As movie cars go, the Dodge Turbo Interceptor from The Wraith doesn’t get the same recognition as the Bullitt Mustang or even Eleanor from Gone in 60 Seconds. But that doesn’t make it any less impressive or less cool. Yet while Bullitt and Eleanor have spawned countless clones, very few people have tried to make a replica of the Interceptor, which makes this one built on a Porsche Boxster chassis even more amazing.
The movie is a forgettable 1980s “teen coming of age before dying and coming back to life to get revenge and win the girl’s heart” B movie. It stars a young Charlie Sheen and Sherilyn Fenn before she made Twin Peaks. It also features a gang of lightweight, two-dimensional villains and Randy Quaid doing Randy Quaid things as the local sheriff. But the real attraction is the Dodge Turbo Interceptor.
Originally built by Chrysler as a concept vehicle and Indy pace car prototype, the Dodge Interceptor M4S was a mid-engine sports car. It used a version of the 2.2-liter four-cylinder found in just about every K-car. Except this was not the engine in your Aunt’s wood-paneled LeBaron. It was seriously beefed up with dual overhead camshafts, sixteen valves, and a pair of Garrett turbochargers to produce an otherworldly 440 horsepower.
Unfortunately, it never paced an Indy Car race, and Chrysler never produced it, even as a limited-run vehicle. Few, if any, replicas exist, and the number of original running prototypes can be counted on one finger. Yet despite this, one person built an exacting, virtually identical replica.
Diminsonially this tribute car is spot on to the original Dodge Interceptor. But look past the bodywork, and you’ll see a well-thought-out mashup of other cars. The door handles are from an Aston Martin. The seats are from an Audi. And the dashboard and bones of this car are unmistakably a first-generation Porsche Boxster.
It’s amazing how well it fits together. Even with the Porsche Boxster dashboard, the interior has a futuristic look with the custom instrument cluster. Best of all, it’s not a movie prop but a street-legal car that gets driven regularly.
