1991 Dodge Spirit RT | Retro Review

[@Motorweek]

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[@ernestharris3076]

The car I drove in highschool

[@valiant1968]

I'm surprised John Davis didn't like the car more, I mean, did you see the dash? Voltage, and oil pressure gauges were there - as standard!

[@WHO9119]

A turd is a turd don't matter how many gauges is have

[@valiant1968]

@@WHO9119

[@ericharrison619]

@@WHO9119 But that turd was diarrhea fast!

[@WHO9119]

@@ericharrison619 That car was so unreliable, back then I work for a rental company and the managers could order cars that wasn't in the fleet and I had one along with the base modles so many had transmissions issues panels falling off, I had less issue with Taurus Sho and it was quicker

[@iair-conditiontheoutsideai3076]

@@WHO9119 you know what they say if you can't afford it Dodge it

[@RockwoodJoe]

The Dodge Demon of K-Cars.

[@JDMHaze]

lmaooo😂😂😂😂

[@JDMHaze]

the hellKatt lol

[@nicolasdepaoli2387]

Yeah

[@BIGGIEDEVIL]

Neon srt-4

[@RockwoodJoe]

@@BIGGIEDEVIL The Neon was not on the ridiculous K-Platform. Chrysler beat that platform to death with everything from economy cars, minivans, sports cars, and luxury cars in the 80s. The result? Nobody was fooled by it!

[@TofersCarTales]

0 to 60 in the 6 second range for this time period is pretty amazing.

[@oldtwinsna8347]

97 mph trap speed shows the immense power available. This would whoop many modern 4 door cars of its class.

[@ohguy1991]

Yeah my Eagle Talon Turbo did 0 to 60 about the same time. And that was a purpose built sports car. These cars were fast for their time

[@rodmunch69]

Yeah, that is very quick for this era, in particular for a sedan. I was a car nut as a kid and I have no memory of this version of this car, probably because it was so boring and generic looking.

[@christophejergales7852]

This is faster than my Fiesta ST. really cool! This would be a great car to see at radwood.

[@The_One_Over_There]

@@rodmunch69 i wouldn't want it any other way :) i've just always been the guy in the background, Hated being in the center of attention and such. So cars like this catch my attention much quicker than the aggressive looking cars

[@chrisfreemesser5707]

Dude was knocking that shifter around like it owed him money

[@FantomLightning]

I wouldn't mind him knocking me around like that lol.

[@Kingsoupturbo]

It was hard to watch he was so brutal with it!

[@GT6SuzukaTimeTrials]

You must be new to MW. They always beat the crap out of the shifter.

[@gxdjoeybaby07]

@@FantomLightning send him my way when he's done with you, thanks

[@gggfff685]

Died laughing reading this

[@100percentSNAFU]

0-60 in 6.4 seconds for a turbo 4 in a box on wheels in 1991? Impressive.

[@m3trooper]

0-60mph in 6.4 sec was fast as hell for 1991!

[@JDMHaze]

hell yeaahh

[@tmseh]

Did they make a Shelby version or was that just the Charger/Omni/Shadow? These stood out too much, they should have offered a sleeper, plain model.

[@oliverdelgado6952]

Not too shabby

[@bilbobaggins4710]

No it wasn't

[@05gtdriver]

@Dennis Burger Leads one to believe Chrysler was underrating their turbo cars or, as many manufacturers did for the magazines, provide a "ringer" car that was a little bit more healthy than the actual production car...

[@mikekelly53]

My father purchased a 1991 Red Spirit R/T for the sole purpose of teaching my brother and I how to drive a manual transmission. Luckily, we were both a quick study and I especially enjoyed racing a Plymouth Cuda with a 340 Six Pack one night. The guy pulled up to me late one summer night at a red light and asked me what time it was...I told him. Then I looked at him and revved my engine, he looked at me and revved his. The light turned green and I beat the guy off the line through 1st-4th gear...then he past me and pulled away when I was in 5th gear. I’ll never forget that night back in 1991. My father got rid of the car after only two years b/c the engine belt kept squeaking and no dealer mechanics could fix it. I wonder whatever happened to that car. Damn, I miss the 90’s.

[@rikidiki8940]

Damn you could live nicely off of coke back in the day

[@robertelmo7736]

Wish we would have crossed paths, my mom had a 1984 Turbo Regal lol...

[@GT6SuzukaTimeTrials]

@Marc A We're entering the automation era. Humans become more robotic and computer-like every single day...Look at most jobs that exist. Humans do not need to even do these jobs anymore. Put a robot or computer in its place and the human will not be missed, nor will the human miss doing his/her old shitty robotic-like job.

