Dodge [2] – PPG M4S

The Dodge PPG M4S was a purpose-built pace car developed for use in American CART racing, the series that served as a counterpart to Formula 1. Pace cars led the pace lap and helped stabilize the field after incidents, and carried considerable prestige for manufacturers able to field high-performance versions. Paint supplier PPG Industries, a major CART sponsor, commissioned the design and construction of such a vehicle, resulting in the M4S -- its name denoting Mid Engine, 4-cylinder, and Short. The project began in 1983 when PPG Industries and Chrysler agreed to create a combined race and pace car.

The car was designed under Bob Ackerman at the Chrysler Motor Design Staff, drawing inspiration from the streamlined silhouettes of IMSA and Group C sports racing coupes, with the Porsche 962 cited as a reference point. This produced a short front overhang and an elongated tail. The bodywork, made of fiberglass, was shaped first as a styrofoam model by 3D Inc. based on Chrysler CAD drawings, from which molds for the fiberglass body were taken, followed by wind tunnel testing. Technical integration of the chassis, engine, and roll cage was carried out by Specialized Vehicles Inc. in Troy, Michigan. The body was finished in black before receiving 16 layers of pearlescent paint and five clear coats, giving it a surface that shifted between gold-brown and mauve depending on light. Aerodynamic features included ground-effect skirts between the wheel arches and at the front, plus adjustable wings at the front air intake and rear that generated downforce, along with a windshield raked at 73 degrees that helped achieve a drag coefficient of 0.236. Rectangular twin headlights came from Valeo, and the car rode on 16 x 9 magnesium BBS wheels fitted with Goodyear Eagle GT tires, complemented by a leather interior.

The mid-mounted engine was a tuned Chrysler 2.2-liter four-cylinder with a Cosworth 16-valve DOHC cylinder head, twin Garrett T-25 turbochargers with intercooling, and Bosch L-Jetronic fuel injection, producing 445 hp. A reinforced Chrysler five-speed gearbox with dedicated cooling and oil pump handled the power, mounted in an adapted Huffaker tubular racing chassis. The car measured 472 cm in length, 182 cm in width, and 110 cm in height, with a 254 cm wheelbase.

Testing took place on the 12 km high-speed oval at the Transportation Research Center in Marysville, Ohio, where the M4S recorded a top speed of 194.8 mph, or 313.5 km/h.