How do you get men interested in a family hauler such as a minivan? You come up with a gratuitous marketing campaign based on a sport model designed for NASCAR dads and off-road guys. That is exactly what Chrysler is doing with its redesigned 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan, by releasing an R/T model for the guys.

Minivan Originator

First some background information. The Dodge minivan was introduced for the 1984 model year with the current extended wheelbase Grand Caravan showing up in 1987. Initially, Dodge and Plymouth models were developed with Chrysler getting its own minivan in 1990.

Chrysler has been credited with starting the minivan movement and when the two remaining models are combined (Plymouth was discontinued in 2001), these models still manage to outsell the competition. Yet, appealing to guys has not been its strong suit, something the Dodge Grand Caravan R/T aims to change.

Man Van

The Grand Caravan R/T we’ll see is not much different from the concept minivan shown at auto shows. This model won’t even have a different engine or transmission, but with the new 3.6-liter Pentastar V-6 under the hood paired with its six-speed automatic transmission, Dodge hopes that its 283 horsepower rating and 260 pound-feet of torque will have you thinking you’re behind the wheel of a Charger, Avenger or Challenger. Go ahead – pretend you’re driving a Viper although that sort of mind stretch may mean that you’re delusional!

What the Grand Caravan R/T boils down to is one thing: looks. Those “looks” go beyond the shared refreshed grill, fog lamps, curved wheel wells and body paint found in other trim levels of the Dodge Grand Caravan. Larger sport wheels and a body kit treatment to the nose are among the distinguishing exterior features. Inside, its black and grey interior gets some eye candy stitching across the seats and on the steering wheel. All editions of the Dodge get the same retuned suspension. Combined, Dodge hopes that these changes will get men to say “I want one” when most likely they’ll be having to buy one for the family anyway.

Dodge Heritage

Building a man van goes with the territory whereby Chrysler has separated its Dodge vehicles from its Ram trucks into two distinct brands. “Ram tough” describes the trucks while Dodge is now the performance division for the automaker. That means every model sold must have macho appeal from the compact Caliber on up.

How that plays out in a minivan remains to be seen, but at least the 2011 Dodge Grand Caravan R/T gives it a try. What?! No HEMI?!

Matthew C. Keegan is a freelance writer who resides in North Carolina. Matt is a contributing writer for Andy’s Auto Sport an aftermarket supplier of quality parts including tail lamps and hoods.

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