This Is a 200-MPH Dodge Neon

You know the Neon, the Nineties compact so anonymous that Chrysler, Dodge, and Plymouth all put their badge on it in the same generation. You may also know that the Neon's ACR and SRT-4 variants are seriously underrated track cars. What you may not know is that the first-generation Neon also has some potential as a mile-length speed trial racer. How much potential? Well, this one went 200.9 mph.

Yes, this Dodge Neon crossed the 200-mph threshold. All it took was 700 horsepower and more than a decade of commitment to the platform from owner Malcolm T. Ward, who started running another Neon at the Texas Mile in 2012. According to a post on the Mile's Facebook page, he started running a white Neon that reached 169 mph with light modification. That car eventually ran in the low 190s before blowing an engine, leading to further upgrades and, eventually, a new chassis.

This blue Dodge Neon R/T belonged to his stepson. With parts from both his old car and a 2004 SRT-4, it can produce 700 hp at the wheels on racing-spec E85. Add in some aerodynamic modifications that Ward says in a Facebook comment have mostly come "from ACE Hardware and Home Depot," and you have a Neon capable of 200.9 mph, all while retaining the general look of a stock car. It may not be the most efficient or most sensible way to hit the milestone, but only a lucky few can ever hope to see 200 in a front-wheel drive American compact.

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