Dodge Spirit
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| Dodge Spirit | |
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| Manufacturer | Chrysler Corporation |
| Also called | Plymouth Acclaim |
| Production | 1989-1995 |
| Assembly | Newark, Delaware Toluca, Mexico |
| Predecessor | Dodge 600 Dodge Aries Dodge Lancer |
| Successor | Dodge Stratus |
| Class | Mid-size |
| Body style(s) | 4-door sedan |
| Layout | FF layout |
| Platform | AA-body |
| Engine(s) | 2.2 L Turbo III I4 2.5 L K I4 2.5 L Turbo I4 3.0 L Mitsubishi 6G72 V6 |
| Transmission(s) | 5-speed A523 manual 5-speed A568 manual 3-speed A413 automatic 3-speed A670 automatic 4-speed A604 automatic |
| Wheelbase | 1989-1990: 103.3 in (2624 mm) 1991-95: 103.5 in (2629 mm) |
| Length | 181.2 in (4602 mm) |
| Width | 1991-95: 68.1 in (1730 mm) 1989-1990: 67.3 in (1709 mm) |
| Height | 53.5 in (1359 mm) |
| Curb weight | 2,901 lb (1,316 kg) |
| Related | Chrysler LeBaron Chrysler Saratoga Plymouth Acclaim |
The Dodge Spirit was introduced in January 1989 as a mid-size 5/6 passenger sedan by Dodge. It immediately replaced the similarly sized 600.[1] Many automotive references also regard the Spirit as the de facto replacement for the somewhat smaller Aries and the hatchback Lancer.[2][3][4] The Spirit sold 60,000 cars in its first year[citation needed], strong enough that Aries production was stopped mid-season. Production ended on December 9, 1994 and it was replaced by the "cab-forward" Stratus.
The Spirit model name was previously used by the American Motors Corporation (AMC) - which was bought out in 1987 by Chrysler Corporation - for a line of subcompact cars called the AMC Spirit from 1979 to 1983.
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[edit] Platform
The Spirit was Dodge's version of the Chrysler AA platform, a stretched variation of the Chrysler K platform. They were assembled in Newark, Delaware and Toluca, Mexico. They shared their basic design with the 1990 to 1994 Chrysler LeBaron sedan, the 1989 to 1995 Plymouth Acclaim, and the export-only Chrysler Saratoga.
[edit] General
The Spirit could seat six with an optional front split-bench seat. It had a relatively large trunk, a simple solid-beam rear axle, and a MacPherson strut front suspension. The Spirit differed from the other A-bodies primarily in the grille and rear lamp styling, and in the availability of a sportier, higher-performing version (known as the R/T) than were available under the Plymouth and Chrysler nameplates.
While the Spirit could be compared in size to the Ford Tempo, the platform was also compared with the Ford Taurus, Honda Accord, and Toyota Camry by Consumer Reports [5] which found the similar but upscale Chrysler LeBaron to be "adequate", but not up to the other three cars. Nevertheless, they sold relatively well, but mainly on the basis of price and value. Though maligned in their later years by critics, they did outsell the critically acclaimed Stratus/Cirrus, even though it only sold one generation.
[edit] Trims
- 1989-95: Base
- 1989-92: ES
- 1991-92: R/T
The Spirit ES and R/T featured Dodge Eurocast (Often referred to as "Snowflake") alloy wheels until 1992 which were then replaced by newer alloy wheels which had teardrop shaped inserts. Some eurocast wheels were color coordinated with the body color as follows:
White body with white painted alloys (ES,R/T) Black body with unpainted alloys (ES only) Dark Red body with unpainted alloys (ES only) Bright Red body with bright red painted wheel inserts (R/T only, 1991 only) Silver body with unpainted alloys (ES only). Although the wheels were unpainted on the silver ES, they matched the body color anyway. Snowflake wheels were also available some Spirit LE models.
