The Dodge Tomahawk was the most unexpected of three concepts introduced by DaimlerChrysler during the 2003 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
It defies complete description. It's a motorcyclelike vehicle that's powered by a V-10 engine capable of producing 500 horsepower. It has two wheels on either end set very close together, but each with an independent suspension so it can be leaned into turns. It uses a two-speed transmission with straight-cut gears. Weighing in at 1,500 pounds, the Tomahawk will accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 2.5 seconds and, "theoretically," can go 300 mph, Chrysler Group COO Wolfgang Bernhard said.
But that's only half the story. It is a thing of beauty with its body parts machined out of solid pieces of billet aluminum. Dieter Zetsche, Chrysler Group president and CEO, suggested that the Tomahawk "might" be built in limited numbers. That seems unlikely, but nevertheless, this one will be talked about for sometime. |
— Reported by
Andy Mikonis, cars.com;
image courtesy of the manufacturer |
