The Durango Super Pursuit

– NEW DODGE DURANGO CAME FOR 1998 MODEL YEAR
– A SUPERCHARGED TUNER VERSION CALLED SUPER PURSUIT
– HERE’S THE PROTOTYPE BUILT BY PERFORMANCE WEST

In late ’97, Dodge unleashed the all-new 1998 Durango. A seven-seat SUV built on a truck frame, ready to tow 7,500 lbs and take on anything in its path. Born from the Dakota, it shared its guts and sheet metal but added raised stadium seating and a roof rack to disguise its muscular silhouette. It rode on a 116.2-inch wheelbase, weighed in at 4,689 lbs and packed a 360-cid Magnum V8 paired with a 4-speed TorqueFlite auto. Front engine. Four-wheel drive. All muscle.

The Durango turned heads, especially at Performance West in San Diego. Their response? The Super Pursuit: a one-off pre-production concept with bold ambition. Where is it now? No one knows. But if you find it, you’re looking at a one-of-one Mopar_® muscle SUV unicorn.

POWER

What powered this beast? 5.9L Mopar small block, Kenne Bell Supercharged with equal-length headers and 3-inch exhaust. A re-worked computer management system and free-flowing induction system. The result? 360 horsepower, 412 lb-ft torque.

PERFORMANCE

0-60 in 6.7 seconds, 1/4-mile in 14.5 seconds.

LOWERED SUSPENSION

In order to provide a reduced center of gravity for improved handling, front and rear, DJM Suspensions came up with a system that re-engineered the ride height, which was lowered four inches in the front and five inches in the rear.

BODY REVISIONS

To give the Durango an edge, just the right touches were added – aggressive, not excessive. Custom fiberglass front and rear fascias, side skirts and a dual-scoop hood dialed up the attitude. A set of 7-inch PIAA pencil-beam lights, Monza exhaust tips and smoked glass brought the heat. The roof rack? Smoothed out for a cleaner, meaner profile. And that paint? A one-off Amethyst Purple Pearl Metallic – deep, dark and built to stand out.

INTERIOR HIGHLIGHTS

Inside, the Durango got a full attitude adjustment. Custom four-piece leather seating by Kustom Fit, carbon fiber trim (even on the wheel) and aluminum pedal covers cranked up the performance vibe. A Kenne Bell boost gauge kept things in check, while audio upgrades from Rosen and a custom Wolf rear console brought the noise.

ROLLING STOCK

Rolling on 20-inch 9-spoke Niche Gefell wheels wrapped in 275/35ZR20 Michelin Pilot SX rubber, this Durango didn’t just sit pretty, it stuck. Behind the bling, serious stopping power: drilled and slotted discs clamped by 6-piston calipers up front and 4-piston units in the rear.

AGGRESSIVE FRONT STYLING

It’s a combination of enhancements – the new fascia, big round road lamps, power dome hood – that gave the standard issue Dodge Durango a more refined look.

From GT Styling came a carbon fiber print treatment to the stock headlamps.

Hand-laid fiberglass functional hood was raised for appearance, not for supercharger clearance.

MARRIAGE OF POWER AND SPACE

Back in the day, Durango stormed onto the scene in bold double-page spreads across Motor Trend, Road & Track and Car and Driver, flying under the “Grab Life by the Horns” banner. The version in those ads? Stock. Roof rack, running boards, the whole deal. The Super Pursuit? Stripped, smoothed and built to break necks.

This one-off build didn’t just turn heads – it took home the Chrysler Design Excellence Award at that year’s SEMA Show. Mission accomplished: Performance West transformed the Durango into a true street fighter, wrapped in show-stopping style and loaded with real performance.

Author: James Maxwell