Plymouth Prowler: Spotted
The Prowler is about as well suited to Britain as a rodeo clown. But if you're aching to stand out...
Here's a bit of trivia. Did you know the very first Chrysler V8 engine used in a Bristol was actually a Canadian engine, not an American one? It was the 313cu in A-Series 5.1-litre V8 that found its way into the 1961 Bristol 407, a fine engine that naturally shared a lot with the iconoclastic Chrysler Hemi but was sensibly modified for mass production in the more everyday Dodges and Plymouth cars. Such were the vagaries of measuring power in the US in those days that the quoted 245hp figure could safely be ignored. More realistic was an output of around 200hp - in those days, just about enough.
So it came as something of a disappointment when, many years later, that stunning concept-car-made-good the Plymouth Prowler went into production with a mere homegrown V6 under its extraordinary bonnet, rather than a hulking V8. Imagine what wonders it might have achieved with a pumped-up Hemi under there, pushing out enough heave-ho to get this pseudo-hot rod from New York to LA in the blink of an eye? Indeed at 214hp from its 3.5-litres it wasn't even in an extravagant state of tune, and all told it wasn't even much more powerful than that first Bristol/Chrysler V8 had been back in the dark ages.
However, thanks to its extensive use of aluminium, the Prowler weighed in at a mere 1,280kg, and as a result performance was just about decent enough. This is especially so in the post-1999 uprated 253hp versions, where the 0 to 60mph sprint can be dismissed in a very lively 5.6 seconds.
But maybe the engine isn't the important bit here? After all, there are modded Prowlers with after-market Hemi V8s fitted, if you really wanted such a thing. No, it's not the performance everyone's talking about here - just look at the damn thing. Of course such head-turning looks can be horrendously divisive, but there's probably no finer way of standing out from the crowd than in this retro-roadster, especially with this car's rather, er, individual paint job. There are those wonderfully open front wheels, for starters, and the pinched nose and extraordinary bumpers. Indeed after the extravagance of the exterior it comes as a minor disappointment to find that inside is a rather ordinary interior, including luxuries like air-con and airbags, and even steering wheel-mounted audio controls.
If you do encounter a bend there is at least the promise of 50/50 weight distribution, too, and enormously wide rear tyres. This one claims to be the only one on sale in the UK at the moment, so if you want to release your inner Danny Zuko you'd better hurry.
Mark Pearson
SPECIFICATIONS: PLYMOUTH PROWLER
Engine: 3,518cc V6,
Transmission: Four-speed semi-auto, rear-wheel drive
Power(hp): 214@6400rpm
Torque(lb ft): 255@3950rpm
MPG: Not many
CO2: Quite a lot
First registered: 2005
Recorded mileage: 23,000
Price new: Umm...something in dollars
Yours for: £27,490
Click here for the full advert.
Hateful thing.
ETA: just looked at it again. Nope, no better. Did have a chuckle at the desperate attempt to make the number plate say "Prowler", however.
Scuttle shake is unbelievable, so is the presence and amount of attention it gets, even on the Vegas strip where lambos and other exotica are commonplace.
Wish it were a bit cheaper though, if they made more I think this would be priced better for its performance and ability.
While in no way wishing to defend what is a turd of a car, it's clear to me that a company with the combined experience and engineering nous of the Chrysler Corporation would be capable of producing whatever output it needed from whatever capacity. My guess would be that they didn't go for more because a) they didn't need to as this was sufficient for the intended market, and b) the further inside the boundaries you stay the more reliable the engine is long-term.
Sure, they could have put a turbo or two on it, or could (should?) have used a V8: it would have been faster, but would they have sold any more? The clue's in the name: it's called "Prowler", not "Streetfighter". This was bought on looks alone, no? Can't believe I'm saying that...
In a failed attempt to keep it covered (rather than using a cover) he managed to get in the s
t with his neighbours & council for attempting to build a massive fk off eyesore of a wooden framed car port at the front of his house / over the entire drive, but ended up having to remove it 
Edit - Found the thread if anyone fancies a read if they're bored
- https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?t=14...It's even been updated recently too - turns out the car's still outside under a cover
Edit 2 - just noticed the plate - P12 DWL spaced / black capped in a lame attempt to spell PROWL
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/1936-FORD-MODEL-B-HOTRO...
f:1 It's a no from me.
Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff