Dodge M4S

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dodge
Image does not exist
M4S
Presentation year: 1981
Vehicle fair:
Class : Sports car
Body shape : Coupe
Engine: Otto engine :
2.2 liters (328 kW)
Wheelbase: approx. 2540 mm
Empty weight: 1157 kg
Production model: none

The Dodge M4S was a concept vehicle for the Dodge brand ; the abbreviation stands for "Midengine, 4 cylinder, Sport". It was developed in cooperation with PPG Industries in the early 1980s, among other things as the Indy 500 Pace Car and was used from 1984 to 1987 intermittently, other sources speak of 1982 and 1983. The vehicle became known because it was featured in the film " Interceptor - Phantom of Eternity "(English title" The Wraith ", 1986, Science Fiction ) inspired the sports car that gave it its title.

After the filming, it was sometimes referred to as the "1981 PPG Turbo Interceptor", although such a vehicle was rarely used in the film. At least one M4S was made available by Chrysler and was - under guard - present on the film set for several weeks . From the "real" M4S, only a subsequently edited sequence was used, which shows details of the engine compartment. Otherwise, only replicas were used for the film recordings , which were also changed. The appearance of the Dodge M4S differs significantly from the film interceptor.

The original vehicle was part of the collection of the now closed Walter P. Chrysler Museum in Auburn Hills (Michigan) .

development

The role of PPG Industries

The impetus for the project and its financing came from PPG Industries. The company was one of the major suppliers, especially of car paints, for the big three US companies General Motors , Ford and Chrysler. As a sponsor, PPG annually provided one vehicle from each group as a pace car for the CART series (CART stands for Championship Auto Racing Teams ). Such pace cars are usually specially prepared series vehicles, which are often also sold in limited editions as so-called "replicas". In this context, PPG had previously worked with the engineering company Specialized Vehicles, Inc. (SVI) and Chrysler. The fact that the M4S was a much more complex project for a mid-engine sports car with rear-wheel drive probably goes back to an idea that matured at Chrysler.

cooperation

Bob Ackermann , one of the chief stylists at Chrysler, was entrusted with the preparatory work. He did the design and coordinated Chrysler's styling and engineering work with SVI, where project manager Joe Pappas was in charge. The in-house development of a mid-engine chassis was omitted for reasons of cost. Instead, Ackermann came to Huffaker Engineering in California , where a similar concept for an IMSA version (IMSA stands for International Motor Sports Association ) of the Pontiac Fiero had been developed and built. Although the Fiero was designed as a mid-engined car, this racing car received a completely new chassis made of tubular profiles on which a near-series body was placed. In collaboration with Chrysler race engineer Larry Rathgeb, Huffaker built an extended version of this chassis for the M4S from 93 inches (2362 mm) to 100 inches (2540 mm). Rathgeb had a lot of experience from the NASCAR series (NASCAR stands for National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing ) and had worked closely with Richard Petty's team. He also suggested installing a large rear spoiler in the rear , as he had developed earlier for the Plymouth Superbird . This gave the M4S enough driving stability to reach nearly 200 mph. SVI and Rathgeb used the aircraft manufacturer Lockheed's wind tunnel for fine-tuning the aerodynamics.

technology

body

At SVI, the chassis was adapted to the 2.2-liter engine. Ackermann's design was transferred to a model at Chrysler using a process that was new at the time. A coating of a Styrofoam- like foam is applied to a basic structure made of wood and shaped using the CAD process. The model is then reworked by hand. Then the fiberglass body is made on top. The painting was done at PPG.

engine

The 2.2-liter engine was introduced in 1981 for some versions of the Dodge Omni / Plymouth Horizon ("L-Body") and the Dodge Aries / Plymouth Reliant ("K-Body") and was initially only available as a carburettor version. In Europe it was best known in the Chrysler ES and Chrysler / Dodge Daytona series . Carroll Shelby later built his own turbo variant.

Regardless of this, SVI had previously developed its own turbo versions. The M4S received a system derived from this with two Garrett turbochargers as well as injection and electronics from Bosch . SVI engineer Tom Coddington developed his own cylinder head for the twin turbo version using a Cosworth BDG type, a Cosworth Moldex crankshaft and two Cosworth rally camshafts. Chrysler supplied the adapted engine blocks required for this.

Motor data

In-line ("Trans") 4-cylinder mid-engine from Mopar ( Chrysler engine manufacturer) and SVI
2.2 L displacement , Cosworth cylinder head with 16 valves , two Garrett T25 turbochargers with intercooler in the rear. Power : 440 hp (328 kw ) torque : approx. 600 Nm Weight distribution: 50% / 50%


Performance data

Top speed: 194.8 mph.
Acceleration 0-60 mph: 4.1 seconds

transmission

The original Chrysler five-speed gearbox was far from being designed for the intended performance. Chrysler therefore ordered an enhanced version from Weissman Transmissions in California. When it became apparent that a gear change would take 12-14 man hours, Liberty Gears in Allen Park, Michigan decided to rework it accordingly. In the end, there was a completely new, very stable but also rather loud construction with five gears.

"Turbo Interceptor" film vehicle

For the film, the well-known customizer Gene Winfield probably produced four dummies, which were destroyed during the filming, as well as two roadworthy vehicles (sometimes referred to as "stunt cars"). One of the two vehicles, in poor condition, came into the possession of a collector from Wichita , Kansas , in 2003 , who restored it with the support of Chrysler and Bob Ackermann.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ wikicars.org ( Memento of the original from September 22, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.  @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / wikicars.org
  2. ↑ a b c Dodge M4S (Dodge PPG Turbo Interceptor; 1981, 1984) . Allpar.com. Retrieved on March 21, 2015. Report from allpar.com
  3. ^ The Wraith Car (based on the Dodge M4S Turbo concept) . Allpar.com. Accessed on March 21, 2015. Report from allpar.com about the Wraith Turbo concept
  4. ↑ a b c d e Joe Pappas Talks About the Dodge-PPG M4S Twin-Turbo Indy Pace Car . Allpar.com. Retrieved March 21, 2015. Interview with project manager Joe Pappas at allpar.com
  5. ^ The Dodge Omni and Plymouth Horizon . Allpar.com. Retrieved March 22, 2015. Chrysler L-Body at allpar.com
  6. ↑ Restored film interceptor in Wichita (English)