Mopar 75th Anniversary Marked With 4 New Projects
Mopar, the automobile parts and service arm of Chrysler Group LLC, celebrated its 75th anniversary recently and to in order to make it a big one, they revealed 4 new custom cars that belong to the Chrysler Group: Mopar '12 300 (Chrysler 300), Fiat 500 "Stinger," Mopar Jeep® Compass "True North" and Dodge Dart "GTS 210 Tribute." Mopar '12 will be available this summer straight from the factory, while components of the Fiat 500, Jeep Compass and Dodge Dart custom configurations will be available in the fall as stage kits or as separate components from the Mopar catalog.
"Customization is king," said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC's service, parts and customer-care brand. "These head-turning ‘Moparized' vehicles show how we can go to the next level of personalization. With our best-in-class offerings of parts and accessories, we give our customers every opportunity to further enhance the appearance and performance of their vehicles."
Mopar '12 300
This project was realized thanks to the success of previous ones like the Mopar versions of the 2010 Dodge Challenger and 2011 Dodge Charger. The already uxorious flagship sedan has turned into a performance tribute to celebrate Mopar's 75th anniversary with unique appointments, high-performance parts and appearance items straight from the Mopar parts catalog.
It has a 363 horsepower 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine under the hood which is clever enough to use only four of its cylinders under light throttle. A five-speed W5A580 automatic transmission takes care of the incoming power while drivers will be able to shift trough the gears with the special Mopar Auto Stick without any danger of over revving the engine. Also because of the rear differential being enhanced from 3.06:1 to 3.91:1 for the final-drive ratio, the '12 300 can reach 60 mph from a stand still in no more than five seconds.
Suspension has also been tweaked to be 42 percent and 23 percent stiffer at the front and rear respectively compared to the standard touring setting of the 300. For that extra grip P245/45R20 Goodyear Eagle F1 three-season tires replace the all-season ones and high-performance brake linings are mounted to dual-piston front and single-piston rear calipers which deliver fade-resistant stopping performance.
The street image of the car is where Mopar have really excelled. Black Chrome seven-bar grille and grille-surround goes with the black-accented headlamp bezels and fascia accents for an overall low-profile look. From the Gloss Black exterior contours of the Mopar '12 300, Mopar Blue A-line body-side stripes stick out. The car comes with large 20-inch by 8-inch Mopar forged-aluminum wheels which are painted in Gloss Black and are ornamented with Mopar center caps. One the fenders one can find "Mopar 75" badges that feature the Mopar Blue "omega" logo. Another thing that distinguishes the '12 300 from ordinary Chryslers is the the deck lid "Mopar Design" badge that suggests exclusiveness and refinement.
Inside the darkness goes further on with the gloss black interior and Mopar Blue accents all over. Blue is also the stitching that goes over the black leather and heated sport seats. Its the same story with the thick-rimmed steering wheel and the paddle shifters and the Mopar shifter handle. There's more than that as well - matte carbon hydrographic accents garnish the instrument panel and the center console while Piano Black is used on the interior center stack, instrument panel, steering wheel, gauge cluster and door panel elements for that extra polished look.
In terms of luxuries the Uconnect® Touch 8.4 is definitely a highlight. It provides all of the occupants with a state-of-the-art infotainment and entertainment system. The audio system is a 506-watt Alpine nine-speaker composition with complete with a subwoofer, 12-channel amplifier with 506 watts of power and digital signal processing (DSP) for 7.1-adapted surround sound.
Other electronics get themselves busy keeping the driver and passengers safe - adaptive-forward lighting (AFL), high-intensity discharge (HID) projector high and low-beams with automatic headlamp leveling, Forward Collision Warning (FCW) with adaptive-cruise control (ACC), Blind-spot monitoring (BSM) with Rear Cross Path (RCP) detection, ParkSense® front and rear park assist system, LED-illuminated rear fog lamps, exterior mirrors with supplemental turn signals and approach lamp. Additional safety features include a HomeLink universal transceiver, rain-sensing wipers and SmartBeam® headlamps.
To get one of these 500 limited edition luxury bundles will cost around $49,700 (MSRP) which includes $825 for destination.
2013 Dodge Dart ‘GTS 210 Tribute'
Although a newcomer, the Dodge Dart is quick to get some attention from Mopar with more than 150 accessories available for customization. Based on an Alfa Romeo, the Dart is already sporty looking and agile. However with 2 more kits, Mopar have introduced even more versatility to the car.
Stage 1 upgrade is a looks upgrade that also deals with the aerodynamics of the car. Matte-black trim pieces can be seen ornamenting the exterior - a lower chin spoiler, side sills, rear spoiler and rear-diffuser panel. The hood is made from carbon fiber for lightness and it has a large air-scoop for that aggressive look we all want. 18-inch, 10-spoke forged alloy titanium-colored wheels complement the overall exterior customization.
Red and black hues have also penetrated the interior as the Katzkin leather seat fronts, door panels, center armrest and map-pocket inserts are all in Red Ruby. The stitching is black on the seats and armrest and Piano Black motives stand on the floating island bezel. The steering wheel is a combination of Red Ruby and black again with red stitches for contrast.
Stage 2 deals with the performance and is basically a calibration for maximizing fuel/air mix and spark advance. With the improved air-flow intake and low back-pressure exhaust, the Dart achieves 210 horsepower as opposed to the base engine which has 184 horsepower.
2012 Fiat 500 ‘Stinger'
For this project, Mopar have taken a Fiat 500 S and introduced two upgrades as well and much like the Dodge Dart, one is for style and grace and the other one is for performance and grunt.
Stage 1 has the emblematic 500 "whiskers and logo", and circular projector lights all framed in Black Chrome. Other things that follow the same pattern are the exterior door handles and mirror caps. The 17-inch by 7-inch Abarth Hyper Black aluminum wheels with wider 205/40 R 17 performance tires complement the whole black theme while the body itself is Giallo (yellow). The headlights and taillights are tinted and Mopar vinyl graphics ornament the body side and roof.
Stage 2 incorporates Mopar's cold-air intake and a free-flowing cat-back exhaust system which give the Stinger that extra torque and pull while performance brakes with cross-drilled rotors for additional surface-heat dissipation enhance the stopping power.
2012 Mopar Jeep Compass ‘True North'
Addong black is also the way Mopar have enhanced the Jeep Compass's look - the roof, wheel flares, lower fascia, door cladding and grille are all in matte-black. Matte black are also the 16-inch alloy wheels with BF Goodrich All Terrain tires. The suspension has been raised by 2 inches thanks to Rocky Road Suspensions.
The inside of the Jeep Compass is introduced to a Kicker sound system that consists of front and rear speakers, amplifier, sub-woofer and lift gate speakers. The center gauge cluster on the other hand now shows pitch and roll values which extends on the Jeep's off-road abilities. A Mopar bright pedal kit, door-sill guards, rear-cargo tray, shift knob and neoprene seats complement each other while enhancing the quality feel of the cabin.
Source: Chrysler Group LLC
