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Junkyard Gem: 1986 Plymouth Horizon

Chrysler imported quite a few Mitsubishis and sold them as Dodge and Plymouth Colts, but the Colts of the 1980s had to compete with the Plymouth Horizon and its Dodge Omni sibling. Based on a Chrysler Europe design, production of the Plymouth Horizon ran in virtually unchanged form from the 1979 through 1990 model years. A simple, cheap econobox, the Plymouth Horizon sold well enough, but was such a disposable car that very few remain today. Here's one that lasted long enough to end its days in a California wrecking yard at age 31. The genealogy of the Omnirizon gets a bit tangled when you go back far enough; the car is based on the chassis design of the 1975 Simca 1307, though by the time it got to Detroit it had evolved considerably. Chrysler was desperate for an American-built economy car during the late 1970s, and the Omnirizon got the job done. The 1978-1982 Horizons had 1.7-liter Volkswagen engines, while the 1983-1986 models came with a 1.6-liter Simca mill as the base engine. The Chrysler 2.2-liter four was an optional Horizon powerplant starting in 1981, and the only engine available from 1987 through the final Horizons built in 1990. This car has the 2.2, rated at 96 horses in 1986. The '86 Horizon weighed a mere 2,100 pounds (about the same as a 2017 Mitsubishi Mirage), and so 96 horsepower made it peppy enough by mid-1980s econo-commuter standards. The interior is right out of the Slippery Plastic With Fake Stitching™ playbook, but nobody bought an Omnirizon for the luxury. This car was basically identical to its Dodge Omni sibling, and both had MSRPs of $6,209 in 1986 (about $13,900 in inflation-adjusted 2017 bucks). You could get cheaper new cars in 1986— the $4,995 Hyundai Excel and $3,990 Yugo GV come to mind— but the Omnirizon five-doors were better-built and had the sales advantage of being known quantities. Even by 1986, the Omnirizon was showing its age (though not as much as the amusingly obsolete Chevrolet Chevette, which was sold through the 1987 model year). Still, it remained sufficiently relevant to sell in decent number for another four years. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The pride is back! Featured Gallery Junked 1986 Plymouth Horizon View 14 Photos Auto News Chrysler Hatchback Classics

1963 Chrysler Turbine Car is for sale, and it's the coolest car you can buy

If you have a lot of money, there are a lot of really wild and exciting cars to choose from. But I feel confident in saying that none of them, none of them, can come close to being as brilliantly badass as this 1963 Chrysler Turbine Car, first spotted by Barn Finds, which, yes, is actually something you can buy and own. And even drive! Here's a quick recap of the Turbine Car in case you're unfamiliar. Back in the 1960s, Chrysler was researching turbine engines for vehicle propulsion, and to get an idea for how well they would work in the real world, they built 5 prototype cars followed by 50 production models. Those latter models did a tour to just over 200 families, each of which spent 90 days driving the cars. According to Motor Trend, the engine produced 130 horsepower and 425 pound-feet of torque, and it was paired with a three-speed automatic. Afterward, the cars were returned to Chrysler, which eventually decided that turbine engines weren't the way of the future. According to Hyman Ltd., the company selling this example, only nine Turbine Cars were spared the crusher, and six were sent to museums. This was one of the cars Chrysler held onto, and it was occasionally loaned to executives and such. It was then sold to William Harrah for his collection and museum near Reno. It later was sold to the founder of Domino's Pizza, and then to the latest owner, Frank Kleptz. Kleptz then worked with GE Engine Services to rebuild the engine and make the car run again. As it sits, the car features its original paint, trim and interior. It comes with spare parts and various documents. And of course it oozes cool, from the whistling engine under the hood to the jet-inspired, Ghia-built body and sleek interior. Plus, you can be sure you won't see another one on the road, unless you happen to be cruising by Jay Leno's garage in Burbank, Calif. It really doesn't get cooler than this. Hyman hasn't listed a price for it, but we're sure it will sell for a massive amount, and it would probably be money well spent. Correction: A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Bill Harrah's car collection was in Las Vegas, it was actually near Reno. The text has been updated to reflect this. Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.    

2017 Chevy Camaro Z/28 Nurburgring crash caught on video

A 2017 Chevy Camaro Z/28 prototype crashed Thursday morning during testing on the Nurburgring in Germany. The driver appears to be unharmed, and the Camaro was not severely damaged. You can see the crash happen near the 1:35 mark of the video. Everything is going fine as the camo-clad Camaro accelerates onto the 'Ring. But as the driver goes through a turn the back wheels lock up. The driver then nails the brakes, the front wheels lock up, and he careens into the rail, getting airborne in the process briefly. The driver then navigates the Camaro to the other side of the circuit. A crumpled front fender and maimed aero is the only damage. View 11 Photos Mishap aside, this is an excellent look at what we believe is the track-focused Camaro Z/28. We see the huge wing in back and smaller winglets in front reminiscent of the Corvette Z06's Z07 Performance Pack. The new Z/28 has a throaty, almost buzzy V8 sound. We predict the seven-speed manual transmission from the Corvette, and perhaps the new 10-speed automatic trans from the Camaro ZL1, will be available. This prototype has a huge, gaping grille, blacked out wheels, and an aggressive front splitter. Look for the Z/28 to go on sale next year. A General Motors spokesperson said the company doesn't comment on development testing, but noted that "safety is our overriding priority." Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Image Credit: Brian Williams / SpiedBilde Spy Photos Chrysler Coupe Performance Videos viral video chevy camaro z28