Chrysler’s former president Bob Lutz and his design team were known for their radical car designs that differed from the mass-produced cars. The Plymouth Prowler was approved in 1996, and it was based on a design of a young engineer who was inspired by 1950s cars. Prowler was a hot rod redesigned to be a modern car offering high speeds and great performance. Some of the key features and specifications of the convertible are:

Engine and transmission
When it was first introduced, the Plymouth Prowler was equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 214 hp and torque of 221 ft-lb at 5,850 RPM. Later on, the convertible came with a modified engine delivering 253 hp and a torque of 255 lb-ft @ 6,400 RPM. It comes with a rear-mounted 4-speed Autostick manual-shift transmission, allowing manual gear selection whenever required. The car also has a double wishbone in the front with pushrods and inboard dampers.

Design
The Plymouth Prowler is a quirky roadster, with an open body and sports car-like appearance. It comes with two seats, a foldable and removable top, and a luggage compartment or rumble seat in the back. The car is a 2-door convertible, 165 inches in length, 76 inches in width, weighing 2,838 lbs.

Fuel economy
The Plymouth Prowler has a fuel tank capacity of 12.2 gallons and runs on regular unleaded fuel. It offered a combined EPA of 18 MPG, earning 15 MPG in the city and 21 MPG on the highway.

Performance
The Prowler is a lightweight car, making it capable of achieving decent performance, with the ability to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph in 7.2 seconds. The later models could reach 60mph in just 5.9 seconds, owing to the redesigned engine.

Color options
You can get a Plymouth Prowler in the following 12 colors or finishes: Black Tie Edition in two-toned black and silver, Deep Candy Red Pearl Coat. High Voltage Blue Pearl Coat, Prowler Black Clear Coat, Prowler Bright Silver Metallic, Prowler Orange Pearl Coat, Midnight Blue Pearl Coat, Prowler Purple Metallic, Prowler Red Clear Coat, Prowler Yellow Clear Coat, and Woodward Edition in two-toned black and red.

Exterior
Its retro design made the convertible unique, easy to recognize, and popular among vintage car enthusiasts. It retained the old hot rod car’s styling cues and incorporated modern design techniques and technology. It has an overtly sloping body of high-strength aluminum alloy generally used in aircraft and boats, protruding bumperettes, and open front wheels. Its front side panels, front-suspension wishbones, seat frames, and rear deck are made using aluminum. However, the rear body panels, rocker panels, and front benders used plastic.

Interior
Almost a sports car, the Plymouth Prowler is equipped with comfortable and supportive seats. The color-keyed instrument panel is placed in an elliptical pod in the dashboard’s center, and its color matches that of the exterior. You can find leather-trimmed bucket seats in the car, along with an AM/FM stereo, a cassette player, and an optional multi-disc CD changer. It also has a tilt steering wheel, a defroster for the top’s rear glass window, and power windows, locks, and mirrors.

The Plymouth Prowler was designed with essential safety features like dual airbags, air conditioning, and a full instrumentation panel. As it is a two-seater convertible, there is very little space for luggage or even spare tires, and it is not suitable for long-distance travel. However, the front and rear tires are massive and equipped with flat-run capability. Further, to make up for the limited trunk space, you can also buy a trailer along with the car.