Dodge – Intrepid

The Dodge Intrepid was a mid-engined concept sports car developed by Dodge as a design study for the 1990s. It shared a clear stylistic relationship with the PPG M4S, a design created two years earlier, but was conceived as a road-going high-performance sports car rather than a pure show or pace car. Its smooth-surfaced body was broken mainly by large air intakes ahead of the rear wheels, giving it a look that could have passed for a European or Japanese design. The beltline dipped slightly at door height to allow for larger windows, and the exterior mirrors were mounted unusually high, at the top of the A-pillars, to improve visibility over the wide rear wheel arches. A glass roof and a black-finished rear deck carrying ventilation slots for the mid-mounted engine were further distinguishing features.

The name Intrepid was chosen to convey the meaning of fearless or bold. The car used a steel body, unlike the M4S, and was built on a modified Dodge Daytona platform adapted for a mid-engine layout, which required a rear independent suspension in place of the Daytona's live axle. Power came from a transversely mounted 2.2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the 16-valve intercooled Dodge 2.2L Turbo III, fitted with a DOHC 16-valve cylinder head, positioned between the cockpit and rear wheels. Output was rated at 225 hp (228 PS) with 225 lb-ft (305 Nm) of torque at 3500 rpm. Drive went through a five-speed manual overdrive transaxle with a race-tuned Getrag gear set and short-shift capability. Suspension used race-tuned springs and gas-charged shocks. Alloy wheels with a distinctive "wirl" spoke design carried 205/55 R16 front and 245/50 R17 rear tires. The interior combined leather and colorful fabric upholstery with VDO analog instruments, and the front end featured headlights under both flip-up covers and aerodynamic glass covers, along with a functional trunk ahead of a single-arm wiper.

The Intrepid measured 242 cm in wheelbase, with a width of 193 cm and height of 116 cm. It was presented as a design expression of a 1990s sports car, and its influence appeared in January 1990 with the Dodge Stealth R/T Turbo, a production high-performance coupe styled after the Intrepid but built with a front engine, front- or four-wheel drive depending on trim, and produced jointly with Mitsubishi as a parallel model to the Mitsubishi 3000GT.