Mopar '13 Dart will roll into Chicago next week
Thu, 31 Jan 2013
Limited in number to just 500 units, the Mopar '13 Dart is no mere appearance package, though the demeanor of the Dart will be murdered out with a gloss black finish, gloss black 18-inch wheels, a set of Mopar blue stripes and a mean-looking Mopar ground effects kit. Likewise, the interior is touched up with leather seats (a blue one for the driver and black hides for the passengers), gloss black and black chrome trim, blue accent stitching, a sport pedal kit and other Mopar interior accessories.
Turning our attention back to the mechanical bits, the Mopar '13 Dart comes with the car's most powerful engine, a turbocharged 1.4-liter MultiAir four (shared with Fiat 500 Abarth) that's paired with a manual transmission. Those big, black wheels get wrapped in low profile 225/40R18 performance tires, and keeping everything in check is an upgraded brake kit with slotted rotors. The steering has also been calibrated for performance, the suspension lowered seven millimeters, and the exhaust tuned for better engine breathing.
But no, dear customer, that's not all. The Mopar '13 Dart also gets Chrysler's wireless smartphone charging technology, and those 500 lucky souls who bring one home will receive a "personalized owner kit" in a custom black case that includes a personalized plate with vehicle specs, a unique number ID for their car and a limited edition sketch of the car signed by its designer, among other tchotchkes. Production for the Mopar '13 Dart will begin this spring at the company's plant in Belvidere, IL.
Now we're wondering what vehicle Mopar will lay its hands upon next year. Any guesses?
Chrysler Group LLC Introduces New Mopar '13 Dodge Dart
- Select Mopar parts and accessories outfit new Mopar '13 Dart
- Performance upgrades include lowered sport suspension, revised steering calibration, sport-
tuned exhaust, ground-effects kit, and premium brake kit with slotted rotors
- Custom leather Mopar driver's seat
- Industry-first wireless charging for smartphones
- 500 numbered units to be built at company's assembly plant in Belvidere, Ill.
- Limited-edition vehicle to be displayed at Chicago Auto Show
Auburn Hills, Mich., February 1, 2013 –Chrysler Group LLC today introduced the limited-edition Mopar '13 Dart, marking the fourth special-edition Mopar-badged vehicle created since the company partnered with Fiat S.p.A in 2009. The car will be shown at next week's Chicago Auto Show.
Building on the success of the Mopar '10 Challenger, Mopar '11 Charger and the Mopar '12 300, the limited-edition Mopar '13 Dart will be built and customized with Mopar performance parts and accessories. Production for a limited run of 500 units will begin this spring at the company's assembly plant in Belvidere, Ill.
"Our new Mopar '13 Dart will turn heads and stand out from the crowd," said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group's service, parts and customer-care brand. "For this special, limited- edition vehicle, we specifically kept the driver in mind as we added select Mopar parts and accessories."
Inspired by the tuner scene, the Mopar '13 Dart is designed for driving enthusiasts. Powered by a 1.4- liter MultiAir® intercooled turbo engine with a manual transmission, the Mopar '13 sports a gloss-black finish with a pair of car-length Mopar Blue stripes, which mirror each of the three previous Mopar- themed models.
For enhanced handling, upgrades include a performance steering-gear calibration, a 7 millimeter- lowered suspension and low-profile 40 aspect performance tires (225/40R18). From the racing scene, Mopar added a premium brake kit with slotted rotors. Engine breathing is enhanced with a performance-tuned exhaust and to further optimize aerodynamics and increase downforce, the custom Dart features Mopar's ground-effects kit, which includes a front-chin spoiler, one-piece deck-lid spoiler, as well as a unique and aggressively styled rear diffuser.
Unique exterior elements include a Mopar badge in the crosshair grille and gloss-black 18-inch wheels with a Mopar logo on the wheel center caps. The vehicle's unique interior, featuring a serialized plate, gives the driver a custom Mopar Blue leather seat with black accents. To keep the emphasis on the driver, the driver seat is Mopar Blue while all other seats are black with blue accent stitching. The centerpiece of the interior is a floating island bezel that is accented with Mopar Blue paint and lighting. The interior is further enhanced with rich details, including Mopar Blue accent thread, as well as light- black chrome and gloss-black elements.
Along with a Mopar serialized badge on the dash, the special-edition Mopar '13 includes industry-first wireless charging for smartphones, a blue-stitched leather-wrapped steering wheel with an identically garnished shifter knob, a bright sport-pedal kit, premium Mopar carpet floor mats, door-sill guards and an 8.4-inch navigation screen.
The limited-edition Mopar '13 Dart will be delivered to each customer with a personalized owner kit. Assembled in a custom-made black case, contents include a personalized plate with vehicle specifications, the date of manufacture and the unique identification number (of 500) of the vehicle. Along with a Mopar '13 brochure and other memorabilia, the kit will include a limited-edition sketch of the vehicle signed by Mark Trostle, Chrysler Group Chief Designer for the Mopar Brand.
Mopar-first Features
Mopar has introduced numerous industry-first features including:
• Vehicle-information apps: first to introduce smartphone vehicle-information applications, a new channel of communication with consumers
• Electronic owner manuals: first to introduce traditional owner manuals in a DVD and brief user- guide format and first to offer complete vehicle-information kits in Spanish
• Wi-Fi: first to offer customers the ability to make their vehicle a wireless hot spot
• Wireless charging: first to introduce in-vehicle wireless charging for portable devices
• Electronic Vehicle Tracking System (EVTS): first to market with a new interactive vehicle tracking
device that sends owner a text when vehicle is driven too fast or too far based on pre-set
parameters
• 2011 Mopar Challenger Drag Pak: first to introduce a 500-plus cubic-inch V-10 drag-race
package car
• Brand-specific customer care telephone lines: first to offer Sunday service hours for customers
• WiTECH: first to support vehicle diagnosis and software updates leveraging off-the-shelf
personal computers and a dedicated wireless tool network
About the Mopar Brand
Mopar is Chrysler Group LLC's service, parts and customer-care brand. With the creation of the Chrysler Group and Fiat S.p.A partnership, Mopar is extending its global reach, integrating service, parts and customer-care operations in order to enhance dealer and customer support worldwide. Combined with Fiat S.p.A, Mopar's global portfolio includes more than 500,000 parts and accessories that are distributed in more than 130 countries. Mopar is the source for all genuine parts and accessories for Chrysler Group and Fiat SpA brands.
Mopar parts are unique in that they are engineered with the same teams that create factory-authorized vehicle specifications for Chrysler Group and Fiat SpA vehicles - a direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company can provide. A complete list of Mopar accessories and performance parts is available at www.mopar.com.
More than 75 Years of Mopar
Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts) was trademarked for antifreeze product in 1937. The Mopar brand made its mark in the 1960s - the muscle-car era. The Chrysler Corporation built race-ready Dodge and Plymouth "package cars" equipped with special high-performance parts. Mopar carried a line of "special parts" for super-stock drag racers and developed its racing parts division called Mopar Performance Parts to enhance speed and handling for both road and racing use. The brand has expanded to include technical service and customer support.
By John Neff
See also: Chrysler earns $1.7B in 2012, revises product plans for US, 2013 Dodge Charger AWD Sport, Is Mopar readying a special-edition Dart for Chicago?.