When Chrysler Nearly Beat Corvette… Then Killed Its Own Car скачать в хорошем качестве

When Chrysler Nearly Beat Corvette… Then Killed Its Own Car

Discover Virgil Exner’s 225 slant six inspired Plymouth XNR was an extreme, image-making “Corvette fighter” built around Chrysler’s Slant Six, but the real “shock” is how far it went in performance and styling…and how completely Chrysler then walked away from it.t its story is filled with technical drama, innovation, and unintended consequences. Virgil Exner and the 225 Slant Six Virgil Exner was Chrysler’s styling chief and the architect of the company’s dramatic “Forward Look” fins of the mid‑1950s. He was frustrated by Chrysler’s conservative engineering and pushed for a modern inline‑six that became the tilted 225 Slant Six, nicknamed the “Leaning Tower of Power.” Why the XNR Was So Radical The Plymouth XNR (shown in 1960) was a one‑off concept roadster built on a compact Valiant chassis, with bodywork by Italian coachbuilder Ghia. ​ Exner made the car deliberately asymmetrical: the driver’s seat, hood scoop, tiny windscreen, and tall fin were all offset, echoing contemporary Indy roadsters and the off‑center Slant Six layout. ​ The “Hot” Slant Six Inside Instead of a V8, the XNR used a highly tuned “Hyper‑Pak” version of Chrysler’s Slant Six (170–225 cu in), fitted with a four‑barrel carburetor, special manifolds, and NASCAR‑style tuning. ​ In concept‑car trim it produced roughly 250 hp and pushed the XNR past 146 mph in early tests, later touching about 150–153 mph after aero and engine tweaks—remarkable numbers for a small six in 1960. The Real “Dark Side”: Corporate Rejection Despite its speed and press attention, Chrysler management judged the XNR too wild for the conservative U.S. sports‑car market, concluding there was no realistic business case. At the same time, Exner clashed with executives over downsized, awkward 1962 Chrysler designs blamed on false rumors about GM shrinking its cars, and he was pushed out as styling chief in 1962 and kept only as a consultant. What Happened to the XNR With no production future, the XNR was sold off, passed through private hands overseas, and famously survived years hidden in the Middle East before eventual restoration decades later. Today it is seen as a dramatic symbol of Exner’s last, uncompromised vision at Chrysler: a wild Slant‑Six sports car that proved what the engine and designer could do, just before the company cut him loose. AMERICAN Car History, Season 1 The Ford 427 side oiler engine That silenced Enzo Ferrari 1966    • The Ford 427 side oiler engine That silenc...   The Ford 289 Gurney Weslake engine That silenced Porsche    • The Ford 289 Gurney Weslake engine That si...   The shocking truth behind Mopar bulletproof 225 Slant Six engine    • The shocking truth behind Mopar bulletproo...   The Shocking Truth Behind the Ford Deadly 255 indy engine    • The Shocking Truth Behind FORD's Deadly 25...   The shocking truth behind Smokey Yunick Hemi head Camaro 1968    • The shocking truth behind Smokey Yunick He...   The Shocking Truth Behind Chevrolet Banned 409 WidowMaker Engine    • The Shocking Truth Behind Chevrolet Banned...   The shocking truth behind Chevrolet Banned 427 L88 ENGINE!    • The shocking truth behind Chevrolet Banned...   The shocking Truth Behind FORDs Banned 351 Cleveland Engine    • The Shocking Truth Behind FORDs Banned 351...   The Shocking Truth behind Pontiac Banned 421 Super Duty Engine!    • The Shocking Truth behind Pontiac Banned 4...   The Shocking Truth behind Chevrolet Banned 396 Big Block Engine!    • The Shocking Truth behind Chevrolet Banned...   The Shocking Truth behind FORDs Banned 427 Cammer Engine!    • The Shocking Truth behind FORDs Banned 427...   The Shocking Truth Behind Chevrolet's Banned 427 Mystery Motor    • The Shocking Truth Behind Chevrolet's Bann...   The Shocking Truth behind Ford’s Banned BOSS 429 Engine!    • The Shocking Truth behind Ford’s Banned BO...   innovations: Exner made the XNR asymmetrical to visually and conceptually echo Chrysler’s off‑center Slant Six engine, to capture the look of contemporary offset racing roadsters, and to avoid what he called a “static and bulky” form. Racing and trend influences Exner and his son later noted that contemporary Indy roadsters and earlier two‑man Indy cars, with offset seating and drivetrains, strongly influenced the XNR’s single‑fin, driver‑focused layout. ​Asymmetrical touches were also fashionable in late‑1950s and early‑1960s custom culture (off‑center scoops, etc.), and Exner was consciously tapping into that “asymmetrical art” trend to make the XNR stand out as a radical sports concept. The taller driver’s headrest/fin, lower passenger side with a Le Mans‑style tonneau, and offset windshield were all arranged to emphasize the driver and suggest a single‑seat racer, reinforcing the car’s performance intent as much as its appearance. .Join this channel to get access to perks:    / @rarecarstorys