In some ways, the 1990s and 2000s will be remembered as the decades that brought retro styling to the automotive world. Among the first brands to exploit the interest in cars with old-fashion shapes but modern hardware was Plymouth with its Prowler.
The aggressive looking hotrod with open wheels and an open cabin began its life in 1997 as a Plymouth and ended its career in 2002 as a Chrysler model, after the latter pulled the plug on the Plymouth brand in 2001.
Only 11,000 cars were built, each fitted with a 3.5-liter V6 initially delivering 214hp (217PS) and in 1999, with a more powerful version of the same engine rated for 253hp (257PS), in both cases coupled to a 4-speed automatic transmission turning the rear wheels.
Hot-rods and V6 engines don’t really match up, so many owners of the Prowler turned to custom shops and dropped a V8 under its pointy hood.
The tuners at North Carolina’s Performance Innovations did the same to a 1999 Plymouth Prowler replacing the stock V6 with the Chrysler Group’s almighty 6.1-liter (370 c.i.) Hemi V8, which in standard guise, delivers a very healthy 425 horsepower (317kW) at 6,200rpm and 420 lb·ft (569Nm) at 4,800 rpm.
See the results in the videos after the break.
Photo Credits: Performance Innovations & Hemi Prowler
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