It was only ever a matter of time before people started saying “damn, that’s a nice PT Cruiser” again. That time is now, because someone has built what might be the hardest Chrysler PT Cruiser GT in existence by giving it wheels from a Bentley Continental. In fact, it’s so good that even PT Cruiser haters—and they are many—can’t deny how good it looks.
This Chrysler was built in Latvia of all places, by a guy who I imagine had to jump through more than a few hoops to get a PT Cruiser in the first place. It’s an early-production GT, the performance version with a 2.4-liter turbo-four shared with the esteemed Dodge Neon SRT4. That means it has performance potential worthy of the Bentley wheels it rides on.
Said wheels are the 19x9s off a first-gen Continental GT, which ordinarily wouldn’t fit the PT Cruiser. They have a 5×112 bolt pattern, while the Chrysler uses a 5×100. But that’s what hub-centric adapters are for, and while it wasn’t necessary to re-barrel these wheels, they look all the better for it.
As for why they work, I have a theory. The PT Cruiser rode the same wave of neoclassical car design as the Chrysler 300, which at the time closely resembled the Arnage. (Many Chrysler owners even threw Bentley badges on their Chryslers, and were dragged for it.) That means the PT Cruiser has only a degree or two of stylistic separation from a Bentley, which might explain why the British ultra-luxury brand’s wheel design fits so well on an otherwise tacky Chrysler.
Of course, that’s just my rationalization; I may be full of it. Regardless of reason, it can’t be denied that this is one of the best-looking Chrysler PT Cruisers out there. That may be a low bar, but that doesn’t mean you can’t clear it like a rocket leaving the atmosphere. It’s like they say: Shoot for the moon, and you’ll land among the stars.
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