Dodge Dart in '13
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 8,335
Likes: 327
From: Las Vegas
It's going to have a choice of 3 4-cylinder engines.....wtf? You can have either 1.4 liter, 2.0 liter, or 2.4 liter.
In a car that used to pack v8's in the day. What kind of drugs are the Fiat/Chrysler execs using? This is worse than when they "brought back" the Charger, which was BS. The new Charger shares NOTHING in common with the old Charger, and this new Dart will be even worse. They did good on the Challenger. I don't understand the thought process that brought about the Charger and now the Dart.
And we wonder why they went bankrupt.
http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2011/...w-compact-car/
In a car that used to pack v8's in the day. What kind of drugs are the Fiat/Chrysler execs using? This is worse than when they "brought back" the Charger, which was BS. The new Charger shares NOTHING in common with the old Charger, and this new Dart will be even worse. They did good on the Challenger. I don't understand the thought process that brought about the Charger and now the Dart.
And we wonder why they went bankrupt.
http://www.foxnews.com/leisure/2011/...w-compact-car/
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Out of Warranty
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 14,925
Likes: 13
From: Houston, Republic of Texas
The "Dart" was a name that came with a macho interpretation gathered from the Convair "Delta Dart" high-speed interceptor aircraft that seemed to be in the daily headlines during the early days of the space race, setting one performance record after another. Chrysler Corp. was in a fit of reorganizing its dealer structure in 1960, and where once Dodge/Plymouth dealerships had been paired, management decided to offer them as totally separate brands for the first time. Plymouth had been the price leader, so in order to give Dodge dealers a truly low-priced car, they borrowed the Dart name and slapped it on a economy version of the full-size Dodge for 1960-61, but with a slightly shorter wheelbase than the upline models.
For 1962, the Dart rolled off the assembly line as a mid-size, before finally shrinking to a compact in 1963. As the "economy" leader for the marque, it was designed for the near-bulletproof slant-six engine that produced 101 hp out of 170 cu in (2.8 L), or a stroked 225 cu in (3.7 L), producing 145 hp for another $50. The smart money took the big 6, as the 180 hp, 273 cu in (4.5 L) V8 was a fine engine in truck and agricultural service, but was rather anemic for it's weight - that would be critical on the lightweight compacts.
I was fortunate enough to own one of the "Big 6" engines, planted in a '61 Plymouth Valiant whose only other options included a heater and an AM radio. With a three-speed floor shifter, it was neither the quickest thing off the line, nor the finest handling car I ever drove, but it was surprisingly sporty given its excellent intake and exhaust runners enabled by that "laydown" engine configuration that leaned it over 30° to starboard to clear the low hood. The engine was capable of some impressive revs, despite the 4-main bearing crank that threatened to let go at high speed, but even with the abuse of a number of West Texas dragsters (and at least one college student) in extracting some pretty incredible performance numbers by replacing the single Ball & Ball carburetor with a 4-bbl Carter WCFB, an Offenhauser intake manifold, a mild cam, and a set of headers, it survived just fine, thank you.
The torsion bar suspension, also shared with the compact Dart that was its mechanical twin, gave it surefooted handling, back in the days when an independent rear suspension came usually attached to a handful of European roadsters. The only real drawbacks were the US standard recirculating ball steering box and those tiny drum brakes housed in the standard 13" wheels.
It wasn't until the dawn of the "muscle car" era when someone got the idea of tweaking the old 273, reaching a maximum output of 271 hp and giving Ford's vaunted 289 a run for its money. Dropping that engine into a Dart, provided you opted to delete the garish graphics package that most V8 Darts came with, would give you a little Q-ship that was easily capable of smoking a number of its more famous cousins at the stoplight Grand Prix.
Following the theory that "if a little's good, more's better", somebody in Detroit got the idea of stuffing a 426 Hemi under the hood, and later the 440 "wedge" motor, creating a truly awesome straight-line performer. Of course, stopping was problematical, some owners threatening to install a parachute pack on the rear, and turning corners at any kind of speed was accompanied by massive understeer and auditory protest from the front end that was carrying nearly 70% of the weight of the car. It may not have had great handling, or the most inspired styling, but if you wanted to dominate the crowd down at the hamburger stand, the 440 Dart was the only way to go.
If the new Dart is a badge-engineered Alfa Romeo Giulietta, it should end up in about the same place the Big 6 in the 63-68 Dart did back in the day. Given the Alfa heritage, it's going to be ball to drive, relatively economical for its power output, and a thing of beauty to behold. If it can also provide the reliability and practicality of the old Dart, before the hot-rod community got hold of it, Chrysler/Fiat should have a winner here, with both name recognition and two genuine performance heritages.
