THE DRIVE

This is a car that screams "drive me." Not "relax with me." Or "run errands with me." Or even "float down the highway with me."

No, this hot rod wants to be driven. On roads designed for drivers. You know where they are. If you didn't you wouldn't be here.

As of now, however, there are few who can claim the pleasure of actually having driven a Prowler. That will change soon. And you can take the word of those who've already driven the Prowler. This is as exciting as automobiles get.

Like Automobile Magazine:

"Of course, hot rods are fast by definition, or what's the point? However, you can drive the Prowler fast and turn a corner at the same time ... It corners handsomely. The body stays flat and so does your pulse rate ... The 3.5-liter, 24-valve V6 from Chrysler's LH sedans has a 6,350-rpm redline and plenty of high-range power."

And Motor Trend's Don Sherman:

"The Prowler will be the best-handling street rod ever screwed together. At around $35,000, it will be the best thrill-ride bargain since P.T. Barnum's human cannonball."

There are several reasons for all the enthusiasm. One is the aforementioned 3.5-liter high-output 24-valve SOHC V6. Derived from its LHS stablemate, this engine provides a crisply responsive 200-plus horsepower.

Another reason? The huge 17-inch front and 20-inch rear wheels, whose radical size disparity happily survived the journey from concept to production, as did most of Prowler's classic "factory hot rod" elements.

Equally important, is the fact that this isn't just an example of retro-thinking brought to 90s life. This is true forward thinking, too. In the form of technology like AutoStick(r), the innovative automatic shifting system. And a rear-wheel-drive transaxle -- Porsche 928S and 968 feature a similar configuration.

Today's technology. Yesterday's purity. How radical. How clever. And how Plymouth.