The Chrysler “K Car” is one of the least respected vehicles in the company’s storied history- even though many in the auto industry credit the long list of cars that rode on some version of the Chrysler K Platform with saving the company in the 1980s. The biggest reason for the K Cars being so disrespected by the enthusiast community is the brutal lack of performance that was associated with so many of the models that sported the “K” designation. But we shouldn’t be so quick to forget that the K Car era also brought about the early “turbo Dodge” era.
Our Tire Shredding Tuesday video this week features a Dodge Aries K Coupe from the late 1980s packing a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that appears to make vastly more than the 82 horsepower offered by my old 1983 Aries Coupe. Even though the driver has to rely on a parking lot speed bump to provide a little extra resistance to get the tires spinning, once the turbo is spooled up and the tires begin to spin this Aries puts on one hell of a smoke show.
Unfortunately, the camera cuts off rather quickly so we don’t get to see the full extent of this impressive K Car burnout but the few seconds that we do see of this silver Aries smoldering the front tires allows it to serve as a fitting feature vehicle for Tire Shredding Tuesday. Enjoy!
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
