Revisiting the 2000 Plymouth Prowler Woodward Edition

Think back to the ’90s and early 2000s, and you can’t help but smile at the Plymouth Prowler. This car was a big deal for Chrysler and kick-started the whole retro style craze. It became like the superstar for the brand when it merged with Chrysler, and you couldn’t flip through a car magazine, check out a calendar, or even look at a toy lineup without spotting this cool retro-rod.

At first, it was all about that Prowler Purple color. But pretty soon, Plymouth realized they had something special on their hands and started making different versions to make the most of its popularity. One of those special versions was the 2000 Plymouth Prowler Woodward Edition.

Named after a famous cruising boulevard, the Woodward Edition was the first Prowler to show off a two-tone look. They combined Prowler Red and Prowler Black, creating a unique style that stood out from the rest. The hood, rear deck lid, and upper doors got the Prowler Black treatment, and a cool red stripe was hand-painted by Detroit pinstripe guru called “Dr. Ru” around the lower part of the black area. Dr. Ru even put his signature and a number on each of the 151 Woodward Edition cars, right above the license plate. There were 2 extra cars made without the signature, just to keep things interesting.

Now, here’s the thing: only 151 of these cars were ever made. So, the Woodward Edition is like finding a rare gem in the automotive world, right behind the very last Prowler ever made, which was a special High-Voltage Blue version sold for charity.

Under the hood, there’s a 3.5-liter V6 engine from the Chrysler 300M. It’s not the most powerful thing out there, but it gets the job done with 253 horsepower and 255 lb.-ft. of torque. This V6 buddy is paired up with a 4-speed automatic rear-mounted transaxle, which is like a fancy way of saying the car shifts gears really well. They even put a tube thing called a torque tube between the engine and the transaxle, like how they do it in fancy cars like Corvettes. This combo lets the Prowler go from 0 to 60 mph in under 6 seconds, and it could go as fast as 126 mph before an electronic limiter would kick in.

But here’s where the Prowler really shines: it was a playground for Chrysler’s smart folks. They used all kinds of aluminum to make this car cool and light. More than 900 pounds of this roadster’s 2,780 pounds were aluminum, used for stuff like the body, frame, and even the suspension parts. They even used special aluminum shapes and parts for the frame, which was pretty creative. They didn’t stop there – even the brake rotors were a mix of aluminum and another fancy thing called metal matrix composite.

As we enjoy the Woodward Dream Cruise today, take a moment to look back at the Plymouth Prowler Woodward Edition. It’s like a time capsule that reminds us of the good times when cars were all about fun and style, and Chrysler was pushing the limits of what they could do. It might not be the fastest thing on four wheels, but it sure is a special piece of automotive history that keeps the good vibes of cruising alive.

2000 Plymouth Prowler Woodward Edition Image Gallery:

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