In each of the past three years, Chrysler's Mopar division has offered up limited edition Mopar-modified versions of popular Chrysler Group products beginning with the Mopar 10 Dodge Challenger in 2010.  In 2011 the Dodge Charger served as the Mopar 11 while the Chrysler 300C was the base vehicle for the Mopar 12 but it looks as though the Mopar 13 will take a very different route.  The Chrysler Group hasn't stated exactly what vehicle will play host for the Mopar 13 but thanks to the single teaser image shown above - we can make some educated guesses that suggest that this is a modified Dodge Dart.

After featuring Hemi-powered models in 2010, 2011 and 2012, many believed that the Mopar 13 would be based on the Ram 1500 and after seeing the black and blue Moparized Ram at SEMA while we also wondered if it might be a Jeep Wrangler after seeing one of the popular SUVs at the Woodward Dream Cruise with a similar paint scheme to that seen on the Mopar branded vehicles.  However, the seats shown in the image above show that this is not a Ram nor is it a Jeep.  The next guess from many was that the Mopar 13 would be based on the Fiat 500 to further emphasize the connection between Mopar and the modern Fiat brand but again, based on the image above this does not look like the diminutive 500.  Between the Mopar clad front seats we can see the back seat and it is just too far away to be the 500 and when we played with the brightness and contrast settings of this image - things come into focus even more.

While there has been nothing to confirm this rumor from the folks at the Chrysler Group - the internet is ripe with the whispers that the 2014 SRT8 vehicles will be powered by a new supercharged Hemi V8 packing supercharged power and the name "Hellcat".  Originally, these rumors suggested that the supercharged Hellcat Hemi would be the sole engine option for the upcoming (and currently non-existent) SRT Barracuda but lately, those who create internet rumors believe that this engine will instead be offered in some sort of higher performance trimline for the SRT variants of the Charger, Challenger and the Chrysler 300C.

Since there has been no official word from Chrysler as to the existence of this supercharged Hellcat Hemi V8, all of the information that we can discuss comes strictly from the rumormill but these rumors are very exciting - to say the least.  The Hellcat Hemi is expected to measure 6.2 liters while a rooted supercharger is expected to create somewhere in the area of 600 horsepower and 550lb-ft of torque.  This is a substantial jump over the 470 horsepower currently offered by the Charger and Challenger SRT8 and while it is romantic to think that Chrysler would offer a 600 horsepower Challenger SRT8 - this engine will most likely be reserved for some sort of ultra high end trimline for the SRT muscle cars.  The other option is that the SRT vehicles as we know them will all be spun off into SRT branded vehicles rather than trimlines of the Dodge Charger or Chrysler 300C but we have to question what kind of jump in price would come with a jump in power that makes these models almost as powerful as the  2013 SRT Viper.

The 2013 SRT Viper is the only American performance car on the market today built in Detroit but since being introduced last April at the New York International Auto Show, Motor City show goers had to wait until the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit's Cobo Hall to see the prodigal supercar on display in its home town.  In fact, after touring around the country to shows and events all over the USA, it seems like Detroit was one of the last major cities to see the Viper on a show stand but with the start of the 2013 NAIAS, locals finally got a chance to see the new SRT Viper in person.

The 2013 SRT Viper stands as the centerpiece of the massive Chrysler Group display at the 2013 Detroit Auto Show with two examples of the new supercar nestled into the compact SRT section.  First, the 2013 SRT Viper GTS in Adrenaline Red offered Detroit Auto Show goers a chance to see the top of the line road going Viper while the #91 SRT Viper GTS-R driven by Kuno Wittmer and Dominik Farnbacher which - oddly - no longer wears the Forza Motorsports sponsorship livery.  Joining these two gorgeous American supercars was a lovely blonde model in a black dress who was answering questions on the new Vipers along with posing for photos with the cars.

The 2013 SRT Viper is the only American performance car made in the Motor City, with the new Viper (and many before it) being built at the Connor Avenue Assembly Plant in Detroit.  Recently, the folks at the New York Times stopped by the Viper's lair to watch the crew build the 2013 Viper from beginning to end and they were kind enough to film the process - putting it all into sped-up video for the motoring world to enjoy.

The heart and soul of the 2013 SRT Viper is the 8.4L V10 engine that sends 650 horsepower and 600lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels and that is where the production video for the new Viper begins.  The first 45 seconds or so show the team quickly assembling the engine by hand (with the help of some pneumatic tools) before robots get to work putting the chassis of the car together.  The engine is among the first pieces of the puzzle to be installed on the chassis while the brakes and suspension are next added to the base of the chassis.  From there, we see the Viper begin to take shape as the firewall, the dashboard and the windshield frame are added followed by the massive wheels are tires - which we get a great look at as the big meats are bolted up to create a rolling chassis.

The 2013 Dodge Dart officially went on sale in June 2012 and in the final 7 months of the 2012 calendar year - Dodge sold 25,303 examples of the sporty new compact sedan.   This includes the first month's sales of 202 units in June 2012 and the best month's sales of 6,105 units sold in December but going further, the good people at Chrysler were kind enough to provide me with some interesting figures from the first partial year of the new Dart relative to the rest of the segment.

First of all, the 2013 Dodge Dart was available in 4 trimlines during the 2012 calendar year - the SE, SXT, Rallye and Limited.  During the first 7 months, the SXT was the top volume model with roughly 39% sold followed by the luxurious Limited package with a rate of 28% while the sporty Rallye package came in third with a rate of 22% and the entry level SE was the lowest volume model with a rate of just around 11%.  For the 2013 calendar year, the Chrysler Group expects that the SE will continue with a pace of 10% while the new Dart GT will likely follow a similar pace.  The SXT will likely account for about 35% of sales in 2013 while the Limited will bring about 25% of sales and the Rallye will account for an additional 20%.  In terms of geographic sales, California dealerships have sold the most Darts followed by Texas, Florida, Michigan and New York.