'91 Pace Car that never was
- Thread starter daytonprowler
- Start date
They didn't research vbery well. Rebadged Mitsu?
The car was designed (not redesigned)with input from Dodge engineers. It was a combination of Mitsu and dodge efforts and designs. Technology for the DOHC V6 engine was from Diamond Star Motors which used Dodge technology to design the Eagle Talon etc. That DOHC and AWD technology was improved for the Stealth/3000GT VR4. Like the Viper engine when the prototypes were tested on the dyno they made too much power and were redesigned to produce less power for production. The Stealth TT was designed as a vette killer and power was close to the production Viper engine's power output. The Stealth's were designed with 13G turbos and came to North America with 9b turbos and 7psi. These were stories I read back in "the day" while researching buying my Stealths.
JonB was telling me the "not allowed to run the Stealth" story. Also a story in Viper Magazine on the Viper Prototype.
Ted
The car was designed (not redesigned)with input from Dodge engineers. It was a combination of Mitsu and dodge efforts and designs. Technology for the DOHC V6 engine was from Diamond Star Motors which used Dodge technology to design the Eagle Talon etc. That DOHC and AWD technology was improved for the Stealth/3000GT VR4. Like the Viper engine when the prototypes were tested on the dyno they made too much power and were redesigned to produce less power for production. The Stealth TT was designed as a vette killer and power was close to the production Viper engine's power output. The Stealth's were designed with 13G turbos and came to North America with 9b turbos and 7psi. These were stories I read back in "the day" while researching buying my Stealths.
JonB was telling me the "not allowed to run the Stealth" story. Also a story in Viper Magazine on the Viper Prototype.
Ted
GTS Dean
Enthusiast
I didn't read the opening post, but I remember quite a bit of public discontent with having a Japanese-built, domestic-badged car pacing The Greatest Race in America. The Stealth was a fine car, but the Viper had been on the Dodge turntable at the car shows for 2 years, and several prototypes had been getting heavy cover page exposure in the auto mags. Dodge seized the marketing opportunity and pushed night and day to get the pace car ready for duty. As I recall, Indy required 2 identical cars, but Dodge didn't have another available. They let only a VERY select handful of drivers take it out on the track.
The Viper became the Official Pace Car of 1991 after the UAW caused a furor over an import pace car. Viper was pressed into service very late in the process. Herb Helbig recently wrote a great overview for Viper Mag I believe.......So the Stealth was called the OFFICIAL CAR of the 1991 IMS. It was used for parades, officials, VIPS, and the Indy princesses. I believe 25 or 50 were made, all the same color.
In 1996, Viper GTS was the OPC, Stratus was the OC, and Ram-1500 was the OT. All the IMS Strati were RED and all 80 of the IMS Rams were GTS Blu/White. (I had # 3... #1 is here with 2400 miles, at Timberline Automotive.) ~2500 replicas of the Indy Ram were built
Im a Pace Car guy.... when the Stealth was officially announced as the Indy Official Pace Car for 1991, I ordered one. [Mine was featured in MoPar Perf News, Sept 1991.] When OPC was cancelled I switched my thought process to Viper: Simply BECAUSE of that pace car debut!
In 1996, Viper GTS was the OPC, Stratus was the OC, and Ram-1500 was the OT. All the IMS Strati were RED and all 80 of the IMS Rams were GTS Blu/White. (I had # 3... #1 is here with 2400 miles, at Timberline Automotive.) ~2500 replicas of the Indy Ram were built
Im a Pace Car guy.... when the Stealth was officially announced as the Indy Official Pace Car for 1991, I ordered one. [Mine was featured in MoPar Perf News, Sept 1991.] When OPC was cancelled I switched my thought process to Viper: Simply BECAUSE of that pace car debut!
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