Dodge/Chrysler Stratus touring cars

[Hobson]

Anyone who knows about R/C touring cars will have heard about the Dodge Stratus.
I would like the know what the real Stratus touring car looked like.
I've been told that it racing in a championship now defunt called NATCC, North American Touring Car Championship.
If anyone has a picture, please post it here.
The only pics I havce are of the R/C version, though on of these is of the real one. I'll try to find it.

Thanks!

[Hobson]

This is the 1/18 R/C version, and I think this is the replica of the NATCC car.

[touringlegend]

There's a Chrysler Stratus running in the Swedish Touring Car Championship. Any of the Swedish users have any pics of that?

[JMeissner]

The STCC 2001 Chrysler Stratus driven by Tomas Engström.

[KA]

Hobson- the 1/18 RC model is definitely a replica of one of the NATCC cars. The series only ran for a couple of seasons, and the Stratus was a factory Chrysler entry, built by Reynard and run by an off-shoot of the PacWest Indycar team.

Over the 2 seasons they races in the States, the 2 cars appeared in 3 different liveries- I think they were originally plain white, then the red and white of the model on one car with a PPG sponsors (orange & white I think) livery on the other.

After the NATCC folded, the cars went to Europe, and there was a rumour at one point that French team ORECA might do a couple of BTCC rounds as part of a development programme, but nothing came of it.

I'd guess that the Swedish car may be one of the original PacWest cars- think they were the only ones built?

[redshoes]

All the NATCC links seem to have gone but I did manage to find these 2 pics

http://www.ecn.net.au/~amib/st/dodge1.htm

http://www.ecn.net.au/~amib/st/dodge2.htm

[Reido Rules]

It's a great road car I can tell you that, but that ishe old shape a new style was introduced mid way through 2001, but that's irrelivant bevause it don't race.

[kmchow]

I never knew those pictures of mine were still online?? And it seems, they are presented very nicely too.
The R/C picture is done reasonably well. It's just lacking some additional sponsor decals, but I'm not too sure how you can get a hold of those? Custom make them?

[Michael H]

The Chrysler is an awesome looking car. In 1997 it was rumoured at some stage that the team from the NATCC was looking at entering the then Super Touring Bathurst 1000 with one of its cars to be driven by Alan Jones. Sadly, the deal never came off, but the 1980 F1 champ did get behind the wheel of a Williams Renault Laguna.

[touringlegend]

The Dodge/Chrysler was the biggest Super Touring car ever built, wasn't it?

[Owy's No1 Fan!]

Volvo 850 estate?

[AdamED]

Emmmm The chryler looked good. I think the volvo wasnt the biggest car it was probably the RS500

[Hobson]

Thanks, just one more question.

What engine size is it?

R/C National racing have a rule that the model has the be a replica of a 4 door, 2 litre family saloon. I thought the Stratus is so big that it can't be 2.0. Maybe 2.5?

[Hobson]

Anyway, the biggest tourer has the Rover SD1.

[kmchow]

Hobson wrote:

>I thought the Stratus is so big that it can't be 2.0. >Maybe 2.5?
>
As it turns out, for a short time at the least, the base model of the car, was powered by a 5 speed manual 2L 140hp engine. It should be no suprise that it was later dropped. There were a total of 3 engine choices in NA, 2L 4 cylinder, 2.4L 4 cylinder, 2.5L Inline 6.

[kmchow]

I never knew that R/C National had such funny rules requiring that the real car be powered by a 2L engine in order for the rc scale model to be raced?

[touringlegend]

Well, they have to be FIA regulation Super tourers I think, very accurate, though the RC cars are not always the exact shape of the full size car.

[Hobson]

Yes, those rules are to stop everyone racing Dodge Vipers and Ferrari F50s in the Touring class.

TL, the Protoform Vauxhall Vectra springs to mind. Anyone want to see pics?

BTW, this is my 450th post!

[touringlegend]

The Vectra was exactly what I was thinking of!

[KA]

Originally posted by Hobson
Thanks, just one more question.

What engine size is it?

R/C National racing have a rule that the model has the be a replica of a 4 door, 2 litre family saloon. I thought the Stratus is so big that it can't be 2.0. Maybe 2.5?

The NATCC ran to the normal Supertouring regulations, so the Stratus was definitely a 2-litre.

It was probably just about the biggest car used in Super Touring at a little over 4.7 metres- a bit longer than the Honda Accord or Volvo 850. The only other Supertourer I can think of that was as big was the Toyota Camry raced in South Africa around 1995/6 which was about the same length.

Apart from a couple of independents, the Stratus was the only car actually developed for that series- most teams bought in year-old cars from other series- at least 2 Mondeos from the 1995 BTCC went over there, as did 2 of the works Mazda Xedos from 1993/4.

[KA]

Originally posted by Hobson
Anyway, the biggest tourer has the Rover SD1.

How about the Holden Commodore or Jaguar XJS?

If you want to go right back to the 60's you can get even bigger tourers- ever seen a mid-60's Ford Galaxie?

[EERO]

Originally posted by KA


I'd guess that the Swedish car may be one of the original PacWest cars- think they were the only ones built?

I thought a few were running in South America in the Super Touring Series in Brazil and Argentina, though I could be mistaken. At least two years ago, i recalll reading that Esteban Tuero was running against one. I have no idea of the lineage of these cars though.

[kmchow]

touringlegend wrote:

>Well, they have to be FIA regulation Super tourers I >think, very accurate, though the RC cars are not always >the exact shape of the full size car.
>
But then, are the Alfa 156 and Audi A4 available in 2L in Europe? They have RC cars for those models?

[kmchow]

KA wrote:

>I'd guess that the Swedish car may be one of the original >PacWest cars- think they were the only ones built?
>
A total of 5 or 6 cars were built. Definitely 3 '96 spec and 2, possibly 3 '97 spec. One of the '96 spec cars was totalled. The '96 cars, later updated to '97 spec cars, went to South America, while the '97 cars eventually appeared in the STCC. The '97 spec cars underwent an extra year of development by Oreca. Rumors swirled the cars may have appeared at selected BTCC, STW and Bathurst. Sadly, none of these came true. Chrysler claimed their initial startup costed 40M US.

[kmchow]

KA wrote:

>Apart from a couple of independents, the Stratus was the >only car actually developed for that series-
>
Actually, that is incorrect. There were at least 2 '97 spec Toyota Camrys built by Rod Millen on behalf of Toyota NA. Toyota spent 2 years testing the waters and watching the series,but they pulled out after Dodge withdrew. The cars never saw the racetrack and their current whereabouts are unknown. In conjunction Toyota developed a bodykit and turbocharger for the Camry,no doubt to be promoted along with the racing cars. It was announced that Rod Millen and his son would drive the cars with another driver subbing in for Millen's son if the schedules clashed. 2-3 years later, rumors had circulated the cars were to be converted to a drag racer and raced at selected import drag races, but that never materialized.

Some have suggested that Dodge pulled out b/c they were not happy Honda was using their Euro Accords, instead of the NA Accords to race. But recent individuals have mentioned that the organizers were lining their pockets instead of spending the money to promote the series.

>most teams bought in year-old cars from other series- at >least 2 Mondeos from the 1995 BTCC went over there, as did >2 of the works Mazda Xedos from 1993/4.
>
The Honda team were using year old cars to race against Dodge. The BMWs were 1-2 year old as well. It was shaping up to be very interesting. It would have been so nice to see the Camrys race, if at least for just one year!!! How well they would have done would be anyone's guess??? Sighhh...thanks for bringing back all those fond memories....