That American icon of the ’60s, the muscle car, is back.  It’s true.  This story should be familiar:  young hot-rodders take the smallest cars in the lineup, beef up the engines, add fancy wheels and paint jobs, and have a grand old time.  Before long the manufacturers want in on the game, and out come the factory hot rods, which get progressively wilder as everyone tries to outdo the next guy.  Sound familiar?  Now, are the main players in this story Ford Fairlanes and Dodge Darts, or Honda Civics?

And now there’s a name common to both hot-rod eras:  R/T.  Those letters that graced the sides of high-powered Dodge Challengers in the early Seventies can now be seen on high-performance Dakota pickup trucks, Dodge Intrepids, and on this week’s feature, a hot-rodded Dodge Neon.  And it’s more than just a trim job, too–under the hood resides a 150-horsepower powerplant.

The Neon was all-new for 2000, but retained its happy face.  The evolutionary redesign gave the car a bigger, more tiptoed look, but the familiar round headlights and happy face were retained.  The redesign also addressed noise, vibration, and handling issues.  Now that the bread-and-butter models have made their debut, Dodge is bringing out the sporty ones.  The 2001 Neon R/T offers more grunt for the street, and the upcoming Neon ACR (Automotive Club Racer) is geared toward track performance.

The most aggressive Neon available from Dodge doesn’t hide its light.  Sixteen-inch wheels and a big spoiler announce the R/T’s intentions from the first.  The Neon’s arched-cat stance is emphasized by the larger wheels, and by large wheel arches.  Out back, curved taillights bracket a wide, oval tail.  The wheels are a multi-spoked, open style, and look good.  A body-colored, slightly larger-toothed grille treatment doesn’t take quite enough of the cuteness out of the Neon’s round-eyed face, though.  The Neon seems more likely to coo than to snarl, even though it’s more overtly sporty than a similarly appointed Ford Focus ZTS.

Inside, the updates to the interior are welcome, and put the Neon on a plushness level with  competitors from Nissan and Subaru.  It lacks the machinelike European precision of a Ford Focus or Volkswagen Golf, but that just makes it seem friendlier at first blush.  The seats are comfortable, a nice compromise between heavily bolstered sport seats and long-trip benches.  The stereo controls are an ergonomic nightmare; buttons are large enough to push easily, but they’re labeled too small for quick use.  Worse, the optional CD changer is located at the bottom of the console, nearly out of sight and convenient for items in the console to bump the buttons.  On the plus side, the Neon R/T’s optional leather interior features side airbags.

A dead pedal would be welcome, as well, because the Neon R/T does have the moves to back up its racy face.  The Magnum powerplant pulls strongly.  It does its best work toward the middle of the tachometer–off-the-line performance seemed less than urgent to us at times.  A 150-horsepower 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine sets the pace, and it’s linked to a five-speed manual transmission.  The combination works well, although it runs out of steam at the extreme low and high ends of the powerband in a big way.  An occasionally bratty clutch led to some embarrassing stalls at traffic lights, but that was as much driver error as it was the car’s fault.

The MacPherson front suspension has been tweaked with stiffer springs and struts, and uprated sway bars.  At the rear, the R/T receives a similar treatment.  The tightened Neon holds the road well, with some reluctant understeer coming in at the very edge of the Goodyear RS-A tires’ grip.  It’s a very forgiving setup, making the R/T a good companion for younger drivers who want to play on the twisty roads but don’t enough experience for more serious performance cars.  A Focus ZTS has less horsepower, but will outhandle the Neon R/T without question.  Four-wheel disc brakes and standard ABS on the R/T increase the forgivability factor.  Traction control is also available.

Unlike its stripped-for-drag racing forebears of the Sixties, the Neon R/T doesn’t skimp on the appointments.  Our test car featured a raft of options:  full leather interior, side airbags, a sunroof, spoiler, 4-CD changer, traction control, and anti-theft system, and stickered for $18,885.  The interior options are also available on the Neon SE, but the R/T’s engine and suspension options are unique.

So, then.  Anybody who wants to get into a muscle car war for the new millennium, the glove has been tossed.  With competition from Subaru, Nissan, Mazda, and Ford looming on the horizon, the Neon R/T is going to have its sporty little hands full.

Specifications:
All specs are for the 2001 Dodge Neon R/T which we tested.

Length:         174.4 in.
Width:            67.4 in.
Height:            56.0 in
Wheelbase:        105.0 in.
Curb weight:        2559 lb.
Cargo space:        13.1 cu. ft
Base price:        $12,715
Price as tested:     $18,885
Engine:     2.0 liter SOHC 16-valve four cylinder
Drivetrain:     five speed manual, front-wheel drive
Horsepower:     150 @ 6500
Torque:     135 @ 4400
Fuel capacity:        12.5 gal.
Est. mileage:        27/33

6/2009 update:  Time has not been kind to the Neon.  Dodge’s little happy-face didn’t age well, and quality problems cropped up quickly, resulting in a lot of Neons hitting the used-car lots and falling into the hands of young buyers looking for bargains.  The Neon’s fun-to-drive qualities are still there, but it’s hard to find one in good condition, just eight years down the road.