Silver paint was available on the R/T for 1992 and featured R/T five blade wheels. It was also the rarest color on the spirit, with only 31 produced.
Starting in 1993, the Spirit was offered with a "Gold package" (similar to the package Chrysler also offered on its 1993-94 Dodge Caravan and Plymouth Voyager minivans). This upgrade included gold trimmed alloy wheels and gold pin stripes. Many Spirits that were so equipped were painted in a dark metallic emerald green color with a tan interior[citation needed]. The Gold package was available with both 4- and 6-cylinder engines.
In Canada, the Gold Package was among the best sellers of all the option packages available on the Spirit.
[edit] Engines
The base engine for Spirit and Spirit LE models was a 2.5 L TBI I4 engine producing 100 hp. Optional on all models except the Spirit R/T was a 141 hp, 3.0 L V6 made by Mitsubishi. Also available in 1989 through 1992—and standard equipment on the Spirit ES—was a 150 hp turbocharged version of the 2.5 L engine. In 1993, 1994, and 1995, a flexible-fuel Spirit was offered, powered by a 107 hp multipoint fuel injected version of the 2.5 L engine specially modified to run on fuel containing up to 85% methanol. The R/T version came with a powerful 2.2 L dohc turbo III with cylinder head designed by Lotus. This engine was rated at 224 hp and 217tq.
[edit] Transmissions
Several five-speed manual transmissions were available, depending on which engine was installed, but relatively few Spirits were equipped with manual transmissions. All the Spirit R/T's came with the A-568 manual transmission. The three-speed Torqueflite automatic was the most popular installation on Spirits with TBI and MPFI 4-cylinder engines, and was also widely installed in conjunction with the V6 in 1993 through 1995. From 1989 to 1992, most V6 Spirits came with the four-speed A604 electronically-controlled automatic.
[edit] Changes through the years
The Spirit was given a minor facelift — indeed, the only facelift the car would ever receive — for the 1993 model year. A body-color grille with characteristic Dodge crosshair theme and new full-width taillamps with amber pseudo-lenses (which, oddly enough, were not used for the turn signals) were the most notable changes.
A motorized passenger's side seat belt was added to U.S.-market Spirits in 1994, to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208's requirement for passive restraints. These motorized belts do not comply with Canada's safety standards; Canadian-market Spirits continued to use a manual passenger seatbelt, and 1994-1995 Spirits therefore cannot legally be imported across the US/Canada border in either direction.[6],[7]
For 1995, the Spirit's final year, the 2.5 L engine got a slightly revised cylinder head and both the 4-speed A604 automatic transmission and anti-lock brakes were dropped from the option list. Otherwise, the Spirit remained mostly unchanged, much as it had throughout its six-year run.
[edit] R/T
In 1991, Chrysler introduced the Spirit R/T, the centerpiece of which was a version of the 2.2 L K-car engine with a 16-valve DOHC head designed by Lotus, who won a design competition against Maserati and Hans Hermann. Fed by a Garrett Systems intercooled turbocharger, this Turbo III engine produced 224 hp (167 kW) and 217 ft·lbf (294 N·m) of torque. The R/T also featured unique interior and exterior trim to set itself apart from other Spirits. The only available transmission in the R/T was a heavy-duty A568 5-speed manual transmission built by Chrysler's New Process Gear division (located in Syracuse, New York) with a gearset supplied by Getrag. Heavy-duty vented four wheel disc brakes were standard equipment, with optional anti-lock brakes. Color-keyed 15-inch alloy wheels were standard, with P205/60R15 tires.
At the time, the R/T was advertised as "the fastest sedan made in America", with Chrysler placing its performance above the BMW M5. It could hit 60 mph (97 km/h) in 5.8 seconds, according to Car and Driver, making it one of the quickest front wheel drive cars ever offered in the American market. It was chosen as Motor Trend magazine's "Domestic Sport Sedan of the Year", beating the Ford Taurus SHO for 1991 and 1992. Just 1,208 Spirit R/Ts, all built in Mexico, were produced in 1991 — 774 in red and 434 in white. An additional 191 were built in 1992 — 92 red, 68 white, and 31 silver. The only significant change for 1992 was a lower first gear ratio for reduced turbo lag, woodgrain dashboard trim as used on the Chrysler LeBaron sedan, and a speedometer calibrated to 150 mph rather than 120 mph.
