The Dodge Venom was a concept car that was produced in 1994 by the American automaker Dodge.[1] The car was built on a modified version of the Chrysler PL platform that was used in the Dodge Neon.[2] The car was designed to showcase Dodge's Cab-Forward design in a two-seat sports car package.[3] Although based on the Neon, the upgraded V6 engine and rear wheel drive set gave this car a sports appeal. The car featured a 3.5-liter, overhead-cam, 24-valve V6 engine that was able to put out 245 horsepower[4] and 221 pound-feet of torque at 2,800 rpm.[5] It was debuted along with two other concept cars on January 3, 1994.[6] The car was projected to cost $8,975, $13,000 "fully loaded".[7]
| Dodge Venom | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Type | Concept Sports car |
| Body and chassis | |
| Body style | 2 door coupe |
| Layout | Front engine, Rear-Wheel Drive |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 3.5L EGE SOHC V6 |
| Power output | 245 HP |
| Transmission | 6-speed manual |
Design edit
Built from all steel, with an aluminum structure,[8] and a cantilever roofline.[3] The aforementioned Cab-Forward design allowed the car to be more aerodynamic, and roomy.[9] The engine block was made of cast iron, and featured carbon fiber and Kevlar aramid fiber components.[10][11] The design was based on another Dodge performance SRT car, The Dodge Viper.[3] The car was optimized for performance on race courses, and could go from 0 to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds.[3] The front and rear utilized a double A-arm suspension setup, featured up-to-date four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, and 245-millimeter tires.[9] The front tires were 19 inches and the rear tires were 20 inches[9] The wheels were moved towards the corners in the model, which increased both the wheel base and the track. This allowed for more agile handling.[9] The car was only released with a neon yellow green pearl exterior with a black hood.[2] The car also featured a quad exhaust set up, which makes the car louder.[12] The car also featured parts from other cars such as the old Coronet handle-bar grille, the Viper side scoop, and the Challenger and Barracuda rear end.[9] The car weighs about 2,700 pounds, which is lighter compared to older versions of muscle cars, which weighed around 3,700 pounds.[11] The length of the car was 13.4 inches longer, 3.5 inches lower, and 7.5 inches higher than other subcompact cars of the time.[13]
Popularity edit
The car was highly popular with car enthusiasts, being featured in the international auto circuit for years.[3] Usually a concept car's popularity does not last for years, but only weeks.[3] Unfortunately for car enthusiasts the car never made it into production. This concept was one of the first attempts at making a modern muscle car, however, because it never made it into production, the first modern muscle car to be produced by Dodge was the Dodge Challenger in 2008.
Specification edit
1994 edit
- Suspension: Front and Rear Independent, Double A Arms
- Brakes: Four-Wheel Disc with ABS
- Wheelbase: 106 inches
- Overall Length: 182.6 inches
- Overall Width: 74.9 inches
- Overall Height: 51.5 inches
- Front Track: 63.7 inches
- Rear Track: 65.3 inches
- Front Tires: P245/45R19
- Rear Tires: P245/45R20
External links edit
- http://www.conceptcarz.com/vehicle/z275/Dodge_Venom.aspx
- http://auto-specs.zercustoms.com/d/dodge/1994-dodge-venom-concept-specifications.html at ZerCustoms
- http://www.carstyling.ru/en/cars.1994_Dodge_Venom.html
- http://www.autoblog.com/photos/twenty-years-of-modern-chrysler-concepts/253500/
- https://www.motor1.com/news/261642/dodge-venom-concept-we-forgot/
Reference List edit
- ^ "1994 Dodge Venom History, Pictures, Value, Auction Sales, Research and News". conceptcarz.com. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
- ^ a b "1994 Dodge Venom: Concept We Forgot". Motor1.com. Retrieved 2018-11-29.
- ^ a b c d e f "1994 Dodge Venom Concept - The Official Blog of Dodge". The Official Blog of Dodge. 2013-04-04. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
- ^ "Dodge Venom Concept". Motor1.com. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
- ^ "Gale - Product Login". go.galegroup.com. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
- ^ "DODGE VENOM INTRODUCES A NEW PROPORTION OF THE MUSCLE CAR". signin.lexisnexis.com (Press release). PR Newswire. 3 January 1994. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
- ^ "Chrysler to build hardtop Viper coupe New version to be even faster than current model". Toronto Star. 4 January 1994. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
- ^ "» 1995 Dodge Venom Concept". testdrivejunkie.com. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
- ^ a b c d e "DODGE VENOM INTRODUCES A NEW PROPORTION OF THE MUSCLE CAR". signin.lexisnexis.com (Press release). PR Newswire. 3 January 1994. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
- ^ "Chrysler/Dodge 3.5 liter V6 engines". www.allpar.com. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
- ^ a b "CHRYSLER PUMPS UP MUSCLE CARS FOR COMEBACK". Plastic News. 28 February 1994. Retrieved 2018-12-05.
- ^ "Dual Exhausts - Do They Serve a Purpose or Pointless?". Meineke. 2015-08-03. Retrieved 2018-12-03.
- ^ "LIGHT AND LETHAL; Venom looks like an angry insect, but this Neon-based concept carries Viper parts and 1960s Mopar genes that may make it the muscle car of the future". Auto Week. 24 January 1994. Retrieved 2018-12-05.