Chrysler's Bugatti Tribute Featured A Straight-eight Made From Two Dodge Neon Fours

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If you're reference that header and reasoning that those words don't beryllium successful nan aforesaid sentence, you'd almost ever beryllium right. However, for 1 very little infinitesimal successful time, they did really make consciousness together. 

That's because successful 1995, Chrysler created a conception car designed to salary tribute to nan stunning, exotic expansive touring cars of nan 1930s, cars for illustration the Talbot Lago Type 150-C-S and nan Bugatti Type 57 SC Atlantic. Mostly nan latter, though, which is wherever nan concept's Chrysler Atlantic sanction came from. But did nan Chrysler Atlantic besides get an exotic engine, for illustration nan Talbot's 4.0-liter I6 aliases nan Bugatti's 3.3-liter I8? Well, it did person a straight-8 ... conscionable 1 made from 2 Dodge Neon four-cylinders. 

Let's forgive Chrysler for inadvertently (we hope) insulting Bugatti's legendary touring car by paying homage to it pinch Neon engines, because nan car itself was beautiful. The Chrysler Atlantic was specified a stunning tribute to nan swoopy cruisers of nan '30s that, contempt only being designed arsenic a conception car from nan beginning, nationalist liking was truthful precocious that Chrysler almost built it.

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Chrysler perfectly nailed nan Atlantic's creation — it looked precisely arsenic specified a car should. With a massively agelong hood, a short rear deck, and hugely curvaceous haunches, nan Atlantic conception was stunning and would person looked perfectly astatine location successful nan 1930s. Its trident-shaped beforehand extremity made it unusual, and added immoderate separator to an different information design. If you look astatine nan beforehand extremity from above, you tin moreover spot a small of the rolling midlife situation known arsenic nan Plymouth Prowler, which came retired conscionable 2 years aft nan Atlantic debuted. 

Its astir information broadside windows were intelligibly inspired by nan Bugatti, arsenic was its wide shape, but its divided rear model is oddly reminiscent of nan C2-generation Corvette. I uncertainty Chrysler would person ever admitted to drafting inspiration from a rival, but being compared to that timeless beauty is nary insult. 

Inside, nan Chrysler Atlantic was beautiful subdued, moreover if its two-tone burgundy and pick colour strategy was eye-catching. The wide creation was emblematic of nan '90s, erstwhile car interior designers were obsessed pinch ovals. There astir apt should person been a spot much wood trim, considering nan Atlantic was designed to hark backmost to vintage cars whose cabins were lined pinch beautiful woodwork. So while nan interior was bully by '90s standards, it seemed for illustration an afterthought compared to nan outrageous assemblage style. Perhaps Chrysler felt that since nan car was ne'er destined for production, and was simply a creation exercise, its passengers didn't request overmuch luxury.

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There were rumors that Chrysler wanted to fresh a Dodge Viper V10 nether nan Atlantic's hood, which would genuinely person been wild. Okay, a screaming V10 wouldn't person been successful keeping pinch nan Atlantic's retro vibes, but it would person still been awesome. Instead of nan supercar engine, Chrysler decided to fuse 2 Dodge Neon four-cylinder engines together, Human Centipede-style, to create a straight-8. It's a very due motor configuration for specified an homage, arsenic galore cars of nan 1930s had 8 cylinders successful a row. But nan Neon's motor didn't beryllium successful a luxurious coupe, contempt being good for econobox duty.

Rare for a conception car, nan Chrysler Atlantic really drove. It was a structural messiness because it wasn't meant for speeds higher than those needed to get it onto an auto-show stand. But it ran and drove, acknowledgment to that monstrous creation of an motor and a four-speed transaxle. According to Below nan Radar, though, John McCormick drove nan Chrysler Atlantic for Autocar magazine backmost successful nan time and had less-than-kind things to opportunity astir nan engine. 

"My increasing appreciation for nan car is shattered erstwhile nan four-litre straight-eight is started," McCormick reportedly said. "Created by joining together 2 humble Neon two-litre 16-valve fours, nan motor sounds suitably potent astatine idle, but arsenic soon arsenic nan revs emergence a horrible barking cacophony takes over." 

Despite that horrific engine, McCormick appreciated nan Atlantic's creation and expertise to thrust astatine all. There was plentifulness of liking successful nan Atlantic from customers, too, capable to make Chrysler flirt pinch putting it into production. Unfortunately, that ne'er came to beryllium and we mislaid retired connected a car pinch stunning 1930s looks. At slightest we weren't subjected to that engine.