Styling note: like any other "Italian" car that pretends to a racing heritage, it should be available ONLY in rosso corsa.
For 1962, the Dart rolled off the assembly line as a mid-size, before finally shrinking to a compact in 1963. As the "economy" leader for the marque, it was designed for the near-bulletproof slant-six engine that produced 101 hp out of 170 cu in (2.8 L), or a stroked 225 cu in (3.7 L), producing 145 hp for another $50. The smart money took the big 6, as the 180 hp, 273 cu in (4.5 L) V8 was a fine engine in truck and agricultural service, but was rather anemic for it's weight - that would be critical on the lightweight compacts.
I was fortunate enough to own one of the "Big 6" engines, planted in a '61 Plymouth Valiant whose only other options included a heater and an AM radio. With a three-speed floor shifter, it was neither the quickest thing off the line, nor the finest handling car I ever drove, but it was surprisingly sporty given its excellent intake and exhaust runners enabled by that "laydown" engine configuration that leaned it over 30° to starboard to clear the low hood. The engine was capable of some impressive revs, despite the 4-main bearing crank that threatened to let go at high speed, but even with the abuse of a number of West Texas dragsters (and at least one college student) in extracting some pretty incredible performance numbers by replacing the single Ball & Ball carburetor with a 4-bbl Carter WCFB, an Offenhauser intake manifold, a mild cam, and a set of headers, it survived just fine, thank you.
The torsion bar suspension, also shared with the compact Dart that was its mechanical twin, gave it surefooted handling, back in the days when an independent rear suspension came usually attached to a handful of European roadsters. The only real drawbacks were the US standard recirculating ball steering box and those tiny drum brakes housed in the standard 13" wheels.
It wasn't until the dawn of the "muscle car" era when someone got the idea of tweaking the old 273, reaching a maximum output of 271 hp and giving Ford's vaunted 289 a run for its money. Dropping that engine into a Dart, provided you opted to delete the garish graphics package that most V8 Darts came with, would give you a little Q-ship that was easily capable of smoking a number of its more famous cousins at the stoplight Grand Prix.
Following the theory that "if a little's good, more's better", somebody in Detroit got the idea of stuffing a 426 Hemi under the hood, and later the 440 "wedge" motor, creating a truly awesome straight-line performer. Of course, stopping was problematical, some owners threatening to install a parachute pack on the rear, and turning corners at any kind of speed was accompanied by massive understeer and auditory protest from the front end that was carrying nearly 70% of the weight of the car. It may not have had great handling, or the most inspired styling, but if you wanted to dominate the crowd down at the hamburger stand, the 440 Dart was the only way to go.
If the new Dart is a badge-engineered Alfa Romeo Giulietta, it should end up in about the same place the Big 6 in the 63-68 Dart did back in the day. Given the Alfa heritage, it's going to be ball to drive, relatively economical for its power output, and a thing of beauty to behold. If it can also provide the reliability and practicality of the old Dart, before the hot-rod community got hold of it, Chrysler/Fiat should have a winner here, with both name recognition and two genuine performance heritages.
Styling note: like any other "Italian" car that pretends to a racing heritage, it should be available ONLY in rosso corsa.
Last edited by Lil4X; Dec 7, 2011 at 04:37 AM.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 9,982
Likes: 241
From: California
I predict fail.
1) Old Dart and Valiant was a piece towards the end. See the movie "DUEL."
2) Retro cars,especially compact ones, usually do poorly. Everyone who wants one gets one in the beginning, then there are no buyers after two years.
3) The marriage of a retro US compact and modern Italian car sounds like a black and white cookie.
4) Sheds light on a manufacturer's weakness. Can't come up with something new and progressive? Go backward and redo something old.
1) Old Dart and Valiant was a piece towards the end. See the movie "DUEL."
2) Retro cars,especially compact ones, usually do poorly. Everyone who wants one gets one in the beginning, then there are no buyers after two years.
3) The marriage of a retro US compact and modern Italian car sounds like a black and white cookie.
4) Sheds light on a manufacturer's weakness. Can't come up with something new and progressive? Go backward and redo something old.
Marchionne: 2013 Dodge Dart will have optional 9-speed auto, hit 40 mpg
Marchionne: 2013 Dodge Dart will have optional 9-speed auto, hit 40 mpg
Dodge might have teased us with a few images and some initial powertrain details on the 2013 Dart, but Fiat and Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has provided even more in an interview with Reuters.
According to Marchionne, the Dart is one piece of a larger puzzle for Chrysler in 2013, and the all-new Dart – based off a widened and stretched Alfa Romeo Giulietta – will hit 40 mpg thanks to a host of new engines and transmissions.
