2003 Chrysler PT Cruiser in Pacoima

Phoenix, Arizona-- JFK's popular notions about the corruptive aspects of power don't apply to motor vehicles, because power tops our list of vital automotive attributes. Too much is just barely enough.

Take Chrysler's PT Cruiser--as more than 300,000 sports fans have done since the PT's launch two years ago. Now that the waiting time is down to "What color would you like, sir?" Chrysler is ready to escalate the Cruiser's vitality. Beginning this summer, you'll be able to say, "Make mine a GT," a move that adds a turbocharger, an air-to-air intercooler, and an extra 55 horses under the hood. The increased urge is delivered to the front wheels by a husky Getrag five-speed manual transmission. This fall, those with a need for speed but a lazy left foot will be appeased by an AutoStick manu-matic option.

The GT Cruiser, as the car will surely be known on the street, if not in the brochures, is hardly a quickie, turbo-kit concoction. The engineering punch list includes an 8.1:1 compression ratio, new pistons and connecting rods for added durability, internal oil jets to cool the pistons, a bedplate for extra crankshaft support, exhaust piping half an inch larger in diameter, and a new intermediate driveshaft to facilitate equal-length half shafts. On the chassis front, there are five-spoke, seventeen-inch aluminum wheels, 205/50HR-17 Goodyear Eagle RSA all-season performance tires, stiffer springs, and firmer dampers. Four-wheel disc brakes with ABS are standard.

Exterior badging is inconspicuous, and flame decal jobs are at your own discretion. The obligatory GT ID is positioned on the lower left corner of the liftgate with a 2.4 Turbo insignia holding court on the opposite side.... Read full article