Mopar is
giving a second Chrysler Group model a makeover in time
for the North American International Motor Show – this
time, Dodge’s Charger gets some cosmetic adds-ons of
dubious aesthetic value, alongside upgrades to assist
performance.
The new Mopar kits for Dodge’s flagship sedan will be
available later on this year. In the meantime, for its
Detroit debut this month, Mopar has given the new
Charger kit the name ‘Redline’, somewhat unfortunately
emphasising the Dodge brand’s downmarket status.
“Since the 1960s, the Mopar Brand has built a long
history of adding power and performance to the Dodge
Charger – and with the Redline, we ‘Moparised’ the new
Charger with modern-day performance and style while
giving a nod to our storied past,” believes Pietro
Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group’s
service, parts and customer-care brand. “With three
kits, Mopar offers a tailored choice for every
customer.”
Based on the 2012 Model Year Charger R/T version,
Mopar’s list of what it dubs ‘Stage I’ modifications
includes a full-width carbonfibre chin spoiler.
Remaining at the front end and matching the Redline’s
overall tri-coat paint, the two-piece grille features a
body-colour painted surround with a black ‘crosshair’
insert. Large 20 x 8-inch Mopar black ‘Envy’ wheels
feature a black-painted wheel face with polished
recesses. While the front chin spoiler appears to be
hastily stuck-on and clashes with the lines of the car,
the Mopar-added stick-on carbonfibre door scoop covers
serve no purpose whatsoever; they include ‘R/T’ badging,
which Mopar believes successfully pays homage to the
historic 1970 Charger model. Upsetting the Charger’s
lines even further, there is also an ungainly
three-piece carbonfibre rear spoiler that includes a
high-level stoplight.
The Charger Redline’s cockpit design features several
Mopar accessories, including an aluminium gearstick
bezel and instrument panel bezel with red accents.
Additionally, the pedal covers are made from stainless
steel and feature a rubberised pattern.
While the new bodykit parts won’t be to many tastes,
there are some performance and dynamic improvements that
come with the ‘Stage II’ kit. The HEMI V8 engine gets a
cat-back performance exhaust system that Mopar says will
deliver an increase in horsepower as well as an improved
sound, while under the bonnet there is a front-tower
cross-brace and front tower brace caps to improve
handling dynamics. Higher performance brake linings are
also fitted.
‘Stage III’ sees the Charger Redline delivering 220 hp
more than the usual Charger R/T version as it comes
fitted with the 426 HEMI V8 crate engine, although this
unit is for race/off-road use only. In this format,
which Mopar is calling ‘Gen III’, the Charger Redline
delivers 590 horsepower via an aluminium V8 engine block
that shaves more than 100 lbs from the traditional
cast-iron crate version. The 426 HEMI engine includes a
stout, balanced lower reciprocating assembly that
features a forged-steel crankshaft with six-bolt mains
at 2, 3 and 4, and cross-bolted 4-bolt mains at 1 and 5.
H-beam style rods are made from forged steel and coupled
to forged 11:1 compression ratio aluminium pistons.
Included is a revised windage tray to provide excellent
oil dispersion and prevents oil aeration by the
crankshaft. The 426 HEMI engine’s valvetrain starts with
a more aggressive roller camshaft with .639 intake and
.628 exhaust lift and cylinder heads that feature the
latest designs for exceptional flow characteristics. To
help stabilise the valvetrain at high engine rpm, tie
bars are available. Mopar cast-aluminum valve covers and
billet fuel rails are also included in the kit.
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