Dodge Introduces The 'Man Van'
CHICAGO (WBBM) -- When you think of a minivan, you think of soccer practice, car pools and whiny family trips -- not the racetrack.
But as WBBM Newsradio 780's Bob Roberts reports, Dodge wants to change that, and they're displaying their new "man van" at the Chicago Auto Show. Its formal name is the Grand Caravan RT.
LISTEN: Newsradio 780's Bob Roberts reports
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Dodge president Ralph Gilles says he has wanted to build a man van for years.
"It's an unmet need. I think there's a lot out there that will enjoy it. When I drive it, I forget you're in a minivan. It's that tossable. So we'll see. It's a big experiment. I've been wanting to do this for a long time; for probably seven years I've been sitting on this idea, so my boss is crazy enough to let me try to do it," he said.
The Grand Caravan comes in red, black and a few other non-traditional colors. It has black leather on the inside, rides lower to the ground, has a sports-tuned suspension, and comes with a 900-watt stereo system.
It's definitely not your mom's van, even if it has the same 283-horsepower V6 instead of a big heavy.
Gilles says the man's van's market is guys hauling band equipment, tools, or even the family dogs.
CBS 2's Vince Gerasole gave us an inside look on Friday.
