ARTICLE LINKY
2010 Mopar ’10 Challenger - First Look
Mopar and Dodge collaborate to produce a mean-spirited muscle car.
By Mike Monticello
July 7, 2010
The Chrysler Group revealed plans today to build a limited-production Challenger called the Mopar ’10 Challenger. Pietro Gorlier, president and CEO of Mopar, said the Mopar ’10 Challenger “represents the first time Chrysler Group LLC will launch a special-edition Mopar version of one of our cars.”
Ralph Gilles, president and CEO of Dodge, said the Mopar ’10 “has a wicked, sinister appearance that will turn heads,” when it arrives at Dodge dealers next month. Only 500 examples of the Mopar ’10 Challenger will be produced, and all in triple black—black exterior, black interior and high-gloss black 20-in. forged-alloy wheels.
But the 500 cars won’t look identical, as customers will have the option to choose between blue, silver and red accents. Those accents include large Mopar side stripes as well as Mopar graphics on the front fascia, hood, hood pin caps, rear three-quarter windows and the chrome fuel door; adding to the car’s sinister look is a black-chrome grille.
The interior has been spiced up with Katzkin leather seats featuring stitching corresponding to the car’s particular exterior accent color. Mopar also added a new leather-wrapped steering wheel, as well as a T-handle shifter for automatic-equipped models and a pistol-grip handle for manual gearboxes.
But the most noticeable change to the Mopar ’10 is that big honking (yet apparently functional) T/A-style hood scoop, which certainly adds to the menacing appearance that Gilles spoke of. Incidentally, the Mopar ’10 serves as the introduction of this hood into the Mopar parts catalog; in fact, just about every part on this car, save the stripes, logos and special owner’s kit, will be available through said catalog.
Although in truth the Mopar ’10 is mostly an appearance package, Gorlier says the car’s cold-air intake and hood scoop should give the 5.7-liter V-8 an estimated 15-bhp increase over the stock Challenger R/T’s 376 bhp. On the handling front, the Mopar ’10 comes standard with the R/T’s optional Super Track Pak suspension, which includes larger anti-roll bars, stiffer bushings and firmer springs and shocks, while Gorlier says further handling improvements will be realized via the Mopar ’10’s front and rear strut-tower braces.
The Mopar ’10 Challenger will list for $38,000, including destination; add $1000 if you want a manual transmission, due to the manual’s lower take rate (about 20 percent) and Hurst short-throw linkage. That price slots in between the $31,610 R/T and the $43,680 SRT8. Sweetening the pot, every Mopar ’10 Challenger will come with a signed sketch by exterior designer Mark Trostle.
The Mopar ’10 Challenger will be sold only in the U.S. and Canada, but Gorlier did say Mopar “will consider other markets for future special models,” meaning this won’t be the last Mopar edition we’ll see. Although Dodge has so far only presented a photo-illustration of the Mopar ’10 Challenger, the production model will make its official public debut at the Chrysler Museum Gala on July 24, as well as at the Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals in Golden, Colorado, the same weekend.