[@mikekelly53]

@@robertelmo7736 Me too Robert, would have given you a run. Was your mom’s car a Regal T-Type? Unfortunately, nowadays you hardly see those cars anymore. I used to know a guy in high school who was big into GM products, always talking trash about Mopar. One day I challenged him to a race...him in a 1987 Pontiac Sunbird Turbo and me in my parents 1991 Plymouth Voyager V6. I was in the hole shot lane at the light and beat him in my parents’s minivan! I still remember the look on his face in the review mirror. Lol.

[@robertelmo7736]

@@mikekelly53 I remember those Sunbirds, they had a weird motor that was square I think. Bore was same as the stroke! Yes, Mom's car was Turbo Regal...that monster ran a 9.18 in the eighth bone stock.

[@jGRite]

That's how you do a sleeper.

[@Novusod]

The Dodge Spirit RT is the greatest factory sleeper ever made. It has no equal. It looks like an econo box that would be driven by some school teacher but it was the fastest 4 door sedan available in America at the time. It was faster than cars that cost two to three times as much such as the 1991 Lexus LS400, Infinity Q45, or BMW 5 series.

[@johnjones393]

Any Taurus SHO might take issue with that statement, especially the last generation with all-wheel drive and the twin turbo Ecoboost V6.

[@Novusod]

@@johnjones393 The Taurus SHO is an expensive car though and not a sleeper. Not to mention to it has taken Ford 3 decades to catch up to what Chrysler was doing in 1991.

[@chrisSVT]

I'd still prefer a Galant VR-4. I bought one in 2000. It was quite powerful with just a few simple and easy upgrades it broke into the 13's. This car with a set of Nokian snow tires also went through snow drifts as deep as the hood. This Spirit would never be able to do that.

[@chrisSVT]

@@Novusod Research the Galant VR-4. The best factory sleeper was the Lotus Carlton.

[@zalllon]

I continue to praise MotorWeek for posting these old videos! This completely brings back memories of sitting at my buds house waiting for this show to come on. This was also back in the day where I was ready the AutoTrader mags in the bathroom, then scrubbing my finger tips because of all the black ink coming off the pages. Please continue to post these vids, you'll always have an audience! Request: I would like to see the following cars if you did have them in a show: - early 70's Chevy Nova - 1979 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme Brougham - 1986 Chevy Cavalier - 1991 Acura Integra GS - 1996 Nissan Altima SE - 1999 Nissan Maxima SE - 2001 Nissan Sentra SE-R Spec-V

[@davidaubin3902]

3:48 John: NO AUTOMATIC IS AVAILABLE FOR THE RT. LOL

[@jGRite]

Good.

[@SataniaMcDowel]

As it should be

[@jaxandmore440]

Probably a good thing otherwise it would either have had the very old school, but dependable TorqueFlite hydraulic 3-spd automatic with a 1st gear that topped out at 50mph (yes, seriously) or the failure prone Ultradrive 4-spd automatic.

[@codyclark7218]

*proceeds to slam it in reverse so hard it sounds like a pistol going off*

[@bsteven885]

It's very interesting to reflect on that, considering that some luxury and performance brands will soon offer ONLY automatic transmissions.

[@jaxandmore440]

The Dodge Spirit R/T was the high-performance variant of the mainstream Dodge Spirit. It was a K-car derivative built on the extended AA-platform shared with the Plymouth Acclaim and Chrysler Lebaron sedan (sold outside the USA as the Chrysler Saratoga). The R/T was sold exclusively with the 2.2L 4cyl turbo with a Lotus tuned head and came with a 5-spd manual. It was made for only the 91 and 92 model years. It was offered in white, red, or silver over a gray cloth sport interior. For 1992, they modified the gear ratios for quicker acceleration of 5.8s to 60. A very rare and incredibly fast car for its time.

[@adamtrombino106]

The 92s switched to a VNT turbo made by Mitsubishi that spooled up much quicker and cut lag in half. Hence the better times, and torque curve. Revised gearing did help as well. That same A555 trans was offered in Daytona Shelby cars of the period, and for a change, Chrysler had a frt drive manual, that was actually hard to break!

[@KrGsMrNKusinagi0]

My neighbor has a white one in his garage literally with like around 20 thousand miles on it..

[@jaxandmore440]

@@KrGsMrNKusinagi0 what's he saving it for? Drive it and enjoy it, I say.

[@rodmunch69]

I have no memory of an RT of this era, certainly never saw one, not that I'd even notice since it's such an ugly and generic looking car.

[@palebeachbum]

I wish I could go back to 1992 and buy one of these new, then bring it back to the present with me.

[@spencerbrayall8678]

Little sleepers these bad boys were

[@ericharrison619]

Before internet was really a thing. Most found out the hard way about these being sleepers. I know I did. (84 Z28 5sp I was in my teens) I saw taillights. Been in rehab ever since getting beat by "Mom's Plymouth Acclaim"😄

[@Mabeylater293]

@@ericharrison619 😂

[@jetninjamonkey]

I owned a red 91 Spirit RT in high school. I was so proud of that car.

