Dodge Mirada
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The Dodge Mirada was released in 1980 as the replacement for the Dodge Magnum until its end in 1983. It was a mid-sized, rear-wheel drive coupe, and was one of the three cars based on Chrysler's J platform, with the other models being the Chrysler Cordoba and the Imperial. Production numbers were very low, with just under 53,000 units sold during its lifetime. The Mirada would stay relatively unchanged during its run, with the exception of paint colors and engines.
Marketing
When the Mirada was introduced, it was touted as a sort of luxury coupe, with many of the luxury items found in American models during that time such as AM/FM radios with cassette players, leather upholstery, and many power options. The Mirada was also marketed as being somewhat of a sport coupe, but the engine lineup did not support that claim.Powertrains
There were three engines originally offered, with the 5.9 L V8 being dropped after 1980:- 3.7 L Slant 6 I6, 1-barrel carburetor, 90 hp @ 3600 rpm, 160 lb-ft of torque at 1600 rpm (85 hp and 165 lb-ft after 1980)
- 5.2 L LA V8, 2-barrel carburetor, 120 hp @ 3600 rpm, 245 lb-ft of torque at 1600 rpm (130 hp and 230 lb-ft after 1980)
- 5.9 L LA V8, 4-barrel carburetor, 185 hp @ 4000 rpm, 275 lb-ft of torque at 2000 rpm
Suspension
The suspension of the Mirada utilized transverse torsion bars in the front with an anti-sway bar and leaf springs in the rear. A Sport Handling Package was offered, which included heavy-duty shocks, torsion bars, springs, and anti-sway bars in both front and rear. The braking system used power front disc brakes and rear drum brakes.Options
There were several different types of rooflines offered. The base models all received a basic metal roof with a chrome beauty strip extending from the bottom of the opera windows and across the roof. Those who chose to have their Mirada look a bit sportier could opt for either a power sunroof, or a glass T-top roof; and those who wanted a more luxurious look could choose either chose a vinyl Landau roof or a Cabriolet roof, which was basically a mock convertible top. The T-tops and Landau would be offered every year except for 1983, and the Cabriolet top would be offered every year. However, the power sunroof was not very popular and was only offered for 1980 and 1981.There were a few basic wheel options. The base models came with 15” steel wheels with turbine-like hubcaps, or polished ten-spoke, 15” aluminum wheels with painted section and bright chrome center caps.
Interior
The interior of the Mirada was offered in a variety of styles and colors, although the most common color interior was dark red. The base model dashboard was black with a faux woodgrain finish, which surrounded the gauges and center console, but the CMX came with a brushed aluminum finish replacing the woodgrain. The seat options were either vinyl bucket seats, leather bucket seats, or a 60/40 split cloth bench seat. Since the Mirada could be chosen with either a column shift or floor shift, the bench seat was only offered with the column shifter. Buyers had the choice of either an AM/FM stereo or an AM/FM/cassette stereo, and a Chrysler CB radio could be chosen as well. The steering wheels offered were either a interior-matched two-spoke wheel with horn buttons in the spokes and center. The standard steering wheel for the CMX in 1980 and 1981 was the Mopar “Tuff Wheel”, which was strikingly similar to the sport wheel found on the vintage Mopar muscle cars such as the early 1970s Dodge Challenger. Manual windows were standard on the base model, but the power windows from the CMX could be ordered on the base models as well.
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