Chrysler Laser
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Wikipedia: Dodge Daytona
Wikipedia: Plymouth Laser Page Sections History Documents |
History
The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Dodge Daytona page on 24 June 2020, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The Chrysler Laser was billed as the Chrysler brand's first sports car. The Laser was a virtual clone of the Dodge Daytona, but came only in the upscale trim version. It was produced from 1984 to 1986. The Laser emphasized European luxury, and was intended to be an "executive personal luxury coupe". The Laser was sleek, low-slung, and aerodynamic, with a drag coefficient of 0.35. The car had a large rear hatchback, with a rear deck-lid spoiler. The 1984 Laser was available in two trim lines: standard and XE. In mid-1985, the XT trim was added as the top-of-the-line version. The standard, XE and XT trim lines would continue until the Laser’s demise in mid-1986. After 1986, the Daytona was exported to Canada as the Chrysler Daytona, officially ending Canadian Daytona sales under the Dodge marque. The turbo version of the Laser could be recognized by its use of black hood louvers. The 2.2 L Turbo I engine was available as standard equipment in the XE and XT trim lines and optional on the standard model. The Laser was replaced by the Mitsubishi built Chrysler Conquest, a rear-wheel drive vehicle which competed directly against the Toyota Celica Supra. The Laser name was silently terminated after the first half of 1986 model year, then resurrected for the 1990 model year as the Plymouth Laser, built by Diamond Star Motors, a joint venture between Chrysler and Mitsubishi. The rebranded Laser shared its body and chassis with the Eagle Talon and Mitsubishi Eclipse.
The following section is an excerpt from Wikipedia's Plymouth Laser page on 24 June 2020, text available via the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
The Plymouth Laser is a sports coupe sold by Plymouth from 1989 (as a 1990 model) to 1994. The Laser and its siblings, the Mitsubishi Eclipse and Eagle Talon, were the first vehicles produced under the newly formed Diamond Star Motors, a joint-venture between the Chrysler Corporation and the Mitsubishi Motors Corporation. The "Laser" name was recycled from an earlier sports coupe sold as the Chrysler Laser during the 1980s.
Introduced as "the first Plymouth of the '90s" in advertising, the Plymouth Laser debuted in January 1989 as a 1990 model. Commercials for the 1990 Laser featured R&B singer Tina Turner who appeared in a series of 1990 promotional ads for Plymouth. With three available engines, two transmission offerings, and sporty "aero" styling, the Laser was the most performance-oriented Plymouth since the Barracuda, Duster, and Road Runner muscle cars of the 1970s.
Despite its close resemblance to its Mitsubishi and Eagle siblings, it has several unique styling cues intended to set it apart from the other two. Apart from badging, Lasers sport a race-inspired look, with a plastic panel in the place of a grille, a full rear lightbar, a bulge on the hood for 2.0 L engined models (not necessarily turbocharged), and available stylish "lace" patterned alloy wheels. Rallye Sport (RS), models are set apart from the base models by their black roof with body color targa band, power steering, lower bodyside accent striping, and dual power mirrors, as well as an array of options not available on base Lasers.
Base Lasers carry a 92 hp (69 kW) 1.8 L four-cylinder engine, whereas a 135 hp (101 kW), 2.0 L DOHC four-cylinder was optional with the Laser RS. The top-of-the-line RS Turbo uses a turbocharged 2.0 L rated at 195 hp (145 kW). A five-speed manual transmission was standard. A four-speed automatic was optional, except with the turbocharged engine, which could only be ordered with the manual transmission until 1991 models debuted.