[@markbrinton6790]

How did you afford a car like that in HS? And auto insurance for a teen on that car? What year was this? Just curious. I remember when that engine config came out, 224 Hp was pretty damn impressive out of a 4 cyl in 1991.

[@jetninjamonkey]

@@12yearssober “They were considered girl cars” never by those who had the rare opportunity to drive or ride in one. Who cares what the have nots say.

[@jetninjamonkey]

@@markbrinton6790 I worked two jobs, I didn’t play sports or party like my friends, I worked. Insurance was around $1200 every 6 months with progressive at the time. I was very much aware of what the spirit RT was, my brother’s first car was an Omni GLH which created a great awareness and desire to own one of dodge’s turbo 4’s because they were so much fun and when this was introduced I had to have it.

[@sczuylevch13]

@@jetninjamonkey I have an R/T and a GLH love them both! great cars, way ahead of their time!

[@agamemnon8163]

@@12yearssober haha ya. He need a man's sports car like a mx-5 or 240sx

[@jeffblack1644]

I worked at a Goodyear in early 90s and did a front end alignment on a Spirit RT that was a rental car. When I test drove it I couldn't believe how fast it was vs what I expected. I played with it for a few mins and took it back to the shop and was telling all the other guys. One other guy finally took it for a spin. When he came back he said hell yeah..

[@k.b.tidwell]

Yeah, I wondered why my Aerosmith "Pump" cassette and my four color Bic pen had been acceleration-catapulted into the back floorboard. Thanks. Thanks a lot.

[@landonbenford8369]

Which one of you chuckleheads has my NWA cassette?!?😎

[@theKevronHarris]

The body colored wheel accents on the Dodge Spirit R/T looks great. Plus, I like the sporty color gradient seat upholstery too.

[@chaseman94]

Like Pontiac vehicles from that time period.

[@theKevronHarris]

@@chaseman94 Pontiac did a nice job making the wheels to match the exterior of the car.

[@theKevronHarris]

@J K I love the caramel gold colored mesh wheels on the dark green Pontiac SSE/SSEi and the Grand Prix GTP. If your Grand Prix 2door is the SE variant, it can be optioned with the aero performance package and the mesh wheels are included.

[@pgmurray76]

@J K My good friend from the same block had a new white Grand Prix GTP as a senior in high school. Only Martinez with his pure white GMC Typhoon and neon backlit stereo was more bad ass. That thing would squat then load up and take off like a...well...typhoon when he floored it.

[@rodmunch69]

That entire car looks cheap and stupid. Most cars from this era age well, in that it's been a long time since you've seen them and you tend to really like the looks now - but not this one. This looks so cheap and generic.

[@rickd1028]

My best friend bought one of these brand spanking new in 1991. Took it to our local dragstrip and it went 14.2 @ 98mph. If they (MotorWeek) would have done their testing on an actual dragstrip I suspect they would have achieved similar results. I also bought a 2003 Neon SRT-4 brand new in 03 and took it to my same local track....the SRT-4 laid down a 14.0@100mph in the intense South Florida heat and humidity in August! (and that's saying something for anyone who has lived here). A buddy of mine took his '03 SRT-4 to the track in upstate NY (his was also 100% bone stock) and he ran a 13.9@101mph which (in cool weather) sounds about right. One interesting point to note: What other production 4 cylinder car (available for sale new, in the USA back in 1991) made 225hp? Closest thing I can think of is the Eagle Talon TSi (Mitsu Eclipse GSX with 190hp). In any case, 224hp was pretty darn good power for 1991....out of 4 cylinders. Go Dodge!

[@k.b.tidwell]

I prefer to visualize a world where Dodge forged two of them together for a 448hp V8.

[@enzogarcia7080]

0 to 60 in 6.4 😱 and still good

[@gregorizi]

haha, i drive turbo diesel and it can get to 60 in 9 sec lol

[@ericgollahon6138]

220 some hp same as the 5.0 ford????

[@amt407_]

@@ericgollahon6138 220 out of a turbo 4 is still pretty damn impressive even today

[@rodmunch69]

My old BMW 428i xDrive had a turbo 4, with "240" hp, and does 0-60 in about 5.1seconds, despite being heavier than this. It does have AWD, which certainly helps, but it doesn't seem like 20hp should make that huge of a difference. I'm convinced BMW vastly underrates the power to keep insurance companies in the dark. In any case, in 1991, this was really impressive. I'm shocked I don't remember these as a kid, this would be right when I started driving and I was a car nut, and I don't recall this car at all - probably because it's so ugly and generic looking I wouldn't even have stopped and bothered to read a story on it.

[@dodgeguyz]

Unfortunately that motor was very rare. Being a Chrysler Tech back then I’ve only ever seen one of those motors! IIRC it was a collaboration with Lotus?

[@jjthegreat1981]

Looks like you are right. Also, had low production numbers. There appears to be less than 2000 R/T's built, ever.

