Posted on: Feb 01, 2012 | 5,071 reads

Mopar Marks 75th Anniversary with Four Chicago-Bound Custom Vehicles

Mopar has unveiled four new custom vehicles that will be heading to the Chicago Auto Show on February 10th.

A simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts, the Mopar name was trademarked in 1937. In the ensuing 75 years, the company evolved to become renowned for their Chrysler and Dodge performance parts and specialty vehicles. To celebrate its 75th anniversary, the company has revealed four custom vehicles they will display at next month's Chicago Auto Show, namely the Mopar '12 300, Fiat 500 'Stinger,' Mopar Jeep Compass 'True North' and Dodge Dart 'GTS 210 Tribute.'

Mopar Marks 75th Anniversary with Four Chicago-Bound Custom Vehicles

more at CarBuzz:
Cadillac Donates First CTS VSport Cops Ride on Lotus Wheels Anticipating Hyundai's Pickup

Building on the success of the '10 Mopar Challenger and '11 Mopar Charger, the Mopar '12 will be the only model available straight from the factory. Transforming the flagship sedan into a performance tribute, Mopar has used the standard 5.7-liter HEMI V8 but boosted the final-drive ratio to 3.91:1 in order to drop its 0-60mph time to the low 5-second range. A five-speed auto transmission, stiffer suspension and 20-inch forged-aluminum wheels in Gloss Black wrapped in stickier tires have also been added. The blacked-out exterior is highlighted by Mopar Blue body-side stripes, a theme that continues inside where black is accented by blue throughout.

Priced at $49,700, only 500 limited edition Chrysler 300 models will be built with sales starting this summer. The customized Dodge Dart and Fiat 500 get two stage kits, the former being offered with over 150 accessories. Stage 1 of the GTS 210 Tribute focuses on style, with matte-black lower chin spoiler, side sills, rear spoiler and rear-diffuser panel, a carbon-fiber hood and 18-inch titanium-colored alloys. Inside, the Dart gets Ruby Red Katzkin leather seat fronts, door panels, and center armrest, along with black accent stitching, Piano Black trim, and a black suede instrument cluster.

Thanks to an improved air-flow intake and low back-pressure exhaust the Stage 2 performance package results in the custom Dart producing 210hp, up from 184. The Fiat 500 'Stinger' features a Giallo yellow exterior with black appointments on the headlamps, door handles, mirror caps and 17-inch alloys, as well as a vinyl bodyside and black checker roof graphics. The same color combination continues inside. Mopar's Stage 2 kit delivers improved power, torque, and braking courtesy of a cold-air intake, cat-back exhaust and performance brakes.

Finally, the Jeep Compass 'True North' model's off-road performance has been improved by adding 16-inch alloys and a 2-inch lift kit. Matte black features on the roof, wheel flares, grille and light surrounds, while the interior gets a series of audio components from Kicker and a center stack gauge pod housing pitch and roll inclinometer gauges. Components for the Dodge, Fiat and Jeep will be available this fall as stage kits or a la carte from Mopar's catalogue.

80 comments - view full discussion

Mopar Marks 75th Anniversary with Four Chicago-Bound Custom Vehicles

Top Stories Today

Videos

Now Buzzing popular

Related Stories