[edit] Mexican and South American markets
Spirits were very popular in Mexico. They were badged as Chryslers rather than Dodges, since the Dodge brand at the time was used only on trucks. The Spirit was introduced in the Mexican market for 1990, one year after its début in the U.S. and Canada. The initial 1990-model Spirits used a version of the 2.5 L engine operating on leaded gasoline, equipped with a carburetor, a tubular exhaust header, and electronic control of ignition timing[8]. This induction and ignition system used technology and components very similar to those employed in Chrysler's U.S.-market Lean Burn emission control systems of the late 1970s.
For the 1991 model year, Mexico enacted new-vehicle emission regulations similar to those in the US and Canada. The carbureted leaded-fuel engine was very much too dirty to comply with the new regulations, so a fully-integrated engine management system with fuel injection was added to the Spirit. This was not the TBI system used in the U.S., Canada, and Europe. Rather, the Mexican-market Spirits got a more advanced MPFI setup[8]. This MPFI 2.5 gave superior performance and driveability and cleaner emissions than its TBI counterpart, but was not used in the U.S., Canadian, or rest-of-world export markets except on turbocharged and FFV models. The Chrysler Spirit with MPFI 2.5 L engine was sold in Mexico from 1991 through 1995, and was exported in small numbers to Argentina and Brazil from 1993 through 1995.
Chrysler sold two versions of the Spirit R/T. The base R/T, sold from 1991 through 1995, used a Mexico-only 168 hp intercooled Turbo II version of the 8-valve SOHC 2.5 L engine and either the 3-speed A413 automatic or 5-speed manual transmission. These R/Ts were very popular with Mexican police departments.
The top-line R/T, available from 1991 through 1994, used the same 2.2 L 16-valve DOHC engine as was used in the U.S. Spirit R/Ts. More options and higher equipment levels were available in the Mexican R/Ts, including leather upholstery, digital instrument cluster, sunroof, and 16-inch alloy wheels, none of which were available in the U.S. In addition, Mexican-market R/Ts could be ordered in a variety of different colors, not just the red, white, and silver offered in the U.S. All Mexican-market Spirit R/Ts were badged as Chryslers. An interesting member of the R/T family, the Chrysler Phantom R/T, was a Mexico-only premium version of the LeBaron coupe equipped with the 2.2 L 16-valve DOHC engine and A568 5-speed manual transmission.
[edit] Notes
- ^ Chrysler Corporation Master Technician Service Conference book "New Model Service Highlights '89" page 4: "Spirit and Acclaim are the new midsize sedans, replacing 600 and Caravelle." Available at Detroit Public Library
- ^ Standard Catalog of Chrysler 1924-1990 by John Lee First Edition, MCMXC Krause Publications, Iola, WI. ISBN 0-87341-142-0 page 338 "Dodge's version of the A-body ws the Spirit, introduction of this mid-market family car led to dropping of the Aries K-car in mid-season." page 450 1989 Plymouth Acclaim - Reliant's A-body replacement arrived a little late in the 1989 model year"
- ^ [1] "the Ks, for their final year, were allowed to share the showroom floor with their replacement model, the larger A-body Spirit"
- ^ Consumer Guide "Dodge's compact Spirit front-drive 4-door sedan and the nearly identical Plymouth Acclaim were three inches longer in wheelbase than Aries/Reliant, which they replaced."
- ^ 1995 Consumer Reports Used Car Guide
- ^ Canadian vehicle importation regulations
- ^ US vehicle importation regulations
- ^ a b Mexican Chrysler Spirit information
[edit] External links
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