Dodge marks Mopar parts brand’s 80th year with special-edition Challenger

By Stephen Edelstein February 9, 2017

One of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ (FCA) most iconic brands doesn’t even make cars at all.

That brand is Mopar, the accessories division whose name is a portmanteau of “motor” and “parts,” which is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. In honor of the milestone, FCA unveiled a special-edition Mopar ’17 Dodge Challenger at the 2017 Chicago Auto Show. It’s actually the eighth in a series of Mopar-edition models, stretching back to 2010.

The Mopar treatment starts with the exterior. The special edition gets a two-tone paint job, with a Pitch Black roof and Contusion Blue or Billet Silver lower body. Dodge will only build 80 copies in each color scheme, in reference tp Mopar’s 80th anniversary. The Pitch Black color and a “Mopar 392” logo are hand applied to the body. The car also features 20-inch wheels, black exhaust tips from the Challenger SRT Hellcat, and a “Shaker” hood straight out of the 1970s.

The Mopar ’17 Challenger isn’t all show. It comes equipped with a six-speed manual transmission and the 6.4-liter Hemi V8 used in “SRT 392” versions of the Challenger. The Hemi cranks out 485 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque. The Mopar ’17 edition also gets a cold air intake, strut tower brace, and Brembo brakes.

The interior features sport seats with Mopar logos and contrast stitching, the latter of which adorns the door panels and other parts of the interior. A serialized badge is also mounted under the hood to confirm that the car is something special. Buyers also get an “Owner’s Kit” that includes, among other things, a signed rendering from the FCA U.S. Product Design Office, and a “birth certificate” showing the car’s specifications and date of manufacture.

The Mopar ’17 Dodge Challenger arrives in dealerships later this year. The price for this rolling piece of Mopar memorabilia is $55,790. That’s about $10,000 more than a 2017 Challenger 392 Scat Pack shaker, which has the same engine and the Shaker hood scoop. Apparently, that’s the price of exclusivity.

Topics

Stephen Edelstein

Contributing Editor

Stephen is a freelance automotive journalist covering all things cars. He likes anything with four wheels, from classic cars…

Cars

Best electric car charger deals: $100 off home charging stations

The handle of the Grizzl-E EV charger plugged into a vehicle.

A few years ago, electric vehicles were pretty rare or cost a fortune, but with more and more of the larger car brands getting into the game, there are a lot of excellent and even budget-friendly choices nowadays. That said, the electrical network for charging your cars might not be that widespread, so instead you'll have to rely on charging your car at home. Luckily, there are a lot of excellent car chargers at a discount, so if you've just bought an EV or want to upgrade your current charging solution, be sure to check out our favorite deals below.
Shockflo EV charger — $205, was $220

This EV charger by Shockflo is a Level 2 EV charger, which offers six times faster charging than a standard charger. It delivers 24 miles with just one hour of charging, and it can act as a mobile charger you can throw in the trunk or be mounted to a wall. It has an LCD display with useful information like charging rate, voltage, and charging time, as well as LED indicator lights that lets you know charging progress and errors.

Cars

Mercedes-Benz EQG: range, price, release date, and more

Concept image of the larger electric G-Wagon

The G-Class is going electric. We already knew that Mercedes-Benz was working on an electric, small-size G-Wagon, but it looks like the company is also working on a larger G-Class SUV, in the form of the EQG. In fact, Mercedes has gone as far as to show off a concept version of the off-roader.

While there's much we don't know about what will become the production model of the EQG, Mercedes has also shared a lot about it. Curious about whether the Mercedes-Benz EQG could be the EV for you? Here's everything we know so far.
Design
Fear not -- the EQG will retain many of the design aspects of the G-Class that you already know and love but with a modern face-lift. The EQG will keep the boxy design that gives the G-Class a classic look but with some additional modern styling, at least if the concept version is anything to go by.

Cars

Rivian R2 vs. Kia EV9: battle of affordable electric SUVs

Kia EV9 GT-Line Three Quarters

The long-awaited Rivian R2 has finally been announced, and it's an excellent option for those who want an electric SUV that doesn't completely break the bank. Sure, the R2 isn't cheap -- but it's a whole lot cheaper than most other EVs out there, especially when it comes to SUVs. But Rivian isn't the only company trying to tackle the problem of the budget electric SUV. The Kia EV9 is finally available, and it too offers a modern design and a range of helpful features.

Given the fact that the Rivian R2 and Kia EV9 are two electric SUVs in a similar price range, you might be wondering which is better for your needs. That's why we put the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 head-to-head.
Design
Both the Rivian R2 and the Kia EV9 are actual SUVs -- not crossovers pretending to be SUVs, like plenty of other EVs out there. The two vehicles offer big, boxy designs and plenty of interior space, making them excellent options for families or those who need that extra storage.