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Dodge to Unveil Sporty Roadster in Geneva

With the final chapter of 2006 firmly closed and behind us, several thingshave been established in the auto industry. Traditional sport utility vehicles are on the decline, with markets shifting towards smaller crossovers and cars. Hybrids and diesels are firmly planted in the minds of consumers, and fun, efficient sports cars are fighting their way back. General Motors has had unrivaled success with its Pontiac Solstice and Saturn Sky duo, capturing hearts, minds, and drivers. Despite their shortcomings in cargo capacity and refinement, they've been selling well too, overtaking Mazda's MX-5 in deliveries. However, if DaimlerChrysler has any say in things, the days of the Solstice and Sky are numbered.

Adding to DCX's sporty lineup, Dodge is reportedly developing a two-seat,

Dodge's upcoming two-seat roadster-style car will be shown at Geneva. It's said to resemble the Razor concept, pictured here. (Photo: DaimlerChrysler)

lightweight, compact rear-wheel drive roadster in concept form for the Geneva Motor Show this spring. The bold, male-centric brand has toyed with the idea of lightweight rear-drive sports machines several times in the past ten years, most notably the Copperhead, a "Viper-like" roadster, the neon orange Razor (more on that in a moment), and the Slingshot, a rebodied, hopped up version of the Smart Roadster Coupe. With so many concepts under its belt, Dodge should be getting close to coming up with the perfect roadster... at least, in terms of design."A carbon copy of a Mazda MX-5"... now that's a good start. (Photo: Mazda) />
According to various sources that have already seen the car in an exclusivemedia preview, the roadster is "a carbon copy of the Mazda MX-5", so for sure it won't be carrying the torch for the Chrysler Crossfire. In terms of the details, it will draw a fair number of styling cues from the funky Razor concept (shown above) that was displayed back in 2002.

Trevor Creed, Chrysler Group's chief of design told British magazine Autocar, "The sports car market is an ideal fit for Dodge . . . It's a market relatively untapped by the big players, and I think there are opportunities there - just watch this space." Indeed, it would also give Dodge buyers something more attainable and a little less menacing than a Viper to lust after. It would also prove that sporty Dodge machines

Now guys, let's see this thing actually hit the production lines... (Photo: DaimlerChrysler)

don’t require HEMIs to induce mile-wide grins.

But there's a big gap between the designers and businessmen; Chrysler Group's CEO Tom La Sorda doesn't necessarily agree with Creed. Having observed the hardships that Chrysler faced with the Mercedes-Benz SLK-based Crossfire Coupe and Roadster, he's cautious about another sports car. La Sorda says, "It's something we should certainly look at, but it has limited volume and there are other new segments where maybe the business case is better."

We think that if Dodge were to produce a Razor-like sports car, the results would be significantly different from those of Chrysler's Crossfire. The approach of a frills-free roadster would allow Dodge to bypass the luxury and high levels of refinement that the touring Crossfire had to accommodate. Like the Solstice and Sky, a good design backed by a decent powertrain can generate interest, hype and restore hope and enthusiasm - something that couldn't hurt Dodge.

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