Dodge Magnum
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| Dodge Magnum<tr><td colspan=2>Image:Dodge-Magnum.jpg</tr> | |
| Manufacturer: | Chrysler Corporation DaimlerChrysler<tr><th>Production:<td>1978–1979 2005-present</tr><tr><th>Assembly:<td>Windsor, Ontario, Canada (1978-1979) Brampton, Ontario, Canada (2005-present)<tr><th>Successor:<td>Dodge Mirada (for 1980)</tr><tr><th>Similar:<td>Chevrolet Malibu Maxx Subaru Outback</tr> |
|---|---|
| 1978-1979<tr><th>Production:<td>1978–1979</tr><tr><th>Class:<td>Mid-size</tr><tr><th>Body style:<td>2-door coupe</tr><tr><th>Platform:<td>FR B-body</tr><tr><th>Engine:<td>318 in³ LA V8 360 in³ LA V8 400 in³ B V8 440 in³ RB V8</tr><tr><th>Transmission:<td>3-speed A727 automatic</tr><tr><th>Wheelbase:<td>115 in</tr><tr><th>Related:<td>Chrysler 300 Chrysler Cordoba Dodge Charger Dodge Monaco Plymouth Fury</tr> |
| 2005-present<tr><td colspan=2>Image:Chrysler 300.jpg</tr><tr><th>Production:<td>2005–present</tr><tr><th>Class:<td>Full-size</tr><tr><th>Body style:<td>4-door station wagon</tr><tr><th>Platform:<td>FR LX</tr><tr><th>Engine:<td>2.7 L EER V6 3.5 L EGJ V6 5.7 L Hemi V8 6.1 L Hemi V8</tr><tr><th>Transmission:<td>4-speed 42RLE automatic 5-speed automatic</tr><tr><th>Wheelbase:<td>120.0 in</tr><tr><th>Length:<td>197.7 in</tr><tr><th>Width:<td>74.1 in</tr><tr><th>Height:<td>58.4 in</tr><tr><th>Related:<td>Chrysler 300 Dodge Challenger Dodge Charger</tr><tr><th>Designer:<td>Ralph Gilles Freeman Thomas</tr> |
The Dodge Magnum name has been used on a number of different automobiles. The most recent is a large rear-wheel drive station wagon introduced in 2004 for the 2005 model year. This new Magnum is Dodge's first car to use the new Chrysler LX platform, shared with the Chrysler 300 and the Dodge Charger. Previously, the Dodge Magnum model name had been used from 1978 to 1979 for a large coupe in the United States. In Brazil, the Magnum name was a version of the local Dodge Dart from 1979 to 1981. In Mexico, the Magnum was a K-car from 1983 to 1990.
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[edit] 1978-1979
The 1978 and 1979 Dodge Magnum in the United States and Canada was a rebadged Chrysler Cordoba. The Magnum replaced the Charger SE in Dodge's lineup, but was a poor seller. It was the last vehicle to use the long running Chrysler B platform. The appearance was somewhat of a rounded off Charger, and was in response to getting a car that would be eligible for NASCAR that would be more aerodynamic, something the Charger was not. Styling features included four rectangular headlights behind retractable clear covers, with narrow opera windows, and an optional T-bar or power sunroof. The Magnum was well-featured with power steering, brakes and seats; the suspension included Chrysler's standard adjustable, longitudinal torsion bars, lower trailing links, and front and rear anti-sway bars. The base engine was the 318 in³ V8 with Lean Burn, while two and four-barrel carbureted 360, 400 and 440 in³ V8s were also available; weight was nearly 3,900 lb, making performance competent but not thrilling except with the big 400 or 440 V8s. Technology was advanced for the time with an onboard spark control computer from inception, electronic ignition, and a lockup torque converter. The Magnum name was discarded quickly in favor of the Mirada, a smaller car that was also a rebadged Chrysler Cordoba.
[edit] NASCAR
Several teams tried the Magnum in NASCAR, and while the car was aerodynamically slick, the lack of racing parts for the engines left the car at a disadvantage. While the Magnums driven by Richard Petty, Neil Bonnett, and Buddy Arrington scored many top five and top ten finishes, none were ever able to win a race, though not for the lack of trying. By the later half of the 1978 season, Petty and Bonnett shifted to Chevrolets (and at that point the door closed for Dodge in NASCAR, winning no races until 2001), leaving independent drivers Arrington and Frank Warren to shoulder on with the Magnums with next to no factory support from Dodge. The cars showed up in twos and threes at NASCAR races until January 1981.
[edit] Brazil
In Brazil, the Dodge Dart was produced until 1981 with minor changes from the original model, released in 1969 and largely based on the 1967 Dart. For its last three years of production, a 2-door upper trim level version of the Dart was sold as the Magnum, featuring the 318 in³ V8 engine and a fiberglass front fascia that included four headlights, while the rear end was very similar to the American Dart. The Magnum was sold as a separate model from the Dart, despite being almost identical to the Dart.
[edit] Mexico
The same Brazilian Dart derivative was sold in Mexico. 1983 saw the introduction of the K-car Magnum; this version stayed in production until 1990.
[edit] 2005-present
The Magnum name was revived in 2004 as a 2005 station wagon on the Chrysler LX platform. This is Dodge's first station wagon since the discontinuation of the Dodge Colt wagon in 1991, and though it can be considered the first full-size American station wagon produced since the discontinuation of the Chevrolet Caprice/Buick Roadmaster Estate wagons in 1996, it's not nearly as large, with interior dimensions much closer to those of the more recent Ford Taurus wagon. The new Magnum is essentially a station wagon version of the Chrysler 300, with minor cosmetic changes.
The new Magnum has four engine options; the SE features the 190 hp 2.7 L LH V6, the SXT has the 250 hp 3.5 L V6, and the RT has the new 5.7 L Hemi V8. The SRT-8 has a 425 hp 6.1 L Hemi engine.
The Magnum became available with all-wheel drive in 2005 on SXT and RT models. The AWD SXT and the RT use a Mercedes-Benz-derived 5-speed automatic transmission, while all other models use a four-speed automatic.
Like the Chrysler 300, the new Magnum has been a stunning success for the company, easily outselling its predecessor, the Dodge Intrepid. Dodge has announced plans for the Magnum to go on sale as a police variant to compete against the Ford Crown Victoria. Available only to law enforcement, emergency agencies, and government agencies, the vehicle will have the SXT's V6 as a base motor and the Hemi as an option, along with police-specific options such as a steering-column mounted shifter, deactivated interior rear windows and locks, and bulletproof glass between the first and second rows of seats and the cargo area. The Magnum is built in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.
The Magnum was on Car and Driver's Ten Best list for 2005.
[edit] SRT-8
For 2005, an SRT-8 version was produced. Like the 300C SRT-8, it features the new 6.1 L Hemi engine, which produces 425 hp (317 kW). 20" wheels, firmer suspension, bigger brakes, new lower-body treatment, and a revised front and rear-fascia completes the transformation. The SRT-8 debuted at the 2005 Los Angeles Auto Show. The SRT-8 was named "Best New Modern Muscle Car" in the 2006 Canadian Car of the Year contest.
[edit] Europe
In Europe, where the Dodge brand name has poor recognition, the Magnum is sold as the Chrysler 300 Touring. It is essentially the same car as the US-market Magnum, but with the Chrysler 300's front end.
[edit] External links
- Official website
- Original Dodge Magnum and 2005-current Dodge Magnum at allpar.com
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