2000 Plymouth Prowler

For 1999, new features included a new all-aluminum, 253-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine; it has 39 more horsepower than the cast-iron engine in the 1997 Prowler. That year the Prowler also featured a new on-off switch for the passenger airbag, improved window switch gear and enhanced speaker cover treatments for the Prowler's "boom box" speakers. (If someone offers you a 1998 Prowler, politely decline, as the car skipped a year in its evolution, a combination of marketing and government regulatory shuffling.)

Its broad rear tapers to a narrow nose, and the low profile front tires are set more than a foot outside the body with all the springs and shocks buried in the narrow nose. If it were not for the government mandated front bumpers (true 5-mph protection), the Prowler's front end would be as clean as an Indy car's. In order to improve the balance, the transaxle is shifted to the rear with a short engine speed driveshaft in between - just like Ferraris and the new Corvette.

As a result, Prowler is just about the only hot rod with independent suspension. Some writers have niggled about the 1997 V-6's inability to chirp the fat rear tires. The new engine will please them. I spent enough time running twisty mountain roads and proving ground skid pads to properly appreciate the balance and road holding these sticky tires and this layout produces.

Underneath the skin, the Plymouth Prowler is a "rolling test bed," designed to prove a variety of new materials and techniques. The drive-train and suspension layouts are stolen from racecar engineering parts bins. All the bodywork is bonded aluminum, and when Chrysler added its new line of engines, this lightweight metal came to dominate the vehicle. Even the rear disk brakes are constructed of an aluminum matrix composite. Only a few limited-production cars use such exotic, weight-saving features.

The tires are well worth touting. Chrysler engineers worked with Goodyear to develop a customized "run flat" tire which can keep going for up to 50 miles, yet still maintain sports car handling. There's no place for a spare tire - there's barely room for a briefcase and a folding garment bag in what passes for a trunk.

I recently traveled around Southern California over the Christmas week, and had packed for the Prowler and had no problems. I even had chosen my Christmas gifts according to my transport, and everything fit under the trunk lid. Unfortunately, my friends and family did not, and their gifts to me were often a challenge to pack. If a cross country lifestyle is a must, Plymouth will supply a trailer styled and painted to match your car.

The top is ample protection for the elements and has no rattles or squeaks, but wide tires and rear drive will keep most Prowlers in garages during the nasty times. Even so, its top is snug in spring showers, although it sacrifices vision to styling. Still, it has a heated glass rear window to help prevent misting and preserve that limited vision.

At $43,725, the Prowler includes a long list of standard features, such as dual airbags, air conditioning, power windows and door locks, a 320-watt Infinity stereo system with compact disc player and a fully retractable convertible top. It also includes the ability to induce hypnosis in other folks on the road. Exercise your power carefully.

For model year 2000, Prowlers receive new Goodyear Eagle GSD EMT runflat tires designed specifically for the Prowler. They have a stickier front tire compound for improved grip but they are heavier than standard tires. To improve the Prowler's ride, 2000 models have recalibrated Koni shocks, reduced spring rates, and new ball joints in the rear suspension lateral links.

Interior changes for 2000 include an automatic, speed-dependent stereo volume control, a new mute switch, and a leather shift boot. A new 'electrochromic' rearview mirror automatically dims at night to reduce glare, and the mirror includes a built in compass, outside temperature reading, and mini trip computer.

Rather than the separate headlamps common to hot-rods of the 40's and 50's, the Prowler has smaller projector beam headlamps under plastic covers cleverly integrated into the body behind the grille. The rear of the Prowler appears extremely wide and high, accented by wide rear tires and separate fenders, and twin exhaust pipes with chrome tips.

 Inside the car, most of the instruments are positioned in the centre of the dashboard, including a large speedometer flanked by oil pressure, voltmeter, fuel and coolant gauges. The tachometer is positioned on the steering column just behind the steering wheel - just like they used to be on souped-up rods of yesteryear.

The rest of the interior is contemporary in design and very well-equipped. Standard equipment includes leather seats, air conditioning, AM/FM/cassette and a 6-disc CD changer with seven speakers, remote keyless entry, cruise control and power door locks. For safety, the Prowler has three-point seatbelts and dual airbags - the passenger side airbag has a key-operated cutoff switch. However, the Prowler doesn't have a rollover bar or roll hoops.

As far as storage space, the Prowler is probably the most impractical vehicle I've ever tested. Interior storage room is limited to a small, centre storage bin and a seatback map pocket, but there's no glove box or door pockets. The Prowler has the smallest, shallowest trunk I've ever seen - a measly 1.8 cubic feet - not even enough room for an overnight bag.

Perhaps that's why Chrysler recently unveiled a modified version of the Prowler called the 'Howler' at the SEMA (Specialty Equipment Marketing Association) trade show in Las Vegas. The Howler is a Prowler with a taller, longer tail and a usable trunk.

Though it looks like it belongs in the 50's, the Prowler is built using sophisticated 90's technology. Extensive use of lightweight, rust-free aluminum includes a bonded and riveted aluminum frame, aluminum suspension components, aluminum engine, and some aluminum body panels (hood, doors, deck lid, and front side panels). The remaining body panels are a composite plastic material. A structural cross-member behind the instrument panel is made of magnesium.

Unlike early hot-rods which had solid front and rear axles, the Prowler has a fully independent suspension, including front double 'A' arm suspension with inboard-mounted spring and shock assembly, and rear an independent four-link setup. Four vented disc brakes with ABS are standard equipment.

The standard power plant is the 3.5 litre SOHC 24 valve V6 engine that also powers the Chrysler LHS and 300M models. This all-aluminum engine develops 253 horsepower at 6,400 rpm (39 more than the previous 3.5 litre engine) and 255 foot pounds of torque at 3,950 rpm.

Though the Prowler looks like a cross between a hot-rod and a race-car, it's not a handling machine. The Prowler's wide track and super-wide, sticky tires provide excellent grip on smooth surfaces, but its unforgiving suspension and considerable body flex upset its balance when any small bump is encountered. In fact, the whole body shakes alarmingly when traveling over larger bumps, and from the driver's seat, is rather disconcerting.

In true hot-rod tradition, the Prowler's straight-line acceleration is very quick, in part because the Prowler weighs just 1287 kg (2838 lb). However, the transmission, in automatic mode, 'bumps' when it changes gears - I don't know why because this same transmission is very smooth on other Chrysler vehicles. In manual mode, the AutoStick transmission allows manual shifting, but there's a slight delay in the actuation.

Braking is excellent, as you would expect in a lightweight vehicle with four wheel disc brakes, and the power-assisted steering has good feel and responsiveness.

 The Manufacturer's Suggested Retail Price for the 2000 Prowler is $61,000, up from $55,000 in 1999. Plus, there's a $1400 delivery charge. In some areas, you might find dealers asking more than that because the Prowler is a limited production specialty car in high demand. In calendar year 1998, only 146 Prowlers were sold in Canada, and in 1999, 88 have been sold to date. Worldwide production output for the 1999 model year was only about 5000 units.