News that the Dodge Dart GT might not arrive until the 2014 model year disappointed some prospective buyers last month but in order to make sure that buyers have a shot at a 2013 Dart GT, Chrysler has decided to extend the 2013 production run. Now that production has been extended, Dodge brand President and CEO Reid Bigland expects that the Dart GT will hit dealerships in the next 60-90 days.
The model year changeover for the Chrysler Group plants in the US typically takes place in July but with the effort to include the Dart GT in the 2013 model year run, the Belvidere plant where the Dart is built will continue making 2013 model year sedans until at least August. This also means that there will be more 2013 models on dealership lots later than normal – meaning that hopeful Dart buyers (or all trimlines… not just GT packages) could score a deal on an “old” model later this year.
In addition to announcing the extended production run of the 2013 Dodge Dart, Bigland told the Detroit Free Press that in the future, more trimlines than just the GT will also be available with the 2.4L Tigershark engine that is currently only slated to be offered with the Dart GT. We expect that the 2.4L engine will serve as a late availability option for at least the Dart Limited if not also the SXT. This engine will deliver more power than the turbocharged 1.4L option but it will also fail to meet the impressive 40mpg fuel economy figures of the compact Fiat engine.
"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.
"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.
"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.
"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.
"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.
