Chrysler Concepts: In Miami the Tomohawk was driven
According to its Designer, Mark Walters, the Dodge Tomahawk is all about "grabbing life by the balls". Unveiled to a stunned audience at the Detroit Show in January, the Tomahawk is motorbike powered by the 8.3-litre V10 engine from the Viper supercar.
This generates an even
500bhp and 500lb ft of torque and drives through a
two-speed gearbox with straight-cut gears and a double chain-drive system. It's dry-sumped for packaging reasons and the fan and alternator were pinched from a Porsche 911 Turbo.
Our concept car was limited to around 120mph, but the production version will be geared for
250mph. It should also sprint from
0-60mph in around 2.5 seconds, if you can hang on that long.
The Tomahawk began life as the pet project of a 'bike-riding clay modeller and a hotrod-driving vehicle developer. They decided to combine their passions and when Trevor Creed, Chrysler's Vice President of Design offered his support, the concept took off.
"The Tomahawk was never actually sketched," says Walters. "Instead, everything was sculptured around the engine." The V10 is not just the powerplant, it's also the load-bearing structure from which the other components are hung. There are four narrow Dunlop tyres, which are independently suspended to allow the rider to lean into corners. They're necessary to support a mass of 1490kg - heavier than a Ford Mondeo.
Sadly, we weren't allowed to ride the Tomahawk prototype, but we were treated to a ride past by one of the engineers. It may share an engine with the Viper, but the Tomahawk sounds more like a Le Mans racer, thanks to a pair of huge five-into-one straight exhaust pipes. For the petrolhead it is, quite simply, nirvana.
Chrysler's top brass are adamant that they're going to build it, too, despite a price tag approaching $350,000. 
Update: Dodge Tomahawk Is Greenlighted - 350K per bike
Linear Mode