[@johnjones393]

This engine appeared in the 1993 Daytona IROC R/T. It was also in the Phantom R/T, the Mexican version of the LeBaron. But yes, anyway you look at this engine was rare.

[@tomanderson6335]

Yes, which is amusing when you recall that Lotus was owned by GM at the time!

[@DaPepster]

Correct. The head was designed by Carrol Shelby and built by Lotus and the block was a forged-piston 2.2L turbo-2 engine without a distributor hole provision. In a short two-year run, 1991-92 for the Spirit R/T, there were only 1,399 units produced in the American market (more in Mexico, but unsure of how many exactly) and from 1992-93 had 431 in the Daytona IROC R/T. I've had three of these 91 Spirit R/Ts, but like any die-hard old turbo Dodge fan, two of them have been skeletonized for parts to keep one of them going! XD

[@doubleaaaron]

I still have the daytona r/t with this motor. It's hard to get parts for and its expensive but when I had it running good, it was fast.

[@lab1042]

Was that guy trying to rip the shifter out of the car?

[@georgewilkinson1068]

I was wondering the same thing.

[@Fleetwoodjohn]

No shit!

[@stephenswift8001]

Also, the leather gloves are quite the thing too!

[@Trance88]

Gotta demonstrate that it can hold up when the petal is to the floor racing mustangs.

[@paulhoffman778]

I was thinking the same, he is yanking the shit out of it 😆 lol

[@Fleetwoodjohn]

Had a red one for a few years. That car beat a lot of pony cars in its day. Everyone thought I had nitrous. Aluminum head had cracking problems around the steel casting plugs. Also broke a timing belt - thankfully non interference motor. Best I ran was 14.5 @ 95. Used to love revving it up at 45-50 and dumping the clutch in second. Thing would squat and go. It loved cold nights. Had a lot of fun in that car!

[@kevinbarry71]

I love watching these old videos which I am old enough to remember. Makes me remember how far cars have come in this time. Also remind me that I am not young anymore

[@RCredneck85]

Never realized how quick these cars were. I’d be pissed to have a z28 or 5.0 back then and get walked by one of these if you weren’t ready.

[@rodmunch69]

In 1991, a Z28 is faster. But if you had like an 86 Z28, then sure, you'd lose in a straight line. Of course, at the same time, what Z28 owner is even going to notice you in your ugly, generic K-car? To even get a race, the other people has to actually acknowledge you.

[@rabit818]

The test driver manhandled the Spirit like he had an axe to grind with Lee Iacocca.

[@andrewsmactips]

Shamus Shifter-Wrecker is at it again.

[@MagicCarpetRide8669]

They had such fantastic cars back then. Better days all around

[@nicolasdepaoli2387]

One of the best 90's sedan, I owned 1993 2.5l here in Argentina, I have to sold it, because no spare part came to country

[@carloscarpinteyro332]

I'd like to visit your country one day! When I went to Uruguay, being a car guy, I took many pictures of cars in Uruguay, that were manufactured in Argentina, like the falcon, and the chevy truck, amongst others. I like the music of Soledad Pastoretti as well. Saludos, desde los EE. UU. de america, desde el estado de arizona.

[@nicolasdepaoli2387]

@@carloscarpinteyro332 Dear Carlos, glad to read your message. Here until 1980 the most of the cars were from US, then started to came from Europe. I love American cars, most Classics and muscle cars. Soledad is the great Folckore (country music for you) musician. I send you greetings from Córdoba, Argentina.

[@fugginrambo]

My buddy had one in highschool. His Grandma passed away and he got her. None of the adults realized what it was and at the time it was surprisingly fun!

[@roddydykes7053]

His grandma got this sleeper? Interesting choice by her!

[@autoobsessivegarage]

Wish clean examples were easier to find. One of the greatest sleepers of its time...even taking a shot at the almighty SHO.

[@TheJiggs666]

Loving the OJ gloves lol.

[@n1k3inthehouse]

Lol I bet you can’t find these around anymore. Definitely a sleeper car status

[@projectdriven4493]

Back in 1991 I saw a guy driving down the road who owned one.

[@kt81776]

Oh ok

[@projectdriven4493]

@@kt81776 don’t get the joke. Check out the group on Facebook

[@y33t88]

I'm in that group

[@projectdriven4493]

@@y33t88 I bet you can back me up that back in 1991 I did see that guy who drove one🤷‍♂️

[@ic1815]

*”IF YOU CAN FIND A BETTER CAR, BUY IT”*

[@ethansadventuresWI]

About time! I've been waiting for this review. I got my 91 red r/t sitting outside my house right now.

[@rodmunch69]

You mean trailer.

[@JETZcorp]

@@rodmunch69 It's not a Camaro

[@Shaqboost95]

dam this car is faster than my 2013 subaru brz.. i'd love to daily.

