Dodge Spirit
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The Dodge Spirit was introduced in 1989 as a mid-size sedan to replace the 600 and Lancer, and was similar to the 1990 to 1995 Chrysler LeBaron sedan and the Plymouth Acclaim. It was based on the Chrysler A platform, a stretched variation of the Chrysler K platform. It was built in Newark, Delaware and Toluca, Mexico. Production ended on December 9, 1994 and it was replaced by the Stratus. The Spirit differed from the other A-bodies mainly in having a firmer, sportier suspension and in styling. The Spirit was a five-passenger four-door sedan with a relatively large trunk, a solid-beam rear axle, and a MacPherson strut front suspension. Initially benchmarked against the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry, a relatively slow development process and the need to use common Chrysler Corporation parts and the basic Chrysler K platform design worked against the Spirit and other A-bodies, and they ended up selling quite well but mainly on the basis of price and value. Though maligned in their later years by critics, they did outsell the critically acclaimed Stratus/Cirrus.
Engines
The base engine for Spirit, Spirit SE and Spirit LX models was a 2.5 L TBI I4 engine producing 100 hp. Optional on all models except the Spirit R/T was a 141 hp, 3.0 L V6 made by Mitsubishi. Also available in 1989 through 1992—and standard equipment on the Spirit ES—was a 150hp turbocharged version of the 2.5 L engine. In 1993, 1994 and 1995, a flexible-fuel Spirit was offered, powered by a 107 hp multipoint fuel injected version of the 2.5 L engine specially modified to run on fuel containing up to 85% methanol.Transmissions
Several five-speed manual transmissions were available, depending on which engine was installed, but relatively few Spirits were equipped with manual transmissions. The three-speed Torqueflite automatic was the most popular installation on Spirits with TBI and MPFI 4-cylinder engines, and was also widely installed in conjunction with the V6 in 1993 through 1995. From 1989 to 1992, most V6 Spirits came with the four-speed A604 electronically-controlled automatic.Changes through the years
The Spirit was given a new radiator grille, new taillamps and other minor trim detail changes for 1993. A motorized passenger's side seat belt was added to US-market Spirits in 1994, to comply with Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 208's requirement for passive restraints. These motorized belts do not comply with Canada's safety standards; Canadian-market Spirits continued to use a manual passenger seatbelt, and 1994-1995 Spirits [cannot legally be imported] across the US-Canada border [in either direction]. For 1995, its final year, the 2.5 L engine got a slightly revised cylinder head and both the 4-speed A604 automatic transmission and anti-lock brakes were dropped. Otherwise, the Spirit remained mostly unchanged throughout its six-year run.R/T
In 1991, Chrysler introduced the Spirit R/T, the centerpiece of which was a version of the 2.2 L K-car engine with a 16-valve DOHC head designed by Lotus, who won a design competition against Maserati and Hans Hermann. Fed by a Garrett Systems intercooled turbocharger, this Turbo III engine produced 224 hp (167 kW) and 217 ft·lbf (294 N·m) of torque. The R/T also featured unique interior and exterior trim to set itself apart from other Spirits. The only available transmission in the R/T was a heavy-duty A568 5-speed manual transmission built by Chrysler's New Process Gear division (located in Syracuse, New York) with a gearset supplied by Getrag GmbH. Heavy-duty vented four wheel disc brakes were standard equipment, with optional anti-lock brakes. Color-keyed 15 in. alloy wheels were standard, with P205/60R15 tires.At the time, the R/T was advertised as "the fastest sedan made in America", with Chrysler placing its performance above the BMW M5. It could hit 60 mph (97 km/h) in 5.8 seconds, according to Car and Driver, making it one of the quickest front wheel drive cars ever offered in the American market. It was chosen as Motor Trend magazine's "Domestic Sport Sedan of the Year", beating the Ford Taurus SHO for 1991 and 1992.
Just 1,208 Spirit R/Ts, all built in Mexico, were produced in 1991 — 774 red ones and 434 in white. An additional 191 were built in 1992 — 92 red, 68 white, and 31 silver. The only significant change for 1992 was a lower first gear ratio for reduced "turbo lag".
Mexican & South American Markets
Spirits were very popular in Mexico. They were badged as Chryslers rather than Dodges, since the Dodge brand at the time was used only on trucks. The Spirit was introduced in the Mexican market for 1990, one year after its début in the US and Canada. The initial 1990-model Spirits used a version of the 2.5 L engine operating on leaded gasoline, equipped with a carburetor, a tubular exhaust header, and electronic control of ignition timing. This induction and ignition system used technology and components very similar to those employed in Chrysler's US-market Lean burn emission control systems of the late 1970s.
For the 1991 model year, Mexico enacted new-vehicle emission regulations similar to those in the US and Canada. The carbureted leaded-fuel engine was very much too dirty to comply with the new regulations, so a fully-integrated engine management system with fuel injection was added to the Spirit. This was not the TBI system used in the US, Canada and Europe. Rather, the Mexican-market Spirits got a more advanced MPFI setup. This MPFI 2.5 gave superior performance and driveability and cleaner emissions than its TBI counterpart, but was not used in the US, Canadian or rest-of-world export markets except on turbocharged and FFV models. The Chrysler Spirit with MPFI 2.5 L engine was sold in Mexico from 1991 through 1995, and was exported in small numbers to Argentina and Brazil from 1993 through 1995.
Chrysler sold two versions of the Spirit R/T. The base R/T, sold from 1991 through 1995, used a Mexico-only 168 hp intercooled Turbo-II version of the 8-valve SOHC 2.5L engine and either the 3-speed A470 automatic or 5-speed manual transmission. These R/Ts were very popular with Mexican police departments.
The top-line R/T, available from 1991 through 1994, used the same 2.2L 16-valve DOHC engine as was used in the US Spirit R/Ts. More options and higher equipment levels were available in the Mexican R/Ts, including leather upholstery, digital instrument cluster, sunroof and 16-inch alloy wheels, none of which were available in the US. In addition, Mexican-market R/Ts could be ordered in a variety of different colors, not just the red, white and silver offered in the US. All Mexican-market Spirit R/Ts were badged as Chryslers, An interesting member of the R/T familly, the Chrysler Phantom R/T, was a Mexico-only premium version of the LeBaron convertible equipped with the 2.2 L 16-valve DOHC engine and A568 5-speed manual transmission.
External links
- [Spirit R/T information]
- [Spirit/Acclaim Allpar info on Spirit]
- [Spirit R/T Allpar information on Spirit R/T]
- [pictures and info of Mexican Chrysler Spirits]
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