Cars - Plymouth Laser

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	Cars - Plymouth Laser

The Plymouth Laser was a sports coupe made by Diamond Star Motors. It was a rebadged Mitsubishi Eclipse and was also twins with the Eagle Talon.

The Laser debuted in January 1989 as a 1990 model, with the Mitsubishi Eclipse and the Eagle Talon. Even though the three looked similar, both the Eclipse and the Talon had minor details that made them stick out from the Laser. The Laser sported a racey look, with a plastic panel in the place of a grille, a full rear lightbar, a bulge on the hood for 2.0L models (not necessarily turbocharged), and stylish alloy wheels.

Engines

Base Lasers carried a 1.8 L four-cylinder engine, whereas a 135 hp, 2.0 L DOHC four was optional with the Laser RS. The top-of-the-line RS Turbo used a turbocharged 2.0L rated at 190 hp. A 5-speed manual transmission was standard. A 4-speed automatic was optional, except with the turbocharged engine, which could only be ordered with the manual transmission.

Year to year changes

1991: The Laser got antilock brakes, and the Laser's turbocharged engine could now be ordered with an automatic transmission instead of a manual. The Laser RS could now only be ordered with the 135 hp engine.

1992: The Laser got some cosmetic changes for 1992, and a new all wheel drive model joined the lineup. The RS Turbo AWD came only with a manual transmission, while the 2WD version could still be ordered. There was also a freshening to the front and rear fascias. The pop-up headlights were removed and Eclipse-style headlights were added, making the car look more aerodynamic. It also got a new hood and front and rear bumpers. The rear lightbar was gone and two separate taillights were added instead.

1993: All wheel drive Lasers could now be ordered with an automatic transmission. With the automatic, the power rating of turbocharged models dropped to 180 hp (134 kW). All Lasers except for the base model could be equipped with antilock brakes.

1994: Production of the Laser ended this year, due to poor sales. Nothing was changed.

Pros of the 1G DSMs

Stock "6-bolt" blocks are believed to be immune to crankwalk (92.5+ models have 7-bolt)
Better flowing cylinder head ports than 2g cars
Bigger connecting rods through 1992 1/2 model year
Bigger intake manifold and (60 mm) throttle body
Stock 14b turbo has most power potential (A/T cars came with smaller 13g)
Steel BOV
Stronger suspension than 2g cars
Both LSD rear differential and ABS on 1992 models and up

Cons

"7-bolt" block more susceptible to "crankwalk"
Smaller exhaust manifold that cracks
Smaller O2 sensor housing than 2g cars
Smaller 10.2" front calipers on pre-1992 1/2 model year cars
Single-piston calipers on pre-1992 1/2 model year cars
Only some models came with an EPROM ECU
The worst ABS system among DSMs

Awards

The Laser Turbo was on Car and Driver magazine's Ten Best list from 1989 through 1992.

Failure

The Laser did not sell very well. This could be attributed to several reasons. First, the Laser wasn't advertised much, and the heavy marketing of the Mitsubishi Eclipse and the Eagle Talon winning awards quickly overshadowed the Laser and made it seem "invisible". And the fact that it was a product of badge-engineering and Chrysler already sold a version of the Eclipse as the Eagle Talon wasn't good for it either.

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