Chrysler News: A Sneak Peek At Chrysler's SEMA Showings

[William Maley]

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William Maley

Staff Writer - CheersandGears.com

October 29, 2013

Next week comes a bit of madness. I'm referring to the 2013 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show taking place in Las Vegas next week. The show gives automakers a chance to show what crazy things they have cooked up. For Chrysler, SEMA is where their Mopar brand can show off some of their new parts and accessories. Plus some crazy ideas as well. I had the chance to head down to Chrysler's headquarters in Auburn Hills, Michigan to see some of the twenty vehicles that will be at SEMA next week.

Ram Sun Chaser

Out of all the vehicles shown at Chrysler's SEMA preview, the Ram Sun Chaser was the most polarizing. Draped in a Vibrance Orange Blast color, with two-tone Brilliant Black paint, the Ram Sun Chaser isn't for the faint of the heart. This concept was built with the surfer in mind and includes such touches such as concept Mopar roof rack, dubbed the “surf rack” and two adjustable support rails to hold varying sizes of surfboards. There is also a shower kit in the Ram Box which consists of a water tank, pump, hose, and shower head to rinse off items.

Other modifications to the Sun Chaser include a two-inch lift, beadlock wheels, cut-back exhaust, and leather seats.

Jeep Cherokee Trail Carver

For Jeep, Mopar focused on making the Cherokee more capable, while keeping a distinctive looks on the road. Hence the Cherokee Trail Carver.

Mopar started with the Cherokee Trailhawk and built from there. There is a set of meaty off-road tires, rock rails, and orange tow hooks shows it's ready to tackle anything. The Cherokee's exterior is dipped in a Auburn Pearl paint color. The hood and roof feature a topographic map graphic. The roof also sports a concept roof basket design.

Fiat 500L Adventurer

Mopar's take on the 500L is something quite unexpected. They took the subcompact crossover and made more rugged. To pull this off, Mopar raised the 500L by about an inch, added body cladding and a black stripe around it, and a set of eighteen-inch wheels. The body is painted in a Bright White with a 500L graphic on the doors. The roof is draped in a orange with a set of roof rails and a basket.

Inside, the 500L Adventurer has a set of seats wrapped in black perforated suede and pearl leather. There is some orange trim pieces around the bezels, speaker surrounds, and the steering-wheel badge.

2014 Chrysler 300S

Mopar didn't make many modifications to this 2014 300S, but the ones they did make really change the 300S. To start, this 300S is painted in a Phantom Black Tri-coat paint color. Adding some menace is a black “Gotham” grille surround and lowering kit. Finishing off the exterior touches is a SRT rear spoiler and a set of twenty-inch wheels from the 300C John Varvatos Limited Edition finished in a bronze color.

Inside, the 300S comes with black and Katzkin “Bisque” leather on the seats, center console, and doors. The seatbacks have the 'Imported from Detroit' logo embroidered.

Source: Chrysler

William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected]or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster.

Press Release is on Page 2

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Chrysler Group LLC Reveals Mopar-Modified Show Vehicles Ahead of 2013 SEMA Show

Mopar Flashes Creative Muscle

• Twenty customized Chrysler Group LLC show vehicles to be exhibited in 15,300 square-foot SEMA Show display
  
• Exhibit to highlight hundreds of Mopar performance parts and Jeep® Performance Parts from the Mopar Off-Road Division
  
• Ram Sun Chaser show vehicle features makeshift shower kit and “Flip-Up” seatback tailgate bench
  
• Jeep Cherokee Trail Carver carries a unique concept roof-rack basket design to store off-road gear
  
• Fiat 500L Adventurer takes new five-seater off the beaten path
  
• And even more Mopar magic applied to the Chrysler 300
  
• Mopar news and images, as well as link to the livestream broadcast from SEMA, are available at mopar.com/sema
  

October 29, 2013, Auburn Hills, Mich. - Chrysler Group LLC is preparing to head west with a Mopar-customized contingent of creations along for the ride.

At the 2013 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas, Nov. 5-8, 20 vehicles customized with existing Mopar parts and accessories, as well as concept products designed to elicit feedback, will take the spotlight in the 15,300 square-foot Mopar display at the Las Vegas Convention Center. Mopar-modified vehicles from Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge, Ram, SRT, and FIAT brands will be prominently featured at the premier aftermarket event.

“The SEMA season is our favorite time of the year,” said Pietro Gorlier, President and CEO of Mopar, Chrysler Group LLC’s service, parts and customer-care brand. “It’s a chance for us to flex our creative muscles and showcase our vast portfolio of proven, quality-tested performance parts and accessories.”

Following are select Mopar-modified 2013 Chrysler Group LLC SEMA display vehicles headed for this year’s SEMA show:

Ram Sun Chaser

When Ram isn’t hard at work, it’s back to the beach with the Ram Sun Chaser show truck.

Vibrance Orange Blast, with two-tone Brilliant Black paint, color this Ram 1500 Quad Cab. A unique concept Mopar roof rack, dubbed the “surf rack,” and two adjustable support rails housed within the tracks of the truck’s bed, accommodate a long surfboard. As an added bonus, hooks on the side of the rails can also carry up to four boards. To wash off salt water or seaweed, Ram Sun Chaser’s exclusive RamBox bed-side storage features a concept water tank equipped with a hose and a portable shower head, forming a makeshift shower kit that may be clipped on to the rack for a quick rinse. A bed step enables easy access to gear.

