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Chrysler's Intrepid R/T, the road car

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Khatir Soltani
It was quite a surprise to see the most recent Intrepid as a stock-car racer early last spring in the CASCAR Super Series. Actually, everyone expected to see it first in NASCAR but stock-car fans will have to wait to see it in action only next February when this Chrysler makes its debut in the Winston Cup series. That will be when the Bill Elliotts, the Casey Atwoods, the Ward Burtons, the John Andrettis and a few other drivers storm the fast American tracks with their own version of the racing Intrepid.

But Chrysler did not want to wait to celebrate its introduction into the Big Leagues. A few weeks after seeing its most spectacular family sedan winning its first race thanks to Al Turner in the inaugural 2000 CASCAR race, the automaker decided to introduce a performance version of the Intrepid and, no wonder, it decided to call it the Intrepid R/T. The R/T series already had the Viper, the Dakota pick-up, the Durango and the Neon in its ranks but it now counts on a performance family sedan to complete the picture. Please not than in the US this car is a Dodge. In Canada, it's a Chrysler

Don't look for extreme body modifications to identify the Intrepid R/T. Chrysler had the decency to add only what was necessary to make it original: a rear deck spoiler, larger specific wheels and tires and a more obvious exhaust tip. Naturally, there are the trims. Otherwise, it is as discrete as an Intrepid can be.
Khatir Soltani
Khatir Soltani
Automotive expert
  • Over 6 years experience as a car reviewer
  • Over 50 test drives in the last year
  • Involved in discussions with virtually every auto manufacturer in Canada