It takes corporate spelunking to uncover the genealogy of the 2023 Dodge Hornet's name. And even more investigation to understand its convoluted engineering heritage and awkward marketing position within the Dodge brand. But past all that is a machine with the sublime moves of, well, an Alfa Romeo.Stellantishad begun production and the United Nations Security Council passed resolutions about unrest on the Korean Peninsula.
Interestingly, Dodge claims a 140 mph top speed for the 3715-lb GT and a 128 mph top end for the 4140-lb R/T. Those are top speeds are academic numbers in every day driving, but every single day isn’t every day.Not counting concept cars like the Firearrows built by Ghia in the 1950s, the Hornet is also the first Italian made Dodge.
The standard wheels and tires are smaller, but the car on hand wore a “Track Pack” with 20-inch wheels inside 235/40ZR20 Michelin Pilot Sport All-Season tires. That’s premium rubber.There’s a “Sport” mode that can be enabled on the GT that is supposed to sharpen throttle response, give the transmission a more aggressive program, tighten steering feel, and tauten the struts. But it does those things only slightly; the feel is better but hardly razor sharp.
The other noticeable difference between the GT and R/T is throttle response. The instant torque from the electric engine gives the Hornet some urgency it otherwise lacks. Really, the trick set up here would be to pair the hybrid system with the 2.0-liter turbo engine to produce something more in tune with Dodge’s current musclebound spirit.
The Hudson Hornet is a full-sized automobile that was manufactured by Hudson Motor Car Company of Detroit, Michigan from 1951 until 1954
I hope it lives up to Hornet tradition.