For the first time in its history, Dodge bolts the Mopar badge onto one of its production models.
In the long history of Dodge and its in-house parts division, Mopar, the two have never collaborated on a vehicle together. That changes with the introduction of the limited-edition Dodge Challenger Mopar ‘10.
Dodge will build a low-volume version of the 2010 Challenger with unique stripes, black 20-inch wheels, black grille, a functional hood scoop, upgraded Super Track Pac suspension and hood pins. Only 500 will be produced and each will come with a sketch of the car signed by designer Mark Trostle and a special boxed customer kit.
The Mopar ‘10 will be offered in black only, but there will be three accent colors: blue, red and silver. The accent is used on exterior stripes and trim on the seats and other details.
“The vehicle looks absolutely sinister in black,” suggested Ralph Gillies, Dodge president and CEO, during a Wednesday teleconference.
The Mopar ‘10 is powered by the same 5.7-liter Hemi V-8 from the Challenger R/T, where it makes 357-horsepower.
Mopar President and CEO Pietro Gorlier said the hood scoop does more than just look good. It is expected to add an additional 15 horsepower to the base engine, but he didn’t offer an exact horsepower figure, waiting to get final EPA-certified numbers. Gorlier and Gillies also did not say if the performance boost would affect fuel mileage.
Base price will be $38,000 for the Mopar ’10 Challenger with a 5-speed automatic transmission. A manual gearbox is a $1,000 option. That compares to a base R/T, which starts at $31,610, while the high-performance SRT8 has a $43,680 sticker. All prices include destination.
Gorlier said the company expects to have no trouble finding buyers for the limited run. He added that the company will not build more than 500, even if it proves very popular.
Whether the Mopar ‘10 is the first of many vehicles from Chrysler to wear the parts brand’s badge remains to be seen. Gorlier and Gillies did not answer a question about future Mopar vehicles.
The black wheels and grille will be available through the Mopar parts catalog, but the stripes and seats will not, Gorlier said.
The seats have color-keyed stitching and the package includes a special steering wheel. Automatic versions will get a T-handle shifter while manual versions will get pistol grip shifter.
The package includes a book detailing the vehicle build, along with designer Trostle’s sketch.
Only the sketch of the vehicle and a video were released. The vehicle will be introduced simultaneously on July 24 at the Chrysler Museum Gala in Auburn Hills and at the Mopar Mile-high NHRA Nationals in Golden, Colo.
The Mopar ‘10 will begin arriving in dealers in August.