As previously reported, the turbocharged 1.4-liter MultiAir fitted to the Fiat 500 Abarth will grace the top of the Dart range, but Dodge also plans to fit modified versions of the 2.0 and 2.4-liter World Gas Engine, comically rebranded as the Tigershark.
When the Dart debuts, a Fiat-sourced six-speed dual-clutch transmission will feed the front wheels, but later in 2013 Dodge will reportedly offer a nine-speed automatic gearbox supplied by the ZF Group and manufactured in South Carolina. ZF officials claim fuel economy will be boosted between 10 to 16 percent over the dual-clutch 'box, and that should put it handily in the 40 mpg range.
And that last bit is important, as Fiat will receive its final five percent of Chrysler stock from the feds when it produces a vehicle with a 40-mpg rating.
http://www.autoblog.com/2011/12/07/m...peed-auto-hit/
2013 Dodge Dart interior details revealed
2013 Dodge Dart interior details revealed
Interior Gallery:
http://www.autoblog.com/photos/2013-...photo-4675922/
We're just a few weeks away from the 2012 Detroit Auto Show where, among other things, we'll see the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart for the first time. Parent company Chrysler has already released a few teasers of the compact sedan's exterior, and now, we're getting our first look inside the new C-segment offering.
Dodge says that the 2013 Dart's interior is all about customization, and that's immediately noticeable with the gauge cluster. As you can see above, the Dart will have offer seven-inch color TFT display in the middle of the instrument panel, allowing the driver to switch between different display modes with a standard analog tachometer and fuel gauge/PRNDL flanking either side. That red glow you see around the IP? That's an available ambient "racetrack" lighting system that not only outlines the cluster, but works its way over to the center stack, as well. Ambient lighting can also be had in the foot wells, door handles, map pockets, glove box, center console storage and cup holders.
Speaking of the center stack, the 2013 Dodge Dart will be available with Chrysler's speedy and well-regarded UConnect infotainment system, displayed on a large, 8.4-inch touchscreen – the largest screen in its class, might we add. We're also told that the Dart's glovebox is cavernous enough to store an Apple iPad, and there will be the usual smattering of auxiliary input jacks throughout the interior to keep you connected to all of your electronic devices.
Adding to the theme of customization, the Dart will be available in 12 different exterior colors and the interior will have 14 possible color and trim configurations. What's more, there will be three different wheel options, three engine choices and three transmissions, along with available safety equipment like blind spot and cross-path detection systems not normally found in this class of vehicle.
All-new 2013 Dodge Dart Interior Sets New Standard for Compact Cars
A Modern Blend of Precision Craftsmanship, State-of-the-art Technology & Safety, Exciting Bursts of Color and Hand-sculpted Shapes Create a Highly Customizable Interior
• New Dodge Dart built with materials and precision craftsmanship typically found in more expensive vehicle segments
• Customization is key – Dodge offers thousands of ways to personalize the Dart
• Available high-tech features include class-exclusive customizable 7-inch gauge cluster, 8.4-inch Uconnect® touchscreen, heated steering wheel and illuminated floating island bezel
• Class-leading safety – Dodge Dart's 10 standard airbags are unsurpassed in the compact car segment
The Dodge brand is giving a sneak peek into the high-tech, precisely crafted and highly customizable interior of its all-new 2013 Dodge Dart. Scheduled to be introduced Jan. 9 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the new Dodge Dart's interior sets a new standard for compact cars.
Setting a New Standard – Quality & Spaciousness
Dodge designers focused on creating a modern blend of precision craftsmanship, state-of-the-art technology, exciting bursts of color and hand-sculpted shapes when designing the Dart's interior, which is made with materials and technology typically found in more expensive vehicle segments. Starting with modern Dodge DNA, and through the use of innovative ambient interior lighting, high-quality soft-touch materials and high-tech features, the 2013 Dodge Dart is loaded with cool amenities and unexpected delights for both drivers and passengers.
The Dart's "driver-centric" layout is designed to put all controls within easy reach of the driver. Customizable displays and comfort-tuned seats are packaged in an exceptionally spacious, pleasing interior. Packaged in the footprint of a compact car, the 2013 Dodge Dart features the interior spaciousness of a mid-sized sedan, and it boasts best-in-class hip and shoulder room.
Unmatched Customization
Customization was key in the all-new Dodge Dart's development, and with 12 exterior colors, 14 interior color and trim combinations, six wheel options, three engine options and three transmissions, each Dodge Dart can be personalized by every buyer to fit their individual style. And the combinations are multiplied exponentially, as Mopar will also offer hundreds of customization options and themed packages specifically developed for the Dart.
