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The Dodge Intrepid is a full-size automobile available as a front-wheel drive four-door sedan that was produced by Dodge for model years 1993 to 2004. It was related to the Chrysler Concorde, Chrysler LHS, Chrysler New Yorker, Eagle Vision, and also the 300M sedans. The Intrepid, Concorde, and Vision were collectively designated the LH, Chrysler's codename for the platform which underpinned them. The Intrepid was sold in Canada as the Chrysler Intrepid. It replaced the Chrysler Dynasty (Canada) and Dodge Monaco (United States) as Dodge's largest car. With Dodge's introduction to Mexico that time, it was badged as a Dodge, replacing the Dynasty when it was sold under the Chrysler brand. ==Background== The Intrepid's design goes back to 1986, when designer Kevin Verduyn completed the initial exterior design of a new aerodynamic concept sedan called Navajo. The design never passed the clay model stage. It was also at this time that the Chrysler Corporation purchased bankrupt Italian sports car manufacturer Lamborghini. The Navajo's exterior design was reworked and became the Lamborghini Portofino, released as a concept at the 1987 Frankfurt Auto Show. The Portofino was heralded as a design triumph, setting in motion Chrysler's decision to produce a production sedan with the Portofino's revolutionary exterior design, called "cab-forward". The cab forward design was characterized by the long, low slung windshield, and relatively short overhangs. The wheels were effectively pushed to the corners of the car, creating a much larger passenger cabin than the contemporaries of the time. Design of the chassis began in the late 1980s, after Chrysler had bought American Motors Corporation (AMC) in 1987. During this time, Chrysler began designing the replacement for the then-new Dodge Dynasty, which was a mid-size car. Initial proposals bore resemblance to the Dynasty, but this design approach was scrapped entirely in 1988 by François Castaing, the former AMC Vice President of product engineering and development. As AMC was purchased by Chrysler, Castaing became new Vice President for Vehicle Engineering for the new company. The acquiring automaker was in desperate need to replicate the AMC and Renault corporate culture where work was conducted in an atmosphere "of constant change".〔 Castaing organized Chrysler's departments into AMC-style cross-function teams, as well as incorporated the use of simultaneous engineering.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Organizational culture )〕 Moreover, the new vehicle's design, under Castaing's leadership, began with the Eagle Premier platform. The Premier's longitudinal engine mounting layout was inherited, as was the front suspension geometry, and parts of the braking system. The chassis itself became a flexible architecture capable of supporting front or rear-wheel drive (designated "LH" and "LX" respectively). The chassis design was continually refined throughout the following years, as it underpinned more Chrysler prototypes: the 1989 Chrysler Millennium and 1990 Eagle Optima. The transmission was inspired by the Premier's Audi and ZF automatics. Borrowing heavily from Chrysler's A604 (41TE) "Ultradrive" transversely mounted automatic, it became the A606 (also known as 42LE). The initial standard 3.3 L pushrod V6 engine was joined in 1990 with a 3.5 L SOHC engine with four valves per cylinder. For the second generation Intrepid R/T the block was recast in aluminum as part of a comprehensive upgrade. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Dodge Intrepid」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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