When the Dart came out many good things were said about what was coming for the future. Many concepts were made with what seemed to be almost fully ready parts. But sadly, half of what they said they didn’t actually mean. This article will cover the lies that were told and the dreams that were shattered…
I’ll tell you the story. This is a story of tragedy, missed opportunities and so on. The Dart was originally based off the Hornet concept back in 2006. You know that little grey hatchback made for the Japanese market (no, seriously). It had a 1.6 liter turbocharged four cylinder engine that made 160 Horsepower.
They said it was supposed to be a Nissan Cube variant with Chrysler design. It was an interesting little car, though it was heavy. It weighed just under 3,200 pounds (it was 2006, what did you expect). Pretty cool, right? Sure it may look like a five year old throwing a tantrum to some. Though I think it looks like a rather big Kei Car. Have you seen the side mirrors? When I say the Dart was “based” of this car, I mean the idea and name. Yep, the Dart was originally going to be called Hornet… Anyway, this is just the beginning of the sorrow soon to follow.
The next concept to come was the 2009 Chrysler 200C EV Concept. While this may seem off topic, it really isn’t. The 200C had something that would be seen in the Dart four years later. You how the Dart has a TFT Screen in the gauge cluster? The 200C had that before the Dart did, though it went right into the touch screen for the 200C. Rather than just the instrument panel, that really is about the only thing the Dart and the 200C have in common.
The future held promise for the Dart. So many things only concepts could achieve were then brought to reality in the Dart. So what happened? What happened that was so bad that I write in such a tone… One of betrayal and heartbreak…
Once the Dart came out, tons of concepts followed right behind it. Here are all of the concepts that came.
The Darts are listed in the order they came out:
1. Dodge Dart 210 GTS Tribute Car.
2. Dodge Dart Carbon Fire Concept.
3. Dodge Dart Slingshot Concept.
4. Dodge Dart Leadfoot Concept.
5. Dodge Dart R/T Poison Concept.
6. Dodge Dart Scat Pack.
7. Dodge Dart GLH Concept.
All these cars have something in common other than the fact that they are all Dart and concepts. They’re all just a bunch of broken promises.
Take the 210 GTS for example. Dodge said you would be able to buy these parts and give your Dart 210 horsepower. The only way to get your Dart up to that now is through an exhaust and intake if you have the 2.4 liter engine. This is not through Mopar.
The 1.4 Turbo will easily make more than that. So that won’t be included. The hood, splitter and spoiler are things you can get from Mopar. (I’m pretty sure it wasn’t intended for the 2.0).
Next you have the Carbon Fire concept. It has a grill delete and daytime running lamp taken from the Jeep GC SRT8. Do we see this part as a purchasable item? NOPE! If you thought this was actually going to happen then I’d hate to see the disappointment on your face. If you want to do a grill delete, you will need to do it yourself. Don’t worry; many other Dart owners have already done it. You should be able to find a tutorial somewhere…
It’s a sea of shattered dreams that’s what it is. It’s a real shame Dodge didn’t follow through with their promises. It would have made this one of the more factory customizable compacts you could get. I hope you enjoyed this article, as sad as it was (lol).
Dodge Dart: Shattered Dreams
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