Class-leading Technology
The high-tech centerpiece of the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart is the class-exclusive floating island bezel, which houses the segment-exclusive available 7-inch Thin Film Transistor (TFT) customizable gauge cluster display with light pipe surround that also houses the available class-exclusive UConnect® Touch 8.4-inch touchscreen multimedia center – the largest touchscreen in its class.
Thoughtful storage options throughout fit today's technology. The glove box easily conceals a stowed iPad; the center console features auxiliary jacks to plug in a wide variety of electronic devices, and thoughtful, inventive storage solutions, such as console map pockets, which are perfect for storing mobile phones, receipts, or pen and paper.
Lighting in all the right places provides drivers and passengers a warm, comfortable cockpit. Available "racetrack" lighting surrounds the floating island bezel. Ambient lighting for the door handles, map pockets, foot wells, glove box, storage bin and illuminated cup holders is both useful and provides a warm atmosphere inside the vehicle.
Unmatched Safety
Safety was also at the forefront in the development of the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart. Built on a strong foundation, constructed with 68 percent high-strength steel, engineers added both active and passive safety features, including 10 standard airbags, which is unsurpassed in the segment. The 2013 Dodge Dart is also the only car in its class to offer Blind-spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path Detection.
A Modern Blend of Precision Craftsmanship, State-of-the-art Technology & Safety, Exciting Bursts of Color and Hand-sculpted Shapes Create a Highly Customizable Interior
• New Dodge Dart built with materials and precision craftsmanship typically found in more expensive vehicle segments
• Customization is key – Dodge offers thousands of ways to personalize the Dart
• Available high-tech features include class-exclusive customizable 7-inch gauge cluster, 8.4-inch Uconnect® touchscreen, heated steering wheel and illuminated floating island bezel
• Class-leading safety – Dodge Dart's 10 standard airbags are unsurpassed in the compact car segment
The Dodge brand is giving a sneak peek into the high-tech, precisely crafted and highly customizable interior of its all-new 2013 Dodge Dart. Scheduled to be introduced Jan. 9 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the new Dodge Dart's interior sets a new standard for compact cars.
Setting a New Standard – Quality & Spaciousness
Dodge designers focused on creating a modern blend of precision craftsmanship, state-of-the-art technology, exciting bursts of color and hand-sculpted shapes when designing the Dart's interior, which is made with materials and technology typically found in more expensive vehicle segments. Starting with modern Dodge DNA, and through the use of innovative ambient interior lighting, high-quality soft-touch materials and high-tech features, the 2013 Dodge Dart is loaded with cool amenities and unexpected delights for both drivers and passengers.
The Dart's "driver-centric" layout is designed to put all controls within easy reach of the driver. Customizable displays and comfort-tuned seats are packaged in an exceptionally spacious, pleasing interior. Packaged in the footprint of a compact car, the 2013 Dodge Dart features the interior spaciousness of a mid-sized sedan, and it boasts best-in-class hip and shoulder room.
Unmatched Customization
Customization was key in the all-new Dodge Dart's development, and with 12 exterior colors, 14 interior color and trim combinations, six wheel options, three engine options and three transmissions, each Dodge Dart can be personalized by every buyer to fit their individual style. And the combinations are multiplied exponentially, as Mopar will also offer hundreds of customization options and themed packages specifically developed for the Dart.
Class-leading Technology
The high-tech centerpiece of the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart is the class-exclusive floating island bezel, which houses the segment-exclusive available 7-inch Thin Film Transistor (TFT) customizable gauge cluster display with light pipe surround that also houses the available class-exclusive UConnect® Touch 8.4-inch touchscreen multimedia center – the largest touchscreen in its class.
Thoughtful storage options throughout fit today's technology. The glove box easily conceals a stowed iPad; the center console features auxiliary jacks to plug in a wide variety of electronic devices, and thoughtful, inventive storage solutions, such as console map pockets, which are perfect for storing mobile phones, receipts, or pen and paper.
Lighting in all the right places provides drivers and passengers a warm, comfortable cockpit. Available "racetrack" lighting surrounds the floating island bezel. Ambient lighting for the door handles, map pockets, foot wells, glove box, storage bin and illuminated cup holders is both useful and provides a warm atmosphere inside the vehicle.
Unmatched Safety
Safety was also at the forefront in the development of the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart. Built on a strong foundation, constructed with 68 percent high-strength steel, engineers added both active and passive safety features, including 10 standard airbags, which is unsurpassed in the segment. The 2013 Dodge Dart is also the only car in its class to offer Blind-spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path Detection.