Breaking News: 2013 Dodge Dart Production is underway in May!

Production of the Dodge Dart will begin in May with full production of the compact car expected by mid-summer, Reid Bigland, head of sales for Chrysler, said today.
Bigland said the company expects to build about 2,000 Dodge Darts in May and about 8,000 in June.
“It’s going to be late summer before we really hit the stride with all of the option availability,” Bigland said today at an event in Detroit.
Built in Belvidere, Ill., the Dart is expected to be the company’s first credible compact car since the early 1990s when it introduced the Dodge Neon. The Dart, which is built on a platform adapted from the Alfa Romeo Giulietta, also is the first real test of the theory that Fiat’s small car expertise can strengthen Chrysler where it has been weak.
By late summer, Bigland said he expects the company will be building 10,000 to 12,000 Darts per month.
Chrysler plans to export the Dart to about 40 different countries, including Canada and Mexico.
With a starting price of $15,995, the Dart will give Chrysler a compact car at a time when gas prices are rising and consumers are buying more small cars.
Bigland said the launch of the Dart is on schedule, even though it will take until June before most dealers receive a full allotment of cars.
“It’s not a concern,” Bigland said. “Given the size of the segment throughout North America and the enthusiasm for the Dart, we think it’s going to go OK.”

2013 DODGE DART SRT Travis Pastrana

Bigland spoke today at Hard Rock Cafe in Detroit where Dodge and SRT Motorsports announced the Dart is entering rally car racing with extreme sports racing star Travis Pastrana as the driver.
The 2013 Dodge Dart will participate in the 2012 Global Rally Cross Championship Series with Pastrana.
The Global Rally Cross Championship combines circuit racing, off-road racing and rally competition into one race. The sport debuted in the US at X Games 16 in Los Angeles in 2010.
Pastrana, 28, is four-time Rally America Champion and 17-time X Games Gold Medalist. He also is a stunt performer and a proven winner in freestyle motocross and rally car racing and has competed in NASCAR.

Dodge and SRT Motorsports have collaborated on the new 2013 Dodge Dart Global Rally Cross Championships racing car.The Dart, due to piloted by four-time Rally America Champ Travis Pastrana, is capable of blasting off the line to 60mph in only 1.9 seconds.The Dart racer features a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine rated at 600hp and 550 lb-ft of torque. The motor is coupled to a Sedav 4-wheel drive transmission.

The impressive performance also has to be attributed to the Dart being customarily stripped of all its interior gadgets and unnecessary equipment per usual racing-spec models."At Dodge, racing is an integral part of our heritage and embodies our competitive spirit, so we're very excited to announce the next chapter in racing for Dodge with our all-new Dodge Dart. The new Dart Global RallyCross Championship car with 600 horsepower and driver Travis Pastrana takes our passion for performance to all new heights," said Reid Bigland, President and CEO - Dodge Brand.

Dodge redefines performance in the compact car segment with an all-new, state-of-the-art four-door sedan delivering class-leading aerodynamics,
the 2013 Dodge Dart.

With Alfa Romeo DNA and Dodge's passion for performance at its core, the all-new 2013 Dodge Dart is a thoroughly modern vehicle that's fuel-efficient, beautifully designed and crafted, agile and brings fun back to driving in the segment.

Similar to the Dodge Dart of the late 1960's, the 2013 Dart offers a special blend of style, performance and innovation. The Dodge brand leveraged its nearly 100-year history of passion for building high-quality, innovative vehicles that stand apart in performance and style, as well as from its partner Fiat's global compact car expertise, to develop the all-new Dodge Dart.