1991 Dodge Spirit R/T - This Just May Be The Ultimate Sleeper...

You know that friend you have that obnoxiously thinks that he or she knows everything there is to know about cars? (Among my friends that would probably be, uh, me.) Call them right now and bet them a burger and a beer that they can't tell you what the fastest 4 door sedan sold in North America in 1991 was. There's a very good chance you'll be eating and drinking for free tonight.

Yep, the Dodge Spirit R/T was the fastest 4 door sedan sold in North America in 1991. Who knew?

According to Car & Driver, this car reaches 60 MPH in 5.8 seconds. To put that in perspective, a US spec 1991 BMW M5 took 6.4 seconds to hit 60.

Chrysler created this car by taking their venerable, 93 HP, 2.2 liter 4 cylinder engine and slapping a Shelby / Lotus designed, Lotus built, DOHC head on it. They then threw on an intercooled turbo that ran at 11 pounds of boost. The result was a 224 HP 2.2 liter engine. (If you want to go old school, it was a 135ci engine. That means that it put out roughly 1.67 HP for every cubic inch!) Apparently they didn't want anyone to notice this incredible engine, so they dropped it in one of the blandest car bodies ever built; the Dodge Spirit. The result was the ultimate sleeper.

Chrysler did some modifications to the suspension including increased spring rates and front valving, performance-oriented rear shocks and a 28.6 mm rear sway bar. The standard tires were 205/60R15 Michelins and the wheels measured 15" x 6". Still, ride / handling was not the R/T's high point. Car & Driver said that the stiff springs and shocks caused the R/T to be "nervous, unsettled and even clumsy". Road & Track reported that "When cornering on bumpy pavement, limitations of the K-car-based chassis become evident".

There is very little externally to distinguish the Spirit R/T from the standard Spirit. R/Ts came in only two colors; red and white. Except for some chrome around the windows, everything was painted red or white. The R/T also got front foglights and a little spoiler on the trunk. That and the badging were the only things that were different from the standard Spirit.

Very few of these cars were built, just 1208 in 1991 and 191 in 1992.

This car is rough, but drivable and very restorable. The seller says it needs paint and a bit of body work (including some rust repair). But, he's done a lot of work to it and the asking price is a very reasonable $2350.00 or best offer.

I love sleepers, but this may be even too much of a sleeper for me. However, if you want a high performance car that is completely invisible and virtually unknown, this car can't be beat.

Located in Omaha, NE, click here to see the Crigslist ad.

A very big thanks to JaCG reader, Christian, for sending me the link to this car!