Mopar Magic: Chrysler Celebrates 75 Years With Custom Cars for Chicago Auto Show
By Greg Migliore
Mopar celebrated 75 years of supplying parts and power to Chrysler cars with the reveal of a quartet of customized vehicles on Tuesday that showcase the brand's heritage and future potential.
The Mopar '12 Chrysler 300, Dodge Dart GTS 210 Tribute, Fiat 500 Stinger and Jeep Compass True North get a range of cosmetic and performance upgrades, and they will be on display in February at the Chicago auto show.
They follow Mopar's recent creations, the Dodge Charger Redline and the Chrysler 200 Super S, which debuted in January at the Detroit auto show.
Like the other three rides revealed on Tuesday in Center Line, Mich., the Mopar '12 300 looks like something straight out of SEMA, with sinister black paint and body finishings. There's a seven-bar grille done up in black chrome and black-accented headlamp bezels and fascia.
Dubbed the “Street Machine,” this rear-wheel 300 gets blue A-line body stripes and interior accents. It rolls on blacked-out 20-inch wheels and gets Mopar 75th-anniversary badging inside and out. The cabin has black leather and Mopar sill plates and a shift handle. The ride is powered by the stock Hemi V8 rated at 363 hp and paired with a five-speed automatic with paddle shifters. This 300 also is fitted with a sport suspension, which is stiffer than that of the base version.
The Mopar-tuned 300 will launch this year and with a price of $49,700, including destination charges. Just 500 will be produced.
The 2013 Dart GTS Tribute has two stages of customization. Stage one is an appearance pack that adds matte black to the spoiler, side sills and rear diffuser. It also gets a carbon-fiber hood with an air scoop, and it rolls on 18-inch alloys. Stage two adds an improved air intake and exhaust, boosting horsepower from 184 hp in stock trim to 210 ponies in this variant.
The 2012 Fiat 500 Stinger gets yellow paint, 17-inch wheels, tinted lights and an upgraded interior complete with a Mopar shifter ball for its first stage. The second stage increases horsepower with intake and exhaust enhancements.
The 2012 Mopar Jeep Compass True North gets matte-black exterior finishes, including to the fascia, wheel flares and grille. It rides on 16-inch alloy wheels and has a two-inch lift kit for off-roading enthusiasts. The inside gets a bolstered audio system and Mopar bright pedal kit.
Content provided by Autoweek.
Get more Car News from Autoweek.
Get the latest Car Reviews from Autoweek.
Oooooooh, that GTS would look real sweet parked next to my '68 GTS in the garage.
Keep in mind that that the mods, while pricier are probably going to carry the Chrysler warranty and are going to be an integral package.
As a dealer tech, there's nothing worse than trying to fix a car that was "butched up" by a bunch of hang on devices that may also void the warranty.
Oh what the freak !!!!!!! These cars are beggin' for personalized mods. Go for it !
As for the "do it yourself cheaper" point - I wouldn't count on that if you're specifically considering Mopar parts and want all the parts that they install as part of the package. The parts on their own are expensive: $300.00+ for the CAI, $350+ for the strut tower brace, $300.00+ for the rear shock tower brace, $1600+ for the cat-back, $150.00 for the shift handle, $150.00 for Billet Tech door sill plates, plus a few other parts. I would guess most people nowadays could install very few of those themselves (especially the cat-back exhaust system), so tack 8-16 hours labour on to install those major parts...
I'm not going to bother to do the math on the difference between a 300 with a 5.7 and the equivalent equipment (other than the Mopar parts) to the Mopar '12, but my guess is that there's not a lot of difference between them once you add on the cost of buying/installing the Mopar parts for the "non-Mopar" 300. Plus, you're getting a limited-edition, numbered car with the Mopar '12 300...
EXPLORE NEW CARS
MORE ON MSN AUTOS
Wheels of car-crazy celebsThe cars that celebrities choose to buy sometimes border on the eccentric.
ABOUT EXHAUST NOTES
Cars are cool, and here at MSN Autos we love everything about them, but we also know they're more than simply speed and style: a car is an essential tool, a much-needed accessory to help you get through your day-to-day life. What you drive is also one of the most important investments you can make, so we'll help you navigate your way through the car buying and ownership experiences. We strive to be your daily destination for news, notes, tips and tricks from across the automotive world. So whether it's through original content from our world-class journalists or the latest buzz from the far corners of the Web, Exhaust Notes helps you make sense of your automotive world.
Have a story idea? Tip us off at exhaustnotes@live.com.
