Plymouth Howler
Encyclopedia
The Plymouth Howler is a roadster
concept car
designed and built by Plymouth
. It was first presented at the 1999 SEMA
show. It is essentially a redesigned Prowler
which addressed some of the complaints and problems existing Prowler owners had.
The lack of cargo space in the Prowler was universally lamented, so the Howler addressed this by elongating and squaring off the back end, creating a moderate sized trunk
. The Prowler was only available as a 3.5L V6
that was rated at ~250 hp at its highest. For what was considered to be a modern "hot rod", this was not considered to be enough power, so the Howler was given a 4.7L V8
- which had nearly the same horsepower, but had significantly more torque. The engine is mated to a five speed manual transmission
, instead of the Prowler's four speed automatic
. This freed up some room in the undercarriage to enlarge the gas tank
for the thirstier V8. The Howler also has a removable hardtop
instead of the traditional ragtop of the Prowler. The top is manually removed, and can be stored in a compartment behind the seats.
Though the concept was appreciated by most Prowler enthusiasts, the low sales volume of the Prowler and the ultimate demise of the Plymouth nameplate ensured that the Howler was never made into a production vehicle.
Roadster
A roadster is a two-seat open car with emphasis on sporty handling and without a fixed roof or side weather protection. Strictly speaking a roadster with wind-up windows is a convertible but as true roadsters are no longer made the distinction is now irrelevant...
concept car
Concept car
A concept vehicle or show vehicle is a car made to showcase new styling and or new technology. They are often shown at motor shows to gauge customer reaction to new and radical designs which may or may not have a chance of being produced....
designed and built by Plymouth
Plymouth (automobile)
Plymouth was a marque of automobile based in the United States, produced by the Chrysler Corporation and its successor DaimlerChrysler.-Origins:...
. It was first presented at the 1999 SEMA
SEMA
Specialty Equipment Market Association of the automobile aftermarket was formed in 1963 by Roy Richter, Ed Iskenderian, Willie Garner, Bob Hedman, John Bartlett, Phil Weiand, Jr., Al Segal, Dean Moon, and Vic Edelbrock, Jr...
show. It is essentially a redesigned Prowler
Plymouth Prowler
The Plymouth Prowler, later the Chrysler Prowler, is a "retro" styled production car built in 1997 and 1999-2002. The Prowler was based on the 1993 concept car of the same name.- Design :...
which addressed some of the complaints and problems existing Prowler owners had.
The lack of cargo space in the Prowler was universally lamented, so the Howler addressed this by elongating and squaring off the back end, creating a moderate sized trunk
Trunk (automobile)
The trunk or boot of an automobile or car is the vehicle's main storage, luggage, or cargo compartment. Trunk is used in North American English and Jamaican English; boot is used elsewhere in the English speaking world. Trunk is also primarily used in many non-English speaking regions, such as...
. The Prowler was only available as a 3.5L V6
V6 engine
A V6 engine is a V engine with six cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of three cylinders, usually set at either a right angle or an acute angle to each other, with all six pistons driving a common crankshaft...
that was rated at ~250 hp at its highest. For what was considered to be a modern "hot rod", this was not considered to be enough power, so the Howler was given a 4.7L V8
V8 engine
A V8 engine is a V engine with eight cylinders mounted on the crankcase in two banks of four cylinders, in most cases set at a right angle to each other but sometimes at a narrower angle, with all eight pistons driving a common crankshaft....
- which had nearly the same horsepower, but had significantly more torque. The engine is mated to a five speed manual transmission
Manual transmission
A manual transmission, also known as a manual gearbox or standard transmission is a type of transmission used in motor vehicle applications...
, instead of the Prowler's four speed automatic
Automatic transmission
An automatic transmission is one type of motor vehicle transmission that can automatically change gear ratios as the vehicle moves, freeing the driver from having to shift gears manually...
. This freed up some room in the undercarriage to enlarge the gas tank
Fuel tank
A fuel tank is safe container for flammable fluids. Though any storage tank for fuel may be so called, the term is typically applied to part of an engine system in which the fuel is stored and propelled or released into an engine...
for the thirstier V8. The Howler also has a removable hardtop
Hardtop
A hardtop is a term for a rigid, rather than canvas, automobile roof. It has been used in several contexts: detachable hardtops, retractable hardtop roofs, and the so-called pillarless hardtop body style....
instead of the traditional ragtop of the Prowler. The top is manually removed, and can be stored in a compartment behind the seats.
Though the concept was appreciated by most Prowler enthusiasts, the low sales volume of the Prowler and the ultimate demise of the Plymouth nameplate ensured that the Howler was never made into a production vehicle.