Surfers or paddle boarders can take a seat when taking off gear or waxing their board with the concept “Flip-Up” seatback tailgate, which converts into a bench by folding back toward the cab of the truck. New concept 17 x 8-inch beadlock wheels with color-keyed rings, concept flares with exposed fasteners and modified black tubular side-step rails fit the sand dune-ready theme of the vehicle. Orange tow hooks, a satin badge, and a spray-on bedliner are also added by Mopar.

Inside, Katzkin leather seats feature stitching accented to match the Vibrance Orange Blast paint, as well as the dash, display bezels and door inserts. Sill guards and all-weather mats also accent the interior. Powered by a 5.7-liter HEMI® engine, the Ram hits the sand with a sport performance hood, a 2-inch performance lift kit and a Mopar cat-back exhaust.

Fiat 500L Adventurer

The Fiat 500L Adventurer illustrates the versatility of the new five-seater, with modifications that transform the vehicle and equip it with a tough, rugged appearance.

The exterior is enhanced with Bright White body paint, two-tone accent wheel flares and rockers painted in Satin Black. Color is added with Vibrance Bright Orange on the roof, which totes Mopar roof rails and a large roof basket. The vehicle sits on 18 x 7.5-inch custom concept wheels embellished with FIAT logo center caps.

A custom 500L graphic augments door panels, with the L painted orange to match the roof. Orange mirror caps, tinted taillights, tinted chrome exhaust tips, molded splash guards, and a chrome FIAT logo ring further enhance the exterior styling.

The interior is upgraded with black perforated suede Katzkin seats and pearl leather seatbacks. Matching orange accents are featured inside as well, with orange-painted bezels and orange accents surrounding the speaker grills and steering-wheel badge. The two-tone instrument panel is black with a white leather insert. A Mopar seatback coat hanger, all-weather mats, a pedal kit, doorsill guards and a cargo organizer are included from the Mopar catalog. A performance boost is achieved with a Mopar cold-air intake and Mopar cat-back exhaust.

Jeep® Cherokee Trail Carver

Jeep Cherokee is for trail addicts seeking a vehicle with the capabilities to handle the rugged off-road, while projecting a unique, customized and luxurious look on the streets.

Going to the next level of customization, the Mopar-modified Jeep Cherokee uses the Trailhawk 4x4 package powered by a 3.2-liter V-6 engine as a starting point. Its exterior is colored in Auburn Pearl paint, with low-gloss black and Granite Crystal with low-gloss clear touches.

Unique Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk hood and roof topographical graphics are bordered in Crush Orange, with matching orange tow hooks. The top of the modified Jeep Cherokee sports a concept roof basket design, with orange accent side panels wrapped in woven metallic fabric. A front wind deflector, which includes the Mopar logo, completes the design.

Aggressive tires highlight the off-road flavor of the vehicle, and rock rails protect this Jeep Cherokee from trail obstacles.

The inside is enhanced with Katzkin Amaretto leather seats, with colored leather in the center, ensuring a premium feel. Leather wrapping on the center console, storage door and armrest, and matching color stitching on the seats, offer even more appointments. The top and bottom of the steering wheel are leather, and painted trim provides highlights throughout the inside.

Other Mopar goodies include bright door-sill guards with the Jeep Cherokee logo, a wireless smartphone charger, and WiFi. The Jeep Cargo Management Receiver System (JCMRS), a unique option that features a running bar along the left interior, to which Mopar items may be mounted, is also utilized. The Mopar roadside emergency kit, Trailhawk bag and first-aid kit are mounted to the JCMRS. In the Jeep Performance Parts department, a Mopar cold-air intake and a cat-back exhaust are put to work to achieve horsepower gains.

2014 Chrysler 300S

The iconic and elegant Chrysler 300 is elevated even further to reach the ultimate in style and street cred with a variety of Mopar appointments utilized to create the 2014 Chrysler 300S for the SEMA Show.

Phantom Black Tri-coat colors the exterior, maintaining the elegance of the Chrysler 300S, while adding a menacing edge. Fitting its gritty, big-city vibe, the front is reinforced by a 13-bar black “Gotham” grille surround, with a lowering kit, dropping the 2014 Chrysler 300S closer to the streets. The wheels pull from the Chrysler 300C John Varvatos Limited Edition with 20 x 8-inch wheels finished in a Mopar bronze, accented with Mopar wheel center caps. A black SRT spoiler embellishes the tail and helps drive the rear towards the pavement when in motion, enabling the 300S to corner urban canyons with impressive agility.

Luxurious touches rule the interior, with seats and door bolster inserts wrapped in Katzkin “Bisque” leather. Leather seatbacks are embossed with the “Imported From Detroit” logo, and matching Katzkin “Bisque” threads border the seats, door and console armrests. All bright trim is changed to Satin Black, and the Mopar Lite Bronze found on the wheels is also featured in the trim accents.

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[ocnblu]

The Ram's foglights look like they got mud in them a few years back. Awful.

LOVE the Cherokee with the big meats! Pretty sexy.

The 500L is a cool surprise. I would peel the 500L graphic off the side, but otherwise, it's a sweet package (with a more subdued interior).

The 300 keeps it classy, as always. Just an American Classic.

[G. David Felt]

Interesting Tinted Fog lites on the Ram Truck. The 500L is ugly as heck to me but I can see it selling as a cheap commuter car. Be interesting to see how long they last in the real world.

The Jeep is pretty sweet ride and the 300C is just lovely. Reminds me of the one they had on display at the Seattle AutoShow.

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