All speculations have been put to rest and we now know which vehicle will take the honored position as the annual Mopar Performance badged vehicle. The room was all a buzz on January 31st, during the Mopar 75th Anniversary Event at the Mopar World Headquarters in Center Line, Michigan. We were honored to be invited to attend this exclusive event alongside the who’s who of the Chrysler family to include Ralph Gilles (CEO, SRT), as well as members of various Mopar clubs and social media.
Building on the success of Mopar versions of the 2010 Dodge Challenger and 2011 Dodge Charger, the new Mopar ’12 300 transforms the Chrysler 300 flagship sedan into a performance tribute to celebrate Mopar’s 75th anniversary with unique appointments, select high-performance parts and appearance items straight from the Mopar parts catalog.
2012 Mopar'12 300 at Mopar 75th Anniversary Event
Power and performance
Mopar earned its factory-designed performance reputation with enthusiasts and the most discerning racing drivers for the past 75 years – and the new Mopar ’12 300 is designed to showcase the brand’s prowess.
When looking under the hood of the Mopar ’12 300, an exclusive Mopar engine cover hints at the 363 horsepower 5.7-liter HEMI® V-8 engine with innovative four-cylinder mode Fuel Saver Technology beneath. Backed with a proven five-speed W5A580 automatic transmission, Mopar aficionados will appreciate the unique Mopar shifter combined with Auto Stick. With Auto Stick, drivers may select a higher or lower gear while the transmission controller helps prevent the possibility of an over-rev condition.
At the rear, the differential has been boosted from 3.06:1 to a 3.91:1 final-drive ratio for enhanced acceleration – unique to the Mopar ’12 300 – enabling 0-to-60 mph blasts in the low 5-second range.
Track-tuned suspension delivers precision handling
The new Mopar ’12 300 features the second-generation E-segment architecture’s performance-tuned suspension with 42 percent stiffer front and 23 percent stiffer rear spring rates compared to the Chrysler 300 models with touring-tuned suspension. For improved grip and braking, stickier P245/45R20 Goodyear Eagle F1 three-season tires replace all-season radials, and high-performance brake linings mounted to dual-piston front and single-piston rear calipers deliver fade-resistant stopping performance.
Unique Mopar’12 300 ‘Street Machine’
2012 Mopar'12 300 at Mopar 75th Anniversary Event
Similar to the new Chrysler 300S models, Mopar ’12 300 adds even more street credibility with its blacked-out appearance and unique Mopar appointments. A Mopar Black Chrome seven-bar grille and grille-surround matches the black-accented headlamp bezels and fascia accents for a low-key presence.
2012 Mopar'12 300 at Mopar 75th Anniversary Event
Highlighting the Gloss Black exterior contours of the Mopar ’12 300 are a Mopar Blue A-line body-side stripes. Large 20-inch by 8-inch Mopar forged-aluminum wheels are painted in Gloss Black and include Mopar center caps. Commemorating the brand’s 75th year, “Mopar 75” fender badges feature the Mopar Blue “omega” logo. On the deck lid, a “Mopar Design” badge hints at the select Mopar parts and accessories that have been infused to enhance performance and distinguish the Mopar ’12 300 from any other Chrysler 300.
2012 Mopar'12 300 at Mopar 75th Anniversary Event
Inside, Mopar ’12 300 features a monotone black interior environment with Mopar Blue accents throughout. Mopar’s Katzkin perforated leather wraps the large-bolstered 12-way power driver and passenger heated-front sport seats, and includes Mopar Blue accent stitching on the seating surface, along with French-seamed stitching at the perimeter and a black/blue two-tone leather combination. Rear heated seats feature the same perforated leather and corresponding Mopar Blue stitching treatment.
2012 Mopar'12 300 at Mopar 75th Anniversary Event
A thick-rimmed steering wheel with die-cast paddle shifters (for Auto Stick) and a unique Mopar shifter handle are wrapped in black leather and stitched with matching Mopar Blue thread. Mopar sill plates and a serialized “Mopar ’12 Limited Edition” badge complete the list of unique appointments.
2012 Mopar'12 300 at Mopar 75th Anniversary Event
The enthusiast-designed interior of the Mopar ’12 300 is enhanced further with matte carbon hydrographic accents on the instrument panel and center console areas, while Piano Black is used on the interior center stack, instrument panel, steering wheel, gauge cluster and door panel elements to provide a unique lacquered appearance.
World-class connectivity with segment’s largest touchscreen display
State-of-the-art Uconnect® Touch 8.4 provides Mopar ’12 300 passengers with the segment’s largest touchscreen display (8.4-inches) and next-generation mobile infotainment, connectivity and multimedia features. In addition, the Mopar ’12 300 features a unique “Mopar” start-up screen.
Uconnect Touch also controls Mopar ’12’s 506-watt Alpine nine-speaker premium audio system with subwoofer 12-channel amplifier with 506 watts of power and digital signal processing (DSP) for 7.1-adapted surround sound.
SafetyTec Group: Advanced Active-safety features for 360-degree perspective
The new Mopar ’12 300 provides customers the latest in accident-avoidance features with its standard SafetyTec Group, combining advanced active- and passive-safety technologies for enhanced driver confidence.
The SafetyTec Group includes adaptive-forward lighting (AFL), high-intensity discharge (HID) projector high and low-beams with automatic headlamp leveling, Forward Collision Warning (FCW) with adaptive-cruise control (ACC), Blind-spot monitoring (BSM) with Rear Cross Path (RCP) detection, ParkSense® front and rear park assist system, LED-illuminated rear fog lamps, exterior mirrors with supplemental turn signals and approach lamp. Additional safety features include a HomeLink universal transceiver, rain-sensing wipers and SmartBeam® headlamps.
Available this summer
The Mopar ’12 300 will be built in Brampton, Ontario. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price for the limited-edition Mopar ’12 300 is $49,700, which includes $825 for destination.
Customers who purchase one of these 500 limited-edition Chrysler 300 models will receive a personalized owner kit in a customized Mopar ’12 300 box, Mopar-branded key fobs and Mopar ’12 300 merchandise. The kit will include a certificate with the vehicle identification number (VIN), exact date of manufacture and the number of the vehicle. The kit also will include an original sketch of the car signed by the designer and a brochure highlighting the unique features of the vehicle.
Best of Show and Go Award Billy Gray – Dodge Charger