Looking Back At The 500 Horsepower Dodge Tomahawk Concept

Unveiled in 2003 at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, the Dodge Tomahawk Concept quickly gained attention for its unique design and impressive performance capabilities. One of its most striking aspects was the vehicle’s use of the Dodge Viper’s 8.3-liter (505 cubic-inch) VIPER V-10 engine.

The VIPER V-10 produced 500 horsepower (370 kW) and 525 lb.-ft. (712 Nm) of torque, which was transmitted to the rear wheels via a two-speed manual transmission. The massive V-10 engine gave the Tomahawk an impressive power-to-weight ratio, which contributed to its impressive performance capabilities.

Dodge press releases and spokespeople gave various hypothetical top speeds ranging from 300 mph (480 km/h) to as high as 420 mph (680 km/h), which analysts thought were probably calculated with horsepower and final drive ratio alone, without accounting for drag, rolling resistance, and stability.

It’s design was the work of Chrysler designer Mark Walters. Once his design was approved, the engineering and fabrication for the original concept was sent to RM Motorsports, a specialty shop in Wixom, Michigan, that specializes in fabricating one-of-a-kind parts for rare and vintage race cars.

Walters’ early sketches had a front suspension that looked something like an Elf-Honda racing motorcycle’s hub-center steering, but RM Motorsports designed a new, patented front- and rear-swingarm suspension that allows both parallel wheels to lean together, keeping all four in contact with the ground and allowing countersteering.

Using a front suspension system used outboard, single-sided parallel upper and lower control arms made from polished billet aluminum. These arms were mounted via a ball joint to aluminum steering uprights and hubs, and had a 5-degree caster angle. The system also featured a single, fully adjustable centrally located coil-over damper with a 2.25-inch coil and adjustable spring perch, as well as a pullrod and rocker-actuated mono linkage. 

The rear suspension system was hand-fabricated from box-section steel and incorporated a “hydral-link” lockable recirculating hydraulic circuit parking stand. The system featured inboard swing arms and a single, fully adjustable centrally located Koni coil-over damper with a 2.25-inch coil and adjustable spring perch. The rear suspension also had a pushrod and rocker-actuated mono linkage and center-lock racing-style hubs.

The attention to detail and precision engineering was evident in the Tomahawk’s components, such as the custom-milled aluminum parts and the use of high-quality needle and ball bearings. The alloy pieces under the seat, for example, started as 750 lb (340 kg) billets and were machined down to just 25 lb (11 kg) each, resulting in a mirror-like finish. This level of craftsmanship not only adds to the Tomahawk’s striking appearance but also ensures that it functions properly and can be driven at high speeds.

No independent road tests of the Tomahawk have ever been published, and the company said that in internal testing it was never ridden above 100 mph. The only recorded ride of the Tomahawk was at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in 2003, where it was ridden by Bud Bennett of RM Motorsports and completed a single run, which he estimated to have reached 70 mph.

After capturing the world’s attention for nine months, a limited production run of 10 Tomahawk vehicles were available to purchase on page #61 of the Neiman Marcus Christmas book that year. Listed for the cool price of $555,000 (or equal to $902,388 in 2023 money), it became and continues to be the most expensive Dodge vehicle ever offered to the public. 

According to records, 9 units were sold to the public. But due to regulations, the vehicle was not fully functional and more of an art piece. Even if it was modified to run, it would still not meet regulations and could not be legally operated on public roads.

2003 Dodge Tomahawk Concept Image Gallery: 

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