A 556-horsepower Dodge Challenger, a Jeep Wrangler that
transforms into a mobile campsite, a luxury Dodge Ram 1500
and a go-anywhere, do-anything extreme Jeep Wrangler with
40-inch tyres means it must be SEMA season.
Four
Mopar-customised vehicles are preparing to steal the show next
month at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA)
show in Las Vegas. Mopar's in-house team of creative
customisers developed a slew of high-performance image
vehicles that feature the brand's innovative performance
parts and accessories.
“Our Mopar vehicles demonstrate this company’s passion
and enthusiasm for the automotive aftermarket,” said Pietro
Gorlier, President and Chief Executive Officer – Mopar
Service, Parts and Customer Care, Chrysler Group LLC. “We
will gauge reaction to these vehicles and explore new
directions as we develop Mopar performance parts and
accessories for our vehicles.”
“The aftermarket is not an after-thought in our design
studio,” said Ralph Gilles, President and CEO--Dodge Car
Brand and Senior Vice President--Product Design, Chrysler
Group LLC. “Our vehicles are designed and built by the same
passionate automotive enthusiasts within our company who are
designing and engineering new Mopar parts and accessories
for vehicles in our product pipeline.” Led by Mark Allen, Head of Jeep Design, Chrysler Group
LLC, the Mopar design team developed four head-turning
vehicles for next month’s SEMA show.
Mopar Dodge Challenger 1320 Image Vehicle:
Exploring a Street-legal Drag Pak Challenger
The Dodge Challenger 1320 began life as a Mopar Drag Pak
Dodge Challenger. The current Drag Pak option is a
light-weight, stripped-down, race-only, special-order
version of the Dodge Challenger designed for competitive
drag racing. For the street-legal design, Mopar’s design team took the
vehicle back to its roots with styling reminiscent of
vintage Mopar muscle, updated with today’s technology. The
Dodge Challenger 1320 image vehicle, named for the 1,320
feet on a quarter-mile drag strip, features Mopar’s 426
cubic-inch, all-aluminium, HEMI V-8 crate engine that
generates 556 horsepower. The engine is equipped with unique
Mopar-designed valve covers and a dress-up kit. Mopar’s
long-tube headers and exhaust system allow the cubic inches
to breathe. Electric cutouts allow the exhaust to bypass the
muffler system, which exits through custom side pipes for
added rumble at the dragstrip. Power is put to the ground
via a six-speed manual transmission through a custom
Dynatrac rear housing with Mopar Dana 60 internals and a
selectable, ARB locking differential. Mopar police wheels,
widened in the rear, are strapped with Mickey Thompson
street-legal drag radials to provide extra grip at launch. A
four-corner, adjustable coil-over kit is provided by Mopar
as an option for the Dodge Challenger. This system improves
the handling of the vehicle under extreme loads of 556
horsepower and 540 lb.-ft. of torque.
Following Mopar’s high-impact color heritage, the design
team layered the 1320 in Acidic Hue, a non-metallic yellow
paint and added matte black graphics. The body is lightened
with the following carbon-fibre components from Mopar’s
design team and Seibon: bulged hood with HEMI scoop; front spoiler
and grille panel/headlamp surround.
The interior is equipped with bare necessities--Dodge
Viper seats, a sport steering wheel and a Hurst shifter. The
rear seat, center console and radio have been removed in
order to reduce vehicle weight and maintain the 1320’s
no-nonsense theme.
Mopar Dodge Ram Bianco Image Vehicle: A Stylish,
Luxury Pickup Truck
The Dodge Ram Bianco started life as a 2009 Dodge Ram 1500
Sport with a 5.7-liter HEMI V-8. The Dodge Ram is modified
to reflect an upscale feel and appearance with the aid of
Mopar performance parts and accessories. Colours, textures
and accessories are combined in a manner that showcases the
sophisticated side of the Dodge Ram 1500. Exterior modifications include a Mopar hard tonneau that
adds a classic, sporty appearance. The inside of the truck
bed features Mopar’s bed rug--a plush, yet washable carpet.
For the exterior, a Mopar body kit and modified Mopar fender
flares give a unique, sophisticated look. The stance is
aided by a Ground Force lowering kit that not only lowers
the vehicle, but also provides excellent ride and handling.
The Dodge Ram Bianco is layered in several coats of Arctic
Ice pearl paint that give it a rich appearance. Holding true
to the upscale theme, Mopar’s 22-inch wheels are painted in
a matching, high-contrast design. Performance upgrades
include a Mopar cold-air intake and a throaty Mopar dual
exhaust with just enough growl to let you know there is
something powerful under the hood.
