Plymouth Prowler - Design

Design

The design of the Prowler was said to have been inspired after Chrysler engineers were given free rein to create whatever they wanted in a "hot rod" or "sportster" type vehicle. One of the most striking design features of the Prowler are the open, Indy racer style front wheels.

The Prowler featured a powertrain lifted from Chrysler's LH-cars, a 3.5 L Chrysler SOHC V6 engine 24v producing 214 hp (160 kW; 217 PS) at 5850 rpm. For the 1999 model year the engine was replaced with a more powerful 253 hp (189 kW; 257 PS) at 6400 rpm version of the engine. Both engines were coupled to a 4-speed Autostick automatic transmission. The transmission was located at the rear of the vehicle and joined to the engine by a flexible driveshaft that rotated at engine speed, an arrangement similar to that used by the C5 Corvette, Porsche 944 and Alfa Romeo 75, and helped to facilitate a desirable 50-50 front-rear weight distribution. The Prowler was the first rear-wheel drive (and last) Plymouth since the 1989 Plymouth Gran Fury. While criticized for featuring a V6 only, Chrysler's High Output 3.5 had a horsepower rating similar to (or higher than) the company's magnum V8s of that era. While not making nearly as much torque as a V8, Prowler's light weight translated into very impressive performance figures, including off-the-line acceleration.

The car prominently featured aluminum in its construction, chiefly in the chassis. In many cases, the components were adhesively bonded. The body was produced in Shadyside, Ohio, and the car was assembled by hand at the Conner Avenue Assembly Plant (CAAP) in Detroit, Michigan.