• 1999 engine has been modified to 253 hp and includes an aluminum block
• Gross Vehicle weight is 48kg lighter in 1999
• Longer exhaust baffles 
• Auto Down for drivers power window
• Illuminated controls - door locks, windows etc
• Passenger Air bag On/Off switch
• Steel Oil Cooler lines
• Updated body controller software - Cluster displays "DOOR/DECK" if either is not closed. 1997 model has indicator on dash which was replaced by the "Passenger Air Bag OFF" indicator in 1999
• Trunk lid insulation included in 1999
• Road clearance increased by .920" in 1999. Accomplished by increasing front spring rate. 
• New colors - Yellow, Black, Red
• Changes to trim with various colors - ie additional top canvas to cover inside portion of truck lid when top is up. Door sill trim
• Chromed wheels available in 1999

Being on the leading edge of automotive design and technology, the Plymouth Prowler enters its second model year of production with major changes in both the "show" and "go" departments, underscoring Chrysler's commitment to making this automotive icon even more exciting.

Production began in early 1998 for 1999 model Prowlers (There is no 1998 model Prowler.) All 1999 Prowlers are powered by an all-new, High-Output 3.5-liter V-6 aluminum engine that dramatically improves performance. The new eye-popping shade of Prowler Yellow has been added in addition to Prowler Purple for 1999. Two new colors - Prowler Red and Prowler Black - are planned for production later in the 1999 model year.

Prowler's new 3.5-liter engine boosts output by 18 percent with a robust 253 horsepower, 39 more horsepower than the 1997 model. Torque is increased by 15 percent to 255 lb.-ft., marking a 34 lb.-ft. increase over 1997.

This all-new aluminum engine also powers the Chrysler 300M and Chrysler LHS sedans for 1999. But applying the engine to the Prowler was more than just a simple "bolt in" process. The engine had to be substantially recalibrated to meet much more aggressive performance demands, including the development of a quicker throttle cam and retuning the intake and exhaust systems. The electronic controls for the engine and transmission were revised, including changes to run on premium-grade fuel for optimum performance.

The new engine, with its lower noise, vibration and harshness characteristics, helps reduce NVH levels throughout the entire car. Improved block stiffness and precision balancing of all rotating parts combine to isolate and reduce unwanted engine noise.

The quality of the Prowler's exhaust note was a very high priority for Prowler, just as it is with most 'one-off' street rods, according to Team Prowler engineers. A significant amount of time was spent tuning the exhaust and intake systems to keep the engine acoustics appealing while meeting applicable regulations. The result was definitely a win/win - better acceleration and an engine sound befitting the Prowler.

Besides more power and a reduction in overall curb weight, the 1999 Plymouth Prowler has increased efficiency and reduced emissions in comparison to the 1997 model. Using aluminum technology and state-of-the-art computer engine management, the new 3.5-liter engine reduces hydrocarbon emissions, meeting Tier 1 federal emission standards.

Beyond the all-new engine and overall power train improvements, the 1999 Prowler also features next-generation air bags* that deploy with less force, as well as a key-operated passenger-side air bag disable switch**. Interior changes from 1997 include illuminated window switches with 'express-down' on the driver's side, and revised trim appearance for Prowler's 320-watt "boom box" speakers.

* Certified to federal regulations that allow less forceful air bags. Always use seat belts. Remember a back seat is the safest place for children

** Important - Always remove key and replace cover. Rearward-facing child seats can be used in the front seat only with the passenger air bag turned off.

 Prowler's handling is fabulous. And you'll love the look of the suspension components - the SSF (semi-solid forming process) process turns out a nice looking part straight out of the die, which is then enhanced by a stainless steel shot-cleaning, and clear-coating. 

 A midnight raid on the corporate parts bin - and clever engineering - provided Prowler's power, rack-and-pinion steering, which mounts beneath the cross member for ease of access. It was lifted from our minivans and modified with smaller pistons and special valving. Its ratio is now 1-8:1, 3.13, turns lock-to-lock, for a 39-foot turning diameter which puts it well inside the '84-'96 Vette. 

  Steering was engineered to provide a precise, European on-center feel, with a crisp linear turn-in. It does all that, plus imbues it driver with a confidence not to be found behind the wheel of many shade tree hot rods. 

   And that Prowler "sits" right is due in no small measure to its huge Goodyear extended-mobility rubber 17-inch front and 20-inch rear, with built-in "run-flat" capability.

Velvet ropes keep the curious from getting too close to this amethyst on wheels. A bearded admirer poses his young daughter beside the rare and pricey jewel on exhibit at a N. Main Street showroom, then snaps their picture for posterity. 

Arrayed in princely purple, one of the most unconventional production automobiles ever built, the Plymouth Prowler, has arrived in Gainesville. 

"It came in last week, and since then we've probably had 35 to 40 people a day come in to look at it," said Rex Chumbley, general sales manager for Hawes Chrysler-Plymouth. 

Hawes scored a plum when it was notified about six weeks ago that a purple 1999 Prowler was headed its way. Only three other of the limited-production cars, whose design is based on classic 1950's hot rod styling, are known to be available at dealerships in Florida. 

Hawes got one, Chumbley said, because, among other things, it has a service technician on staff who is certified to work on the exotic, V-6-powered Prowler. It may never get another, since worldwide production is only a few thousand and the dealer waiting list is long. 

Its price tag suggests the Prowler is destined less for a garage than a vault. 

The windshield sticker indicates the manufacturer's suggested retail price is $40,000. But because of the law of supply and demand, the dealer's asking price is more than double that: $89,300, not counting about $5,400 just in state sales tax. 

The feeling among those dealers lucky enough to get one, Chumbley said, is, "You're only going to get one, so you better make it count." 

So far, he said, no serious buyers have been among the lookers. That's not to say they haven't gotten any offers. 

"One guy offered us $15,000 and wondered if we could work with him on it," he said. They couldn't. 

At an Orlando wholesale auction for dealers, he explained, the few fiberglass-bodied roadsters that show up on the block have been going for between $60,000 and $75,000. And in the duPont Registry, a monthly catalog of exotic cars offered for sale by private individuals and dealers, he said, the cheapest Prowlers start at about $80,000. 

Since its official debut last summer as a 1997 model, the Prowler has become more of an investment opportunity for speculators than a mode of transportation. In a gushy review in the July 1996 issue of Automobile magazine, before the public introduction of the car, the writer P.J. O'Rourke noted that, like art, "There is a vast, splendid, transcendental uselessness to the Prowler." The Prowler, he added, "is mainly art." 

And like works of art, few Prowlers are ever driven. Some aren't even titled, and buyers often trailer them away from the dealership to keep their mileage as low as possible, and the potential for future profit high. 

The Gainesville edition has about two miles on the odometer, both put on by Chumbley in a brief jaunt down Main Street. 

"It was an exciting ride for me," he said. "It's comparable to a Corvette as far as power goes ... I'm an older guy who grew up with the (high-performance) muscle cars of the 1960s, and I was expecting 6-cylinder power in the Prowler. But it's a quick, gutsy little car." 

Any buyer will have to take his word for it. For this little $90,000 plum, no test drives are allowed.