[@carterbishop2935]

My father had a white Spirit RT, it having replaced a black Dodge Shadow ES Turbo. The Spirit was a rocket ship back then. Was surprised to see the 0-60 was only 6.2-6.4

[@revnto7k]

I remember these and the Iroc R/T like it were yesterday.. Love them, miss them. They are SO rare nowadays.

[@josefgordon7712]

This would be amazing with some minor modernized components. Like, "how did that 30 year old K car blow my doors off?!" amazing.

[@emeyer6963]

Hot stuff back in the day.Dodge's answer to the Ford Taurus SHO

[@thejake8099]

Give me the SHO any day of the week, that Yamaha V6.

[@emeyer6963]

@@thejake8099 Yeah I agree.Was selling Ford's when both the original and the 92' refresh were out and they would go down the road in a hurry.

[@JazzzRockFuzion]

Back in college I owned a maroon '91 Spirit ES automatic with the 3.0 V6 - aesthetically decked out almost exactly like this R/T, right down to the sport-stripe seats. It was reasonably quick, loaded to the gills, horrendously unreliable, and chock-full of personality. I miss that car so much!

[@rodmunch69]

Personality? These cars were some of the most generic and boring looking cars on the road. At that time you just assumed someone that drove one of these was too poor to buy a Chevy.

[@rickreid81]

I think it was a overall good car. Nice to see Dodge do something out of the box in those days with that engine. Manufacturers in 2020 don't think out side the corporate mindset money box my opinion. My 1st company car was a 90s Dodge Dynasty. It was a great comfortable & reliable car. It lasted 15 years & 190k miles. Not to bad in my book.

[@palebeachbum]

I liked the look of the Dynasty. The boxy, traditional style with the long hood was handsome to me. What engine and transmission did your company car have? 190k miles is impressive for an American car of that time. My mother test drove a Dynasty with the standard 2.5L 4cyl and 3-spd auto. It was extremely underpowered, so she test drove the slightly smaller Plymouth Acclaim with the same powertrain and bought it. It was a fantastic car overall for the 182k miles she had it.

[@oldtwinsna8347]

Not sure I agree. Theres the whole Dodge Charger line that gets you anything from 290hp to over 700 with the hellcat. Its basically the same car aside from increasing hopped up engine packages and tire/suspension/brake upgrades.

[@McVaio]

Dodge was still doing this until 2023 with the Hellcat Demon. Too bad Brandon put an end to that.

[@F_r_a_n_y]

Do any of these actually still exist?

[@jaxandmore440]

Sure, but they are extremely rare. They were rare when new. Limited production run for only 2 years.

[@daleneurauter2810]

I had a 1992 Dodge Spirit ES... Loved that car... Put over 350,000 kilometers on it with no problems at all... If you look after a car, it will look after you!

[@2t713]

I had a white 91 Spirit R/T it ran 14.55 1/4mile @ 96mph.

[@SovereignKnight74]

I had a 94 ES model. Far from an R/T but loved it. It was my first car, and it was my first Mopar. Since then I've been a Mopar fan. Dodge Challenger FTW!

[@robwwhit3453]

1991 Spirit R/T, 3" hole cut in front of the catalytic converter, 22" M/T slicks, manual boost controller set to 14.2 psi = 13.2s 1/4 @ 104mph, having beat all the Corvette club at the track had them wondering WTH this car was this was in 1996...ha!

[@johnjones393]

I knew two people who bought these cars new. Both had problems with head gaskets at fairly low miles. One had a problem with the turbo. Typical '90s Chrysler quality control issues. But these cars were a rush when that turbo kicked in. While I liked the Spirit R/T, I preferred this engine in the 1993 Daytona IROC R/T .

[@gorgeusjames]

Typical EVER Chrysler lol

[@McVaio]

Head gasket issues came from people not knowing how to treat a turbo engine properly. They didn't let them heat up sufficiently before flooring these engines.

[@troyhonda71]

80s and 90s MW starter pack: black driving gloves, acid wash denim, shifter you can beat the hell out of.

[@k.b.tidwell]

And a Masterful Mondo Moviestar Mullet.

[@byronbuck1762]

These things left behind a lot of smoked mullet heads in their 70’s and 80’s vintage Camaros and Fireturds

[@Sarm-mx6qy]

I had the 1992 Dodge Daytona IRIC R/T that came with the same engine. I remember thinking wow 224 HP was allot! Fast forward and I now own a 2008 Mazdaspeed 3 and it comes from the factory with 263 HP and 280 LBS FT of torque. And newer 4 cylinder hot hatches come from factory with even more power too, like the Ford Focus RS with its 350 HP! Insane,... But ultra cool. lol

[@gregorizi]

Turbos can make double hp. 1.5 l turbo BMW formula engine was capable of producing 1500 hp, from blocks of BMW 2002 and that was in 81 lol.

[@basshead.]