The exterior theme continues through the interior. White
and black Katzkin seats with matching door trim set the
stage for a high-class ride. Piano Black and Arctic Ice
accents add to the luxurious theme. For sound, Mopar
contributed a Kicker audio system consisting of an audio
amplifier, a powerful subwoofer and upgraded speakers.
Mopar Jeep Wrangler Overland Image Vehicle: A
Stop-anywhere, Camp-anywhere Jeep
The Jeep Wrangler Overland is perfect for those
craving travel and adventure. The Mopar design team took a
2009 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon and turned it into a
mobile “on-the-go” self-contained campsite. To increase cargo capacity for hauling gear, the Jeep
Wrangler Overland’s rear seats are replaced with a large,
flat, rubberised utility floor. Mounted to the cargo rack is
an all-new ARB two-person Simpson II rooftop-mounted tent
and touring awning. The interior of the Jeep Wrangler
Overland features water-resistant Mopar front-seat covers,
rugged Mopar slush mats, a Daystar dash bin and lower switch
panel that powers added accessories.
Enhancing off-road travel is an American Expedition
Vehicles’ (AEV), Nth Degree, 3-inch suspension lift and a
Full Traction rear sway bar. The lift allows aggressive
35-inch tires mounted on 17-inch steel Mopar winter/off-road
wheels to fit under the Jeep. Additional off-road protection
at the front and rear is provided by AEV steel bumpers and
for added security, a Warn 9.5ti winch.
In order to prepare the Jeep Wrangler Overland for desert
duty, an AEV Jeep Wrangler heat-reduction hood and snorkel
kit is fitted to the vehicle. Mopar windshield-mounted
off-road lights and Daystar bumper-mounted lights provide
additional lighting for nighttime and off-road driving.
Mopar Jeep Lower Forty Image Vehicle: An Extreme
Trail Rig with 40-inch Tyres
The Jeep “Lower Forty” takes the Jeep Wrangler platform to a
new extreme. The vehicle is equipped with massive 40-inch x
13.5-inch tyres mounted on Mopar’s 20-inch forged-aluminium
wheels. Mopar added aggressive wheels and tires to a stock,
two-door Jeep Wrangler Rubicon without the use of a
suspension lift. The team’s goal was to achieve added ground
clearance without dramatically altering the vehicle’s centre
of gravity. The team removed copious amounts of body metal
in order to provide room for 40-inch meats. Three inches are
chopped from the windshield frame and a 10-degree rake is
added. Custom front and rear fender flares are 1-inch wider and
are located 4 inches higher than a stock Jeep Wrangler. A
new one-piece carbon-fibre hood with a Jeep CJ-like power
dome and an all-new drop-down tailgate stamped with the
“Jeep” logo are added to complete the exterior design.
On the interior, an all-new roll cage is neatly
integrated into the body tub and tied directly into the
frame rails. The spare tire is relocated to the cargo floor
and a custom cargo rack, supplied by Poly Performance, holds
extra gear. Once all body modifications were completed, the
exterior received a fresh coat of Red Eye No. 3 paint, a
custom color developed by Mopar. Custom touches throughout the interior include a color-matched
center console and instrument panel. Seats are re-covered
with Mopar’s Katzkin leather package in a two-tone scheme.
Replacing the carpet is a durable, spray-in truck-bed liner.
Rugged Mopar floor mats complete the theme.
Mechanical upgrades came directly out of the Mopar
catalog. The Jeep “Lower Forty” features an all-new
5.7-liter HEMI® V-8 engine and a Getrag 238 six-speed manual
transmission. Powertrain installations were handled by
Burnsville Off-Road using an AEV 5.7-liter HEMI V-8
conversion kit. The Mopar-supplied Dana 44 front axle and a Dana 60 rear
axle, fitted with 5.38 gears and ARB air lockers, were
assembled by Dynatrac.
Mopar
Mopar distributes approximately 280,000 components in more
than 90 countries and is the source for all original
equipment parts for Chrysler, Jeep and Dodge vehicles. Mopar
parts are unique in that they are engineered with the same
teams that create factory-authorized vehicle specifications
for Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge Car and Dodge Ram vehicles – a
direct connection that no other aftermarket parts company
can provide.
When Chrysler bought Dodge in 1928, the need for a dedicated
parts manufacturer, supplier and distribution system to
support the growing enterprise led to the formation of the
Chrysler Motor Parts Corporation (CMPC) in 1929. Mopar (a simple contraction of the words MOtor and PARts)
was trademarked for a line of antifreeze products in 1937.
It also was widely used as a moniker for the CMPC. The Mopar
brand made its mark in the 1960’s – 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.
