Mopar going off-road with Jeep
One may only associate The Chrysler Group's performance parts brand with rear-wheel drive muscle cars and honking V8s, but that will likely soon change as Mopar plans to branch out and begin providing performance parts for the Jeep brand. One can tell by the comments made by Christine Cortez, the senior VP of global service and parts for DCX, at the Automotive News World Congress in Dearborn yesterday, that Mopar is in new territory when it comes to vehicles that like to leave the glassy smooth blacktop of terra firma, but nevertheless the brand plans to expand and begin offering parts for these neglected off-road enthusiasts. Though Cortez doesn't elaborate and tell us what type of parts and for which vehicles they'll be offered, one can assume the venerable Wrangler will be a top priority. Should we expect Mopar branded lift kits, off-road lighting and winches? Who knows, but the Mopar brand has proven to be elastic before. How else do you explain its involvement and success in the D1 Grand Prix professional drifting series. [Source: Automotive News]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
dreesemonkey 10:50AM (1/17/2007)
I don't own a jeep so I'm just speculating, but it seems like they're hopping in the game really late. The only pros I could think of that they would still warranty your vehicle or you could buy it brand new just the way you want it.
There's got to be a HUGE aftermarket for these vehicles already and I'm thinking most people are going to stick with what works (everything from casual to hardcore offroading goodies), they've probably been in developing parts for these vehicles for probably 20 years.
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Ken 11:38AM (1/17/2007)
I am a Jeep owner. You know that Mopar after-market parts for Jeeps will be ridiculously overpriced and not as good as less expensive offerings. But I do have to say that the prospect of the mods being covered by a factory warranty is alluring. I'm curious how badly Mopar is going to stick it to us on pricing. I'd pay a slight premium for mods that would be covered under warranty if they were as good as top tier after-market parts. But if they do what I expect them to, then I'll just stick with 3rd party stuff.
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mkbruin 1:14PM (1/17/2007)
Ken, I think that it is safe to assