The Navajo's exterior design was reworked and became the Lamborghini Portofino, released as a concept at the 1987 Frankfurt Auto Show.

The wheels were effectively pushed to the corners of the car, creating a much larger passenger cabin than the contemporaries of the time.

Initial proposals bore resemblance to the Dynasty, but this design approach was scrapped entirely in 1988 by François Castaing, the former AMC Vice President of product engineering and development.

The acquiring automaker was in desperate need of replicating the AMC and Renault corporate culture where work was conducted in an atmosphere "of constant change".

The Premier's longitudinal engine mounting layout was inherited, as was the front suspension geometry, and parts of the braking system.

The chassis itself became a flexible architecture capable of supporting front or rear-wheel drive (designated "LH" and "LX" respectively).

The Intrepid was available in two trim levels: base and the sportier, better-equipped ES, which added four-wheel disc brakes, 16" wheels with better tires, and stiffer "touring" suspension damping.

All Intrepids received driver and front passenger airbags, a rarity at the time, as well as air conditioning and the four-speed automatic transmission.

A new variable-assist power steering rack replaced the original for 1994, allowing for easier parking while maintaining a firmer feel at speed.

The Intrepid was often compared with the Chevrolet Lumina and Ford Taurus, and to a lesser extent, the Toyota Camry, Nissan Maxima, and Honda Accord.

Body shells were designed to be stronger and stiffer, as well as incorporating double-shear suspension mounts and integrated side impact protection.

An Intrepid Police Package was sold from 2002 to 2004,[6][7] similar to the earlier rear-wheel drive Chevrolet Caprice or Ford Crown Victoria.

These packages had distinctive styling differences (such as small hub caps) and additional wiring to support strobes and flashers in the trunk compartment and in the front by the grill.

Drivers in the initial Dodge campaign included Bill Elliott, Kasey Kahne, Jason Leffler, Ward Burton, Sterling Marlin, John Andretti, Casey Mears, Jamie McMurray, Buckshot Jones, Kyle Petty, Stacy Compton, Dave Blaney, Jeremy Mayfield, and Casey Atwood.

[10][11] In February 2009, five separate class action lawsuits related to the alleged oil sludge defect were consolidated to the District of New Jersey.