by Keith Buglewicz
Sport Compact Car, December 1995, p 109
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In the early 1980s, Chrysler seemed doomed. Swamped by debt and crippled with poor management--not to mention some pretty awful cars--it seemed as though the Big Three would soon become the Big Two.
Of course, by the mid-'80s, things had changed dramatically. The multipurpose K-car platform was saving the day, minivans were sweepeing the country, and people were even clamoring for Lee Iacocca to run for president. Practically every car Chrysler built was powered by a 2.2-liter four cylinder in either naturally aspirated form or, for sporty vehicles, a 146 horsepower turbocharged version was available.
The Dodge Omni would at first seem like a strange candidate for the turbo engine. A lowly commuter car, the Omni didn't get much respect. Already an eight-year-old design by 1985, the Omni had certainly see better days. Howerver, by that time, Chrysler had a little money to play with, and play it did. By inserting the turbo engine into the one-year-old Omni GLH (which until then rolled along with only 107 horses), the GLH Turbo was born.
To set the record straight, yes, GLH really does stand for "Goes Like Hell." During the development of the car, it came to be known by that designation, and the nickname stuck all the way to production.
Rarely has a car been more aptly named. With the turbo motor, Car and Driver clocked the GLH at 7.5 seconds from 0-60. Even more impressive was its quarter mile time: 15.8 seconds at 87 mph. That's quick enough to blow off most of today's hottest compacts!
The GLH was not just a straight-line special, either. With 195/50HR-15 Goodyear Eagle GTs mounted on 15-inch wheels, the GLH had a lot of rubber on the ground. A fully independent suspension in front and sime-independant rear put this rubber to good use, making the car an ideal candidate for autocrossing or road racing. Combined with the enthusiastic engine, many GLH owners made a sport of repeatedly blowing off Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupes and Mustang GTs, as well as the occasional Camaro. That's the kind of performance you get with 146-hp yanking around only 2,400 pounds.
However, the story doesn't end there. in the late 80s, Dodge did themselves one better. Lee Iaccoca had made some valuable friends during his years at Ford, one of which was a former racer and car builder named Carroll Shelby. When Iaccoca moved to Chrysler, Shelby's loyalty followed. The result was the development of some seriously fast cars.
The Omni GLH-S was one of these. After the Shelby treatment--which included the addition of an air-to-air intercooler and raising the boost pressure to 12 psi-- the 2.2 turbo put out a whopping 175-hp. That power translated to a 0-60 time of only 6.7 seconds, while the quarter mile flashed by in a brief 14.7 seconds at 94 mph. The suspension was reworked with Koni shocks all around, and 205/50VR-15 Goodyear "Gatorbacks" replaced the Eagle GTs. The suspension improvements combined for a neck-straining 0.88g on the skidpad. The GLH-S was separated from its bretheren by unique graphics and wheels, and by a limited availability of only 500 units. While GLH Turbo owners made a sport of pummeling Mustangs, GLH-S owners could do the same with Ferraris.
Although the performance of both the GLH and GLH-S were stunning, there were compromises. The same suspension that stuck the car to the ground like glue also made for a very harsh ride. The cars' quick steering ratio (14:1) made straight- line tracking difficult. The powerful engine created torque steer that would twist the wheel from your hands if you weren't perpared. And, although the structure of the car itself was solid, interior trim, as well as fit and finish, were significantly less than would-class.
Most people interested the the GLH cars were not concerned with these things. They were interested in a GTI beater that wouldn't cost and arm and a leg. At a starting price of about $9,000 for the GLH and $11,000 for the GLH-S, it was higher than the typical economy car, but much less than anything that could touch it performance wise.
The bright red '85 GLH Turbo you see here is owned by Thomas Ernst of Tustin, California. With 62,000 miles on it, it still runs like clockwork, according to Thomas. Consistent 15.8-second quarter mile runs at a local drag strip equal those garnered 10 years ago when the car was in its prime. It seems that even 10 years after its introduction, the GLH continues to go like hell.
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(As I own one.. 
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