Truly
new and inspirational designs are few and far between these days. Ford are
regurgitating the best of the 50's and the 60's whilst Chrysler's latest
concept is the bastard offspring of a Cerbera and a VX220.
The facts at a glance are: a sprint to 60 mph in six seconds, top speed
higher than 140 mph, a six-speed manual transmission, rear-wheel drive and an
engine displacement of just two litres.
The Dodge Razor concept car is a joint effort between the Chrysler Group
design studios in Auburn Hills, Michigan, and Carlsbad, California. Razor's
exterior was developed by Akino Tsuchiya and Kevin Verduyn, while its interior
was executed by Chris Schuttera and John Sodano. According to Chrysler the car
was inspired by classic European sports cars of the 1960s.
"Dodge Razor has a simple shape with every line offering an abundance
of emotion and purpose," said Tsuchiya. "Razor’s dramatic
proportions scream ‘I’m bold, I’m powerful, I’m Dodge'. The
in-your-face ‘Orange Slice’ body colour reflects the same attitude."
To keep the Dodge Razor affordable should it ever reach production, many ‘off-the-shelf’
corporate suspension and underbody components were used. While the six-speed
manual transmission was developed in Stuttgart, Germany, the engine is an
upgraded version of Chrysler Group’s 2-litre inline DOHC four-cylinder, now
with turbocharger and intercooler. The engine develops 250 bhp of power and 230
lb.ft of torque.
The punters in Detroit will no doubt love it. They won't hear the laughter
from Europe there though...
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