When the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart rolled out of the factory, it debuted with more than 150 available Mopar parts and accessories, the most in the compact-car segment. For Dodge Dart owners seeking inspiration, the Carbon Fire does the job.

On the performance end of the spectrum, the Mopar prototype carbon fiber hood offers significant weight savings. A three-piece prototype rear decklid spoiler provides downforce to keep the Carbon Fire planted through the corners, while also giving a more dramatic look to the vehicle. Silver brake calipers stand out while helping to control the Dodge Dart’s power.

The charcoal grey exterior is accented with a Mopar satin black front chin spoiler and a Mopar satin black body kit underneath the Dart’s fascia. The Carbon Fire sits on prototype gloss black 19-inch wheels, with Mopar logo center caps. The gloss black theme is also utilized on the prototype front fascia insert, roof and mirror covers. The prototype Mopar grille texture is another stand out, dropping the customary cross hair grille of the Dodge Dart.

The sleek feel is accentuated with light smoke headlamps and tail lamps. On the lower fascia, fog lamps are swapped for unique daytime running lights, borrowed from the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT, and set in a unique bezel. Tinted windows hide an interior that features color cues from the exterior, with darker matte finishes on the interior bezels and Katzkin leather seats that follow the outside color themes.

2013 Dodge Dart Limited 1.4T DDCT
INSTRUMENTED TEST

Highs:
Solid chassis, attractive design, spacious and well-equipped cabin.

Lows:
Significant turbo lag, clumsy gearbox, rather heavy, poor fuel economy.

Curb weight: 3338 lb
C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 9.0 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 24.3 sec
Zero to 110 mph: 31.8 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 9.8 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 4.7 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 6.2 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 17.1 sec @ 85 mph

FUEL ECONOMY:
EPA city/highway driving: 27/37 mpg
C/D observed: 26 mpg

Our rather portly Limited-grade tester weighed 72 pounds more than the last 1.4 we evaluated with the standard six-speed manual. It also was significantly slower with our testing equipment on board. The manual car needed 7.9 seconds to reach 60 mph and 16 flat to cover the quarter-mile, but the DDCT stretched those times to a lazy 9.0 and 17.1 seconds. Lined up against a roster of recently updated competitors, that’s enough to push the Dart from mid-pack to the back of the field in a drag race.

Chrysler Group LLC today introduced the limited-edition Mopar ’13 Dart, marking the fourth special-edition Mopar-badged vehicle created since the company partnered with Fiat S.p.A in 2009. The car will be shown at next week’s Chicago Auto Show.

Building on the success of the Mopar ’10 Challenger, Mopar ’11 Charger and the Mopar ’12 300, the limited-edition Mopar ’13 Dart will be built and customized with Mopar performance parts and accessories. Production for a limited run of 500 units will begin this spring at the company’s assembly plant in Belvidere, Ill.

“Our new Mopar ’13 Dart will turn heads and stand out from the crowd,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “For this special, limited-edition vehicle, we specifically kept the driver in mind as we added select Mopar parts and accessories.”

Inspired by the tuner scene, the Mopar ’13 Dart is designed for driving enthusiasts. Powered by a 1.4-liter MultiAir® intercooled turbo engine with a manual transmission, the Mopar ’13 sports a gloss-black finish with a pair of car-length Mopar Blue stripes, which mirror each of the three previous Mopar-themed models.

For enhanced handling, upgrades include a performance steering-gear calibration, a 7 millimeter-lowered suspension and low-profile 40 aspect performance tires (225/40R18). From the racing scene, Mopar added a premium brake kit with slotted rotors. Engine breathing is enhanced with a performance-tuned exhaust and to further optimize aerodynamics and increase downforce, the custom Dart features Mopar’s ground-effects kit, which includes a front-chin spoiler, one-piece deck-lid spoiler, as well as a unique and aggressively styled rear diffuser.