@J K It's a special rust bucket lol.

[@weaksignal8009]

224 dohc turbo hp in 1991, impressive!!

[@rodmunch69]

@@gregorizi and some goober in his garage can make a lawn mower with 3000hp. Who cares if it wasn't built and sold to the public. You remind me of those dolts who brag about show cars, when they don't even have engines in them and they're never made. If the car isn't sold, if you can't buy one, it didn't exist.

[@gregorizi]

@@rodmunch69 V 2, twin turbo and than ....

[@jeepthing98]

Imagine a Taurus SHO vs Spirit R/T comparo!

[@herbiehusker1889]

Let's get this SHO on the road.

[@thetreblerebel]

I'd think the SHO would it alive

[@75aces97]

Car and Driver did compare the two. The Spirit was fast and cheap, but had all the typical Chrysler quality problems.

[@WPGinterceptor460Interceptor]

the taurus Sho was slower than the Spirit RT

[@ericmulterer7795]

There is comparisons with the SHO, R/T, and the Z34 Lumina. Check Google. I believe the Z34 took last, R/T took 2nd, and the SHO took first

[@sampapa1]

My father passed away and left me many vehicles, and among them was a 91 spirit R/T. He always told me something simple was preventing it from running, but I never listened fully. Here’s hoping I can get her up and running, I’d love it if his spirit lived on thru the spirit 😉

[@jackjohnson7396]

Haven't seen one in decades. Wonder how the engine held up? ☝

[@JDMHaze]

It was held up by a shelf it sat on in a junkyard

[@emeyer6963]

Headgasket probably gone before the end of the decade

[@RalphRacc00N]

the engine had two failure points. one was a steal core plug installed into the aluminum head caused a crack and a coolant leak. the other failure had to do with the timing belt setup. there is a alternative setup some people use. the parts are also worth a lot and hard to come by.

[@JDMHaze]

@@RalphRacc00N nice. similar to how the northstar had a alternative repair kit to "re- thread the heads for the head bolts" Which was a weak point for the north star

[@rodferguson3515]

Like any other 90's car

[@albear972]

3:25 Heyyyyy! We have a winner here! It has voltmeter and oil pressure gauges!

[@kd4pba]

I always felt like this car was the counter to the Ford SHO.

[@lulujrlaulom7905]

SRT-4's Dad.

[@harrismi7]

I had a flashback, my mom had a 1991 Spirit base model with the 5-speed. She had it from new up until 2000. With the 5 speed even the base model was kind of fun to drive.

[@jaxandmore440]

Wow the manual is rare! Most had the 3spd automatic.

[@undertaker666dead]

you can't go wrong with the good old Dodge Spirit.

[@bliglum]

That is blisteringly fast for a FWD car from the early 90's wow!

[@eskamobob8662]

Fastest sedan for sale at the time even beating out the m5. Chrysler may make interiors that make a 70s bug feel like a rols, but holy shit do they let their hair down and do something wild from tome to time

[@bliglum]

@@eskamobob8662 For sure. The V10 Viper was perhaps the best example of that.. Not the best interior comfort, but what a wild ass ride!!!

[@McVaio]

​@@eskamobob8662 The Spirits have a nice interior. Comfy seats, padded dash and door panels. Good sound dampening. Very pleasant overall.

[@eskamobob8662]

@McVaio I have an 86 glhs. The seats are solid, but everything else is pretty junk imo

[@McVaio]

@@eskamobob8662 Yeah but that was a French car (Simca Horizon). French cars have terrible quality. No argument there.

[@davek12]

My Sundance had those same pinstripe seats. They were very comfortable. I had the SOHC 2.5 turbo, it was fast but not this fast.

[@RalphRacc00N]

same material only. totally different seat. spirit es/rt seats are flatter and wider. shadow/sundance are deep buckets that sit you low.

[@bigchevs1]

Seeing something like that would want to make me put on my driving gloves too! lol

[@diyoverhauler5432]

We used to have a Plymouth Acclaim. Miss that car. This one resembles it.

[@markusantonio4866]

Yeah with the V6

[@gilwilliams9036]

Used to drive one when I worked at a Dodge dealer. It was a blast. Couldn't hardly hold it on the road in 1st and 2nd. Was a tire frier for sure. And at 3 -3500 RPMs it was full boost on the gauge no matter where your foot had the throttle.

[@BIGGIEDEVIL]

late 80s early 90s srt-4 before the neon

[@stoneylonesome4062]

Very cool car, but I think they should’ve just focused on taking that engine, putting it into the Dodge Daytona, giving it the Mitsubishi VR-4 AWD system, a 4WS system similar to the Honda Prelude or Isuzu Piazza, and a 6MT and it would’ve been a hundred times cooler. We would’ve had an American Audi Quattro, complete with the nose-heavy front engine overhang.

[@seagrass7125]

The Plymouth Duster was the performance machine of my dreams as 12 year old.

[@JoshyCC]

I've had an old beat up 94 Plymouth Acclaim with V6 and 3-speed auto, been wondering what to put in it to make it a pseudo-sleeper. This Motor Week segment is giving me inspiration!

[@McVaio]

The V6 came with the 4-speed auto.

[@landonbenford8369]

I hear those early 90's Mitsu 3.0's are pretty reliable. Even though it says Chrysler on the heads.

[@McVaio]

@@landonbenford8369 The Chrysler engines are more reliable than the Mitsubishi engines though.

[@Bobmcjoepants]

Ah yes, the 80's and 90's. Car designers took a rectangle, added their own grill and emblem, then went home for the day

[@JETZcorp]

This would be the very last of that. After the bubbly Taurus things started getting very round, and the Chrysler LH cars influenced the "can forward" proportions that most FWD cars still carry. Boxy went to swoopy REAL fast.

[@one7decimal2eight]

They looked better than now where all the crossovers look like rain drops.

[@Bobmcjoepants]

@@one7decimal2eight Yeah in a lot of ways I agree

[@RobertSmith-js2kz]

Yeah, because it actually made sense. Unlike the fruity cuckwagons running around on the roads today. Simple, effective and relatively easy to maintain and repair. Again, unlike the over-engineered, ugly money-pits that pass for cars nowadays.

[@mikedaleiden7725]

When reviews complain about modern cars and turbo lag, I just laugh and think back to this era. You could floor it, take a nap, then HOLY CRAPP BOOST WRESTLEMANIA w/ steering wheel just keeping the car on the road. These cars felt cheap even when new, but those moments of crazy full throttle drama(especially on a cool day) were still addictive enough to put up with the rest.

[@100percentSNAFU]

I am guessing this car was FWD like the base model? I would imagine torque steer was massive. A modern AWD system would have done that car wonders. Still a pretty cool car I never knew about.

[@MarkMeadows90]

I almost got a 1992 Dodge Spirit R/T when I was in high school, but it had a lot of problems with the car in general. Wouldn't have been worth trying to fix it up because the car was so cheap (used) back then.

[@oliverkalamata2753]

Back during my childhood, our neighbor's mother owned one of these and we always laughed at it. We had no idea. 😂

[@danstar455]

My older bro bought one new. Fun car to car. Engine with Lotus-designed head and balance shaft was awesome. Bought him a Quaife ATB, monster traction after install.

[@AvenueD417]

I just found out about this car from a facebook post. I can’t believe I never heard about this R/T

[@jimieljoseph2322]

I bet not one of these examples exist on the face of the Earth in working condition

[@marccaruso1351]

a dude i knew in high school had one. i had the sweet 88 iroc-z with t-tops, and he use to come out and embarrass me after school as we were all leaving (in the k car…in the new yorker for christ sake). got to love mopar, don’t cha. even my girlfriend would look at me back then and say, “damn, doesn’t this thing go faster.”

[@trevagraham1605]

I bet this thing was a blast to drive back then

[@GIguy]

Those cars are a total crap, but, they were also tough little pieces of crap! They were ugly, uncomfortable, and drove like a tank.... but when it came to reliability? Those things were stronger than a German tank! I had the one in the video, and I also had a K car, both of them I drove right into the ground with almost 1,000,000 km on each one, they just would die, even though they were ugly, I froze to death in the winter, they just kept on going and going, and we are dirt cheap to buy and to fix, so I guess I have to give credit where credit is due. I know the K car saved Chrysler from going out of business, but it was just a box on wheels, but whatever the case, they were tough little buggers, I put them both through hell and back and they survived. At one point I was on the road all year long for work, I drove both of those cars all across Canada and United States and into Mexico too, I just did the routine maintenance, and replaced parts that wore out overtime, but nothing unexpected ever broke down, they performed exactly as they were supposed to, and beyond. When I got rid of my K car, The dealer could not believe the odometer reading, at 998,000 km. They actually gave me almost a full refund for the purchase price of the car, and apparently kept it, and used it for promotional purposes to show the world how tough their vehicles are, but I still hate Chrysler, aside from the new muscle cars they’ve built, they’re just ugly! No I drive Ford, just bought a brand new Ford edge GT, and of course I had to get the brand new Mustang, not the electric one, I prefer the sound, the feel, and the horsepower behind a gas engine, and that mustang can snap your neck back! My very first car was a 1981 Mustang GT 5.0 litre 5 speed manual, I absolutely loved that car, until some drunken asshole T-bones me at an intersection doing 90 km an hour, completely destroying the car. Luckily I was fine, I walked away from it with a few bumps and bruises, but the poor car was destroyed. Chrysler is not the only company that makes tough cars, Ford make some really durable vehicles, and my two new forwards are so packed with technology, it’s like driving a computer lab, I’m not too much into the electronics, but I love power and speed, and both my SUV and mustang have plenty and then some, nothing can beat me out on the highway, even the SUV is amazingly and surprisingly powerful! The guy in the Corvette tried to race me From a dead stop at a red light, as I was driving my SUV, so I put it into sport mode and use the paddle shifters, it’s only 285 hp, but good God does this thing ever move! Anyways, went way off topic, anyone else like Ford out there?

[@flyingsierra180]

Them spirits are clean from factory ! I got a baseline sprit still on the road right now and it's still rockin like a dream

[@jaa2772]

WTF is that guy's problem shifting the gears. He hates Chrysler products or what

[@vMaxHeadroom]

6.4 seconds to 60 and a quarter mile at 15 seconds.....Wow that is fast matching many a hot hatch today!

[@ericbritton9346]

That is one of the most finest Dodge Spirit RT ever. 224 hp and 217 pound torque what 0 to 60 and 6.4 seconds and a quarter mile of 15 seconds at 97 mph; it could be faster than the Ford Mustang with 225 hp, and worst, they can beat it in a straight line against the first gen Ford Taurus SHO. that's fast as hell for 1991 standards and an embarrassment for Ford and GM in the compact car in the early 90s. The Dodge Spirit RT should be it up there with the 2003 Dodge Neon SRT-4 numbers, but it was replaced by the Dodge Stratus in 1995 with a cab forward design. But they never made an RT version with a V6. Only in the second gen Dodge Stratus RT four-door sedan. Not sure about the horsepower, but rumor has it that did make a turbocharged Dodge Stratus RT in Mexico with a 2.4 liter turbocharged intercooled engine, but was never sold in the United States. Oh we never get the cool cars.

[@cindysue5474]

Yep they sure did had a 01 US model mitsu engine though.

[@ericbritton9346]

Yeah, on a coupe.

[@cindysue5474]

@@ericbritton9346 Yes we had a coupe R/T model but with an auto :( there was the ripp supercharger you could install though just like in the 2nd fast and furious the eclipse had one on it.

[@ericbritton9346]

And the four door sedans had a 2.7 liter V6 and it was trash and non-reliabe.

[@cindysue5474]

@@ericbritton9346 I had one that my employer leased but that engine was a big failure because it suffered from oil sludge so bad.

[@mcrowley8460]

Screwed a couple of 5.0 drivers sleeping at the stoplight with this. Hilarious.

[@bruschmidt9943]

Wish I'd known about these back in the Day. I would've picked one up.

[@chocolatewheelchair]

If bet that if Dodge re-released this car with modern tech and safety and a decent engine it would sell a lot

[@EJ11994]

Og SRT-4 😂 pretty cool and respectable specs not bad looking either tbh.

[@g00dl00kinb0i]

I watched this for laughs but instead gained some respect for this Dodge along the way, it's the true grandfather to the Neon SRT-4 !

[@xnopyt13]

Why aren't rubber shifter boots used anymore? I think look way better than leather ones, they look so much cleaner and you cant drop something into it.

[@hakeemsd70m]

I grew up in the early 00's seeing these K cars everywhere. Besides the occasional (and brilliant) Chrysler Vans of the era, these cars are basically extinct now, around me at least.

[@juanc5149]

These were used as high way patrol cars in Mexico back in the early 1990s.

[@AmraphelofShinar]

I wonder how much extra boost that thing could tolerate before going kablooey.

[@Garyjorges79]

Can you say..Head Gasket..Big problems with these Dodge motors..Good power though.

[@fitfogey]

Head bolts not strong enough or? What was the root cause?

[@MidnightinSavannah]

If it had some traction that 97 mph should be good for a mid 14 sec in the 1/4.

[@equesfuscus]

What a delight! That would have been a fun car brand-new.

[@DailyDriver.]

That’s dummy fast for that time frame. Gotta love fast sh*tboxs

[@joshthemediocre7824]

These are so so so sexy. This is no sh*t one of my favorite cars of all times, i'd love to have a white one.

[@trevordantzler5781]

Chrysler should use this engine in a current platform today.

[@candycorn04]

Had a white '91 R/T. Was fortunate to have been chosen to do TV testimonial commercials for Dodge at the time with the Spirit R/T. Took the R/T to the strip, ran a best of 14.94 @94.11. Good memories. Fast car for the time.

[@McVaio]

That's cool! How did that go down?

[@JDMHaze]

I never knew there was a performance variant of this... and 6.4 in 91? This was the neon SRT4, before the neon SRT4 was the neon SRT4

[@palebeachbum]

They only made the Spirit RT for 2yrs. 91 and 92. Very rare car. In 92 they revised the gear ratios to make the car even faster for 0-60mph in 5.8s. Insanely fast at the time and still quick now.

[@JDMHaze]

@@palebeachbum its faster than a v6 charger/challenger now lol

[@palebeachbum]

@@JDMHaze that's pretty hilarious.