We've always said the car world needs more V8s, and we'd certainly look at some controversially styled rides with different eyes. Heck, we'd stop making fun of the Fiat Multipla if it had a V8 engine under the hood, and we'd certainly support a Chrysler PT Cruiser if it had such a motor.
You do remember the Chrysler PT Cruiser, right? Why, of course, you do. After all, how could you forget the contraption that was supposed to look like a classic car? The automaker rolled it out in Mexico and Austria, and production spanned between 2000 and 2010.
Bryan Nesbitt was responsible for that controversial design, and he also left his mark on other rides, including the Pontiac Solstice, G6, Buick Lucerne, Saturn Aura, and others. Nesbitt was inspired by cars made in the 1930s when sketching out the PT Cruiser, and it would've been less controversial if GM had built it on a different platform.
Did you think the Chrysler PT Cruiser is rear-wheel drive? Well, it's not, as it is actually a front-wheel drive car that uses the same construction as the Dodge Neon and SRT4. It didn't shine in the powertrain department, either, as the company settled for straight-four engines, including a diesel burner for overseas markets, pairing them with a four-speed auto or a five-speed manual gearbox.
Photo: Instagram | fce_world
Several enthusiasts took matters into their own hands and swapped the model's original engine with a punchier one. We are aware of several examples that have stepped into supercar territory as far as the straight-line performance is concerned. One of them is said to produce a neck-snapping 808 horsepower at the wheels, and besides the stunning output, it also looks the part courtesy of an aftermarket makeover.
But what about the Hellcat-powered Chrysler PT Cruiser pictured above? Well, it's only a rendered model that its digital maker, fce_world on Instagram, named the PT Bruiser. We're fans of its new given name, and we're also fans of what lies under the hood, with one exception. You see, the pixel manipulator may have used the word Hellcat in the caption, but it is the 6.4L HEMI V8 that lies under the hood, as you can see in the CGIs.
Other than that, it is certainly one of the most appealing copies of this otherwise controversial model that we have seen over the years, and you would certainly have our moral support if you decide to fit a Hellcat motor under the hood of the Chrysler PT Cruiser. Assuming, of course, that it fits, and even if it doesn't, you could always chop some things just for the sake of it, with the usual reinforcing so that the chassis does not bend upon throttle abuse.
After a series of unfortunate events put an end to Cristian's dream of entering a custom built & tuned old-school Dacia into a rally competition, he moved on to drive press cars and write for a living. He's worked for several automotive online journals and now he's back at autoevolution after his first tour in the mid-2000s. Full profile
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