Mopar bringing Dodge Viper ACR, Challenger T/A concepts and more to SEMA

Plus: Renegades a go-go and the sparkliest Dodge Dart in the world

The SEMA Show has always been about pushing things a little further, which leaves Mopar in an interesting predicament this year: How do you compete with the 6.2-liters of supercharged goodness under the hoods of the Challenger and Charger Hellcats? 707 hp might be fairly middle-of-the-road by SEMA standards, but for production cars (with warranties!) costing comfortably under $100,000…well, those specs put a lot of implausibly hyper-tuned imports to shame.
So apparently, the Fiat-Chrysler in-house aftermarket shop has decided against engaging in a horsepower war with itself. Save for cold air intakes, none of the following cars -- set for a grand public debut at SEMA in just a few weeks  -- have any stated underhood modifications. That means no 1,000-hp Dodge Darts, at least not this year (sorry). But here's some of what you will see:

The Dodge Viper ACR concept will attempt to improve on a sports car with already impressive performance, and will feature plenty of carbon fiber. Photo by FCA

Dodge Viper ACR Concept

We’ve seen the ACR -- for American Club Racer -- moniker attached to the Viper before: The designation was used for a stripped-down snake in 1999, and then again in 2008. Well, it’s back with a downforce-maximizing body kit that includes a carbon fiber front splitter and a beefy rear wing. 15.4-inch carbon-ceramic rotors and Brembo six-piston brakes sit behind a set of very Hellcat-like split-spoke forged 19-inch wheels. There’s no radio, speakers or even carpet inside -- you can actually see how the car is welded together. Carbon fiber replaces heavier, less track-worthy materials wherever possible in the minimalistic cockpit.
We like it, though we think that rear wing could be maybe just a little bit bigger. It’s purely a concept, at least for the moment, but Mopar folks like to mention that they take careful note of public reaction when they put one of these things together. Maybe a future Mopar catalog will include a build-your-own Viper ACR kit?

The Dodge Challenger T/A concept doesn't have a rear seat (there's a roll cage back there instead), but it does get a front splitter, a rear diffuser and "air catcher" intake headlights. Photo by FCA

Dodge Challenger T/A Concept

The T/A is back! At least as a concept -- 2014 seems to be a good year to resurrect hallowed nameplates for Dodge SEMA concepts with uncertain production futures. This particular Dodge Challenger pays tribute to its 1970 homologation-special roots from its front splitter to its gurney-lip spoiler (which cleverly houses a back-up camera). Hood pins hold down the lid for the car's naturally aspirated 392 Hemi V8, which breaths a little easier thanks to a pair of "air catcher" headlamps.
Inside, a roll cage and a flat sheet of aluminum stand in for the deleted rear seat; lightweight front seats borrowed from the Viper sit on aluminum risers lightened up with speed holes. None of this makes the Challenger a featherweight, exactly, but it's a nice package rounded out by those prominent T/A decals running across the car's flanks -- just above the side exhaust tips. Like the Challenger Hellcat, this is a mean but surprisingly restrained interpretation of modern muscle. It's not exactly subtle, though, with its sublime green paint.

The Dodge Charger R/T Mopar concept is a rolling showcase for the company's aftermarket products. Photo by FCA

Dodge Charger R/T Mopar Concept

Because every flashy new Challenger must always be paired with a massaged Charger (it’s company policy, we’ve heard), the Charger T/A gets its four-door complement in the Charger R/T Mopar Concept. Unlike the T/A, it's not a tribute to Chargers of days past. Instead, it's a sort of rolling showcase of Mopar's bolt-on accessories. That includes a front splitter and taller-than-stock rear spoiler, side sills, lightweight 20-by-9-inch wheels and an aftermarket rear valance. And, of course, there's that ever-present cold-air intake. We gather that Mopar is nuts about those.

Dodge will also present a modified Dart R/T at SEMA Show this year, with custom touches inside and out. Photo by FCA

Before you get your hopes up, no, this is not the Dodge Dart SRT4 we've all been hoping for. Save for that ever-present cold-air intake fed through a functional vented hood, the Dart R/T Concept is untouched from a powertrain perspective. The car does get the Mopar big brake kit and an adjustable coilover suspension; we could see these features doing a lot to improve the Alfa-derived car's handling. Its rear spoiler isn't going to do much to to keep this front-driver glued to the track.
It doesn't show up well in photographs, but the Dart R/T's paint is a sparkling metallic orange. It's not as flaky as, say, a bass boat (the Mopar guys implied that looking like a bass boat is a bad thing), but it is a striking contrast to the mattes and glossy solid paints that have dominated the production and aftermarket scenes of late.

The Jeep Renegade Riptide concept will feature a surfing theme, and will be finished in Vibrance Grandeur Blue. Photo by FCA

With Dodge asserting itself as Fiat-Chrysler’s American performance brand, the Dodge-heavy SEMA lineup is hardly surprising. But aftermarket favorite Jeep will also be well-represented; the pint-sized Jeep Renegade gets two different concept treatments. The Riptide, which gets a Mopar carrying rack for the surfboard, and the Frostbite, which has another roof rack for skis or snowboards. The fomer car gets a set of teak floor mats that, while unlikely to make it to production, are a really clever nautical-themed touch.
And lest we forget about Mopar’s wide range of aftermarket parts for other FCA brands, there’s a Chrysler 200S Mopar show car on display (it gets coilovers, bronze-finish 19-inch wheels, a cold-air intake and a cat-back exhaust) alongside a Fiat 500L Custom, the Fiat 500 Abarth Scorpion (both Fiats get cat-back exhausts and leather-trimmed interiors) plus a partially Mossy Oak-camouflaged Ram 2500 Outdoorsman. A heavily customized Ram ProMaster van features a swing-up side panel -- perfect for food truck duty -- and five kegerators. Five kegerators!
We’ll be heading to Las Vegas to check out all these Mopar concepts -- plus the show cars and parts from other OEMs and aftermarket suppliers -- at the 2014 SEMA show in just a few weeks.