7 Coolest Dodge Concept Vehicles
Dodge's public offerings have been fairly conservative (excluding the Hellcat), but over the years they have teased us with some amazingly out there concept cars, trucks, and whatever that Viper powered, 4 wheel motorcycle is.
1. 1965 Dodge A100 Deora
The Deora was a highly stylized Dodge A100 pickup truck, but it technically wasn't built by Dodge. The designer was Harry Bentley Bradley, formerly of GM but then with Hot Wheels, and it was built by The Alexander Brothers, who also built the Beach Boy's Little Deuce Coupe. Rather, the squatty and sleek van/truck was such a sensation that Dodge embraced it once they saw it, and leased the Deora for two years so it could make it's rounds on the auto show circuit. The Deora went on to win a ton of design awards, become an AMT model kit, and one of the first Hot Wheels cars ever produced.
>>Join the conversation about Coolest Dodge Concept Vehicles right here in the Dodge Forum!
2. 2003 Dodge Tomahawk
When then-Chrysler COO Wolfgang Bernhard rode the Tomahawk out onto the stage at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show, every single jaw in attendance hit the ground. Perhaps the most insane concept vehicle ever produced, the Tomahawk was essentially just a Viper V-10 with wheels at either end and a seat on top. The bike has 4 wheels, all independently suspended, yet leans into corners like a bike thought complex engineering and black magic. Amazingly, nine functional Tomahawk replicas were actually built and sold through the Neiman Marcus catalog. But they aren't street legal, and Chrysler recommended that owners simply admire them as works of art rather than actually ride them.
>>Join the conversation about Coolest Dodge Concept Vehicles right here in the Dodge Forum!
3. 1994 Dodge Venom
Dodge built the swoopy looking Venom using it's cab forward design structure. The Venom had a 260 horsepower, 3.5 liter, overhead cam V6 for power, a rear wheel drive layout, and it weighed in at a svelte 2,700 pounds. Amazingly enough, this MIata-esque two seater was built on a Neon platform, converted to rear wheel drive. The result was a great looking, rather quick (with a claimed 5.2 second 0-60 time) compact sports coupe. Unfortunately, there was not a business case to be made for developing the unique platform this would have needed to see production.
>>Join the conversation about Coolest Dodge Concept Vehicles right here in the Dodge Forum!
4. 1997 Dodge Copperhead
in 1997 Dodge tried its hand at sports cars again with the Copperhead,built to emulate affordable, compact, and fun roadsters like the Austin Healey of old, and the modern Miata. The sleek little concept utilized the same traditional layout as all classic roadsters - front engine, rear drive, and two seats - borrowing heavily from thr Plymouth Prowler platform. Power comes from an aluminum block 2.7 liter DOHC V6 producing 220hp, and that distinctive front end styling (along with the snakeskin tire tread pattern) comes from - you guessed it - a copperhead snake. Unfortunately, Dodge already had the Viper, and management didn't think there was a case for a second cheaper two-seater that was so similar in size.
>>Join the conversation about Coolest Dodge Concept Vehicles right here in the Dodge Forum!
5. 2004 Dodge Razor
The little Dodge Razor was an enthusiasts dream - a compact coupe with rear wheel drive, a six speed manual transmission, and the turbocharged 2.4 liter engine straight out of the beloved Neon SRT-4. With 250 horsepower and little weight to push around, the Razor hit 60 miles per hour in less than six seconds, with a top speed of over 140 miles per hour. There were no frills on the Razor, either - no power windows, radio, or leather seats. Just a pure driving experience, one that sadly never came to fruition.
>>Join the conversation about Coolest Dodge Concept Vehicles right here in the Dodge Forum!
6. 2002 Dodge Dakota M-80
The M-80 was a compact pickup with some obvious Jeep and Power Wagon influence, but it was also designed with functionality in mind. The M-80 had flip open rear cab glass to extend the load length, numerous tie downs compatible with all sorts of racks, and a durable interior with water repelling material. The center console could be removed and used as a cooler, and even the seats were easily removable for outdoor use. Weighing in at only 2,500 pounds, the little pickup promised to be fun to drive as well, with 210 hp 3.7 liter V6 under the hood. Alas, the American truck market only seems interested in bigger and bigger trucks, so this never got made.
>>Join the conversation about Coolest Dodge Concept Vehicles right here in the Dodge Forum!
7. 1999 Dodge Charger R/T
Unlike most of our cool Dodge concept cars, some elements from the well received 1999 Charger R/T concept actually made it to production of the Intrepid , but the engine - a 4.7 liter V8 - wasn't among them. Ultimately, quite a few changes would have been needed to make this Charger on the Chrysler LH platform, which was only ever sold in V6 front wheel drive versions. Only Chrysler ever got a higher performance version of the LH in the 300M, but it wasn't until the rear wheel drive platform became avaialle that Dodge got a real muscle car again.
>>Join the conversation about Coolest Dodge Concept Vehicles right here in the Dodge Forum!
for help with maintaining your Dodge truck, check out the how to section of the DodgeForum.com