Photo: kragyen/instagram
Putting electric vehicles in the same sentence with badges that appeal to an enthusiast's heart isn't an easy task. However, if we choose to approach this from a design standpoint, the increasing number of EVs has the potential to put a smile on the face of aficionados. Case in point with the independent rendering we have here, which brings the Dodge Neon back under the spotlights with a bang.
Before we zoom in on this pixel portrait, let's rewind to 1991, when the Dodge Neon concept car was introduced. Aside from attention-magnet features such as the sliding front/rear doors and the power fabric sunroof, the production car that landed three years later, as a 1995 model, remained pretty faithful to the show car.
Nevertheless, to keep its new compact cool, Chrysler introduced no fewer than four fresh concepts based on the Neon in 1994 and 1994. And one of these was aimed directly at enthusiastic drivers. We're talking about the Venom, which went as far as sporting a Neon platform reworked to accommodate a 3.5-liter V6 (two extra cylinders compared to the showroom model). This did away with the FWD nature of the production car, sending its power to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual and accounting for one of the carmaker's attempts at showcasing a baby Viper sportscar.
Of course, the Dodge Venom never made it into the real world, while the Viper evolved all the way to the Gen V model we had the massive pleasure to review; while the latter was retired in 2017, at least it was made.
So, what if the Venom returned as a compact coupe? Well, this rendering allows us to imagine such a proposal. Keep in mind that Kraig Kember, the experienced Toyota designer behind the work, came up with this as a doodle rather than an effort that would meet the criteria for a production vehicle.
Thanks in no small part to the front light clusters and the thin grille between them, the original Neon's identity is here, while details such as the prototype racer-like roof and the Turbofan wheels make the thing look fast while standing still.
Sure, the chances of Dodge introducing a compact sports car in the current crossover-dominated landscape are close to zero, but throwing an all-electric powertrain into the mix might just change that.
After all, Fiat-Chrysler is currently making sustained electrification efforts, with the Peugeot-Citroën merger that led to the creation of Stellantis only set to take the plan further.
Nevertheless, to keep its new compact cool, Chrysler introduced no fewer than four fresh concepts based on the Neon in 1994 and 1994. And one of these was aimed directly at enthusiastic drivers. We're talking about the Venom, which went as far as sporting a Neon platform reworked to accommodate a 3.5-liter V6 (two extra cylinders compared to the showroom model). This did away with the FWD nature of the production car, sending its power to the rear wheels via a six-speed manual and accounting for one of the carmaker's attempts at showcasing a baby Viper sportscar.
Of course, the Dodge Venom never made it into the real world, while the Viper evolved all the way to the Gen V model we had the massive pleasure to review; while the latter was retired in 2017, at least it was made.
So, what if the Venom returned as a compact coupe? Well, this rendering allows us to imagine such a proposal. Keep in mind that Kraig Kember, the experienced Toyota designer behind the work, came up with this as a doodle rather than an effort that would meet the criteria for a production vehicle.
Thanks in no small part to the front light clusters and the thin grille between them, the original Neon's identity is here, while details such as the prototype racer-like roof and the Turbofan wheels make the thing look fast while standing still.
Sure, the chances of Dodge introducing a compact sports car in the current crossover-dominated landscape are close to zero, but throwing an all-electric powertrain into the mix might just change that.
After all, Fiat-Chrysler is currently making sustained electrification efforts, with the Peugeot-Citroën merger that led to the creation of Stellantis only set to take the plan further.
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