Maybe the thought by Mopar was having a detuned 160 HP 8V auto and intercooling it, a detonation sensor was... wait for it...pointless.
Chrysler sure made some peculiar decisions detuning both the 8V and 16v TC's. Begs the question on the 16V why bother with a bulletproof unique bottom end, ultimate strength Getrag 284 tranny, killer flowing cylinder head, then run minimal boost, timing, compression, add a tiny turbo, and tractor weight flywheel? What did they gain besides 25 HP and saying that they had an exclusive 16V TC powertrain designed by Maserati and Getrag? Awful lot of R&D and expense for those minimal bragging rights.
16V vehicles are inherently lower in torque vs. 8V vehicles, so why not just offer a 8V turbo with Getrag 568 for the 5% that perferred a manual? Don't get me wrong, I'm glad they built the 16V Maserati powertrain, just don't really understand why?
Todd