Unique exterior elements include a Mopar badge in the crosshair grille and gloss-black 18-inch wheels with a Mopar logo on the wheel center caps. The vehicle’s unique interior, featuring a serialized plate, gives the driver a custom Mopar Blue leather seat with black accents. To keep the emphasis on the driver, the driver seat is Mopar Blue while all other seats are black with blue accent stitching. The centerpiece of the interior is a floating island bezel that is accented with Mopar Blue paint and lighting. The interior is further enhanced with rich details, including Mopar Blue accent thread, as well as light-black chrome and gloss-black elements.

Along with a Mopar serialized badge on the dash, the special-edition Mopar ’13 includes industry-first wireless charging for smartphones, a blue-stitched leather-wrapped steering wheel with an identically garnished shifter knob, a bright sport-pedal kit, premium Mopar carpet floor mats, door-sill guards and an 8.4-inch navigation screen.

The limited-edition Mopar ’13 Dart will be delivered to each customer with a personalized owner kit. Assembled in a custom-made black case, contents include a personalized plate with vehicle specifications, the date of manufacture and the unique identification number (of 500) of the vehicle. Along with a Mopar ’13 brochure and other memorabilia, the kit will include a limited-edition sketch of the vehicle signed by Mark Trostle, Chrysler Group Chief Designer for the Mopar Brand.

Mopar-first Features

Mopar has introduced numerous industry-first features including:

• Vehicle-information apps: first to introduce smartphone vehicle-information applications, a new channel of communication with consumers
• Electronic owner manuals: first to introduce traditional owner manuals in a DVD and brief user-guide format and first to offer complete vehicle-information kits in Spanish
• Wi-Fi: first to offer customers the ability to make their vehicle a wireless hot spot
• Wireless charging: first to introduce in-vehicle wireless charging for portable devices
• Electronic Vehicle Tracking System (EVTS): first to market with a new interactive vehicle tracking device that sends owner a text when vehicle is driven too fast or too far based on pre-set parameters
• 2011 Mopar Challenger Drag Pak: first to introduce a 500-plus cubic-inch V-10 drag-race package car
• Brand-specific customer care telephone lines: first to offer Sunday service hours for customers
• WiTECH: first to support vehicle diagnosis and software updates leveraging off-the-shelf personal computers and a dedicated wireless tool network

Dodge has a rich history when it comes to muscle cars, and it trades on such lore now and again with special-edition models like the Charger SRT8 Super Bee and the Challenger Yellow Jacket. Entering 2014, however, Dodge is taking retro to a whole new level, and in a good way, with the re-introduction of its factory Scat packages. The Sinatra-like name comes from the original Dodge Scat Pack, a Dodge enthusiast club whose popularity led the factory to first introduce stage kits nearly 45 years ago. Dodge brought a trio of Scat-outfitted cars to the 2013 SEMA show, and here’s how the kits break down by model, sans pricing, which is forthcoming:

In lieu of the Dart SRT model we’re still waiting for, a fully Scat-packaged Dart might make for a fine alternative. Available only for 2.4-liter–equipped Darts, the stage kits bring a serious dose of mean to Dodge’s compact formerly known as Giulietta. Scat Package 1 nets owners a Mopar cold-air intake, a short-throw shifter, and performance brakes (slotted rotors and performance pads). Scat Package 2 tosses in unique ECU tuning and a cat-back exhaust, and Scat Package 3 ups the ante with a Mopar big brake kit with stainless steel lines; adjustable suspension; and performance-minded front and rear swaybars. The SEMA show car adds the sweet side-exit exhaust system, although befitting the Dart’s baby cylinder count, its setup gets just a single side outlet on the driver’s side. (The Challenger and Charger’s exhausts dump to both sides.) Again, Dodge threw the Mopar catalog at this specific Dart, adding a Katzkin leather interior, concept-stage 19-inch wheels, an aggressive body kit, and a vented aluminum hood that looks pretty sweet.