The Chrysler brain trust considered asking actor Sylvester Stallone to debut the Tomahawk at the show preview but decided "it would be cooler to have Wolfgang ride it because then the bike would be the star," Creed said.
"Of course we're going to build this concept, right?" Zetsche said. When it came time to present proposals for the 2003 Detroit auto show to CEO Dieter Zetsche, both Bernhard and Trevor Creed, Chrysler's chief designer, saved the Tomahawk until the end.Ĭreed didn't think Zetsche, the executive who fast-tracked the Chrysler Crossfire into production, would go for this one. We didn't think they'd want to proceed with anything like this," said Mark Walters, the ponytailed 38-year-old designer who dared to propose the concept. "I was stunned when they asked me to work up some 3-D electronic renderings. No one was more surprised than the designer. "I said, 'We have to do this.' Are we a motorcycle company? Well, no, but what the hell." The Tomahawk started a year ago as a handful of sketches by the Chrysler group's design staff.īernhard immediately fell in love. The motorcycle, powered by a V-10 engine from the Dodge Viper, is huge, dangerous, loud - and irresistible. DETROIT - V-10 engines in Ram pickups, Hemi engines, advertising of questionable taste - brash is the driving attitude at Dodge.Īt the Detroit auto show two weeks ago, Chrysler group COO Wolfgang Bernhard quickened the pulse of power freaks everywhere when he drove the Tomahawk onto the stage.