IndyStar.com's view

The Indianapolis 500-Mile Race beat the Dodge brothers to the marketplace in America, but not by much.

They had run the “500” only four times when John and Horace Dodge rolled the first Dodge automobile out of their factory on Nov. 14, 1914. But that set the stage for a relationship with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway that still is going on.

For the 1991 race, Dodge is providing the Viper pace car, as well as other models for support duties.

Among the latter is the Shadow convertible that in turbocharged form adds spice to one’s life.

With the top down, the open road beckons. However, with the Shadow convertible it beckons only four people.

The compact has specifications that offer either performance motoring or a more domesticated ride. The Shadow ES convertible that Dodge Division provided for a test car was decidedly a performance vehicle.

Powered by a turbocharged 2.5-liter engine mated to a five-speed manual gearbox, it offered 152 horsepower and 181 foot-pounds of torque. When the turbo boost came on, the 2.5 never seemed to stop digging, and the sensation of speed was immediately apparent.

With this manual transmission, when a driver brings up the engine speed before dropping in the clutch, he has boost available leaving the line. At slow speed in other gears, it came on at around 2,100 to 2,200 rpm.

A five-speed obviously gives a driver greater flexibility in playing with the car. About the only bad habit the convertible exhibited was a little torque steer to the right on heavy-throttle first-gear starts.

As with any automobile that has no roof and utilizes unitized construction, there was a certain degree of body shake over uneven pavement. Even though additional bulwarking has been added to the body, it never completely replaces a roof that acts as a stress member.

However, by using chair-height seats Dodge has done a good job in making driver and passengers comfortable. This seat lets you sit up rather than semi-recline, and reduces fatigue.

The convertible had a fairly easy ride, considering its short wheelbase and moderate weight. On occasion, there was a hint of rocking motion to the ride, but overall it was quite tame for a performance car.

As a front-drive, the Shadow had a high degree of stability, even in crosswinds. And with the ability to go up or down through the gears, it afforded a driver the opportunity to zip in and out of traffic.

As an ES, there was the expected plush fabrics, air, stereo, and accompanying accouterments. But what I really missed was an emergency-brake lever between the front seats.

There was a left foot-actuated pedal that did the same thing. But for an open car, I think there ought to be a hand-operated brake lever. It sort of takes you back to the days of Ralph DePalma.

1992 Dodge Shadow ES Base price: $12,801 As tested: $15,321 Type: Front-engine, front-drive, four-passenger, compact convertible Engine: Eight-valve, fuel-injected, 152-horsepo wer, four-cylinder, 2.5-liter turbo Mileage: 19 mpg (city), 23 mpg (highway) Acceleration: 0-60 mph in 8.0 secs. Length: 171.7 inches Wheelbase: 97.0 inches Curb weight: 2,886 pounds Options: Air conditioning, 2.5-liter turbo engine, power windows and mirrors, stereo with cassette, tachometer cluster, cruise controlArea dealers: Gene Beltz, Hubler, Palmer, Palmer West, Plainfield, Paul Goeke