Dodge’s New Budget-Friendly Enthusiast Car Will Revive a Shelby Cult Classic

This week, Stellantis announced a host of upcoming vehicles as part of its FaSTLAne 2030 turnaround plan. It’s been a lot to chew on, to say the least.

In addition to reaffirming the launch of Ram’s Ranger-fighting Dakota and the promise of upcoming Chrysler models, Stellantis confirmed the return of Jeep’s beloved Scrambler nameplate.

Stellantis

As if that surprise wasn’t enough to fuel your speculation, it turns out Dodge also has a revival inbound. Beyond being affordable, it promises to revive an 80s Shelby great (properly this time, supposedly).

There’s a new GLH on the way

That being the GLH, or “Goes Like Hell.” It’s a name that first appeared on the Dodge Omni as a hot version of the affordable 1980s hatch. Best known for muscle cars, Carroll Shelby also graced an economical compact with some of his performance wizardry.

Stellantis

It’s too early for hard specs, but Dodge’s promised GLH does have the potential to live up to its predecessor in more ways than one. Along with being one of nine upcoming Stellantis models priced under $40,000, it also stands to revive its enthusiast spirit.

That is, at least if word from Tim Kuniskis is anything to go on. During the Investor Day presentations, the Stellantis American brands frontman referred to the GLH as a “true entry-level performance vehicle, a gateway into the Brotherhood of Muscle.”

Stellantis

Abstract as that language may be, thankfully, Kuniskis also put it in plainer terms. He added, “Think of it as the next generation of Hornet, but the way we should have done it the first time.”

While this means that it’ll likely once again take the form of a crossover, the presentation did at least confirm there will be an SRT version as well. Hopefully, that amounts to more than stripes and wheels, as the GLH is a concept that’s still relevant.

Stellantis

A parallel of performance needs

Chiefly because the original also came about when rising oil prices made thirsty V8s impractical. Ford and Chevrolet responded by giving muscle cars smaller engines, while Dodge fielded fuel-efficient compacts and front-wheel-drive models.

That wasn’t without eventually giving such vehicles a dose of performance appeal to drum up sales. To make the mundane Omni a serious hot hatch, Dodge enlisted the help of the one and only Carroll Shelby.

Stellantis

As such, when the Omni GLH first debuted in 1984, it touted upgrades like a 110-horsepower 2.2-liter four-cylinder engine, stiffer suspension and beefier brakes, as well as more responsive steering and some aluminum wheels.

However, following the addition of a new turbo engine and a corresponding GLH-T option, Shelby took the up-spec Omni even further. For 1986, he ordered 500 examples to create a run of modified versions called the GLH-S (Goes Like Hell S’more).

Stellantis

Along with an intercooler, a larger turbocharger and throttle body, improved cooling and an even sportier suspension setup, the treatment also brought significant grunt. With 175 horses and 175 lb-ft of torque on tap, it put down more than double what a regular Omni could from the factory.

The forthcoming GLH will undoubtedly tip the scales much heavier than the little 2,200-pound hatchback, but Dodge can at least apply lessons from Shelby’s tuning approach. Crank up the boost and make the car handle on rails, and not even the price at the pump can keep grins away. Let’s hope it’s actually a better Hornet when it finally arrives.

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