many women have expressed interest in it. It's not a `macho' auto like our manual-transmission-only Dodge Viper sports car," Frey said.
Traditional hot rods have a V-8 and regular manual transmission. But no such manual will be offered for the Prowler, and a Chrysler V-8 with required emission controls doesn't fit under the hood. Chrysler doesn't feel those items will be wanted by most Prowler buyers.
The car has dual air bags in its racy, no-nonsense interior, which contains wonderfully supportive bucket seats and is covered by a nifty looking fabric top. But anti-lock brakes won't be offered.
Although there is no room for a spare tire, the car's run-flat tires are said to be able to safely travel without air for 50 miles at 55 m.p.h.
There's virtually no cargo space, but a cute, optional (no price yet) small cargo trailer_like the ones pulled by motorcycles_will be available.
Still, the Prowler is basically a short- to medium-distance cruiser. It's no long-trip machine that must carry luggage. Wind noise causes the sound system to become average with the top down at highway speeds_despite strategic placement of lots of speakers. And the interior is snug, with narrow arm rests that force one to rest an elbow on a windowsill.
However, tall occupants will be reasonably comfortable if they don't attempt Chicago-to-Seattle drives.
The power rack-and-pinion steering is quick, and braking with the all-disc setup is excellent. A long, 113-inch wheelbase (distance between front and rear tires) and a reasonably supple suspension make for a decent ride. But the razor-thin sidewall areas of the huge tires don't help absorb the shock of bad bumps, which sometimes jolt occupants.
The car jiggles and has steering column shake on rough roads, unlike a modern unit-construction auto. But a body-on-frame roadster like the Prowler is expected to do some shaking and rattling on poor pavement. Chrysler noted that I was in a pre-production Prowler and said it's working on making the car feel more solid_although the one I drove is very close to the production model.
Only purple paint will be offered_at least for the first year of the car's expected three-year life. While 3,000 Prowlers will be made in 1997, some 5,000 are scheduled to be built for each of the next two years.
"After that, we might try another type of sporty new car," Castaing said. Goodness know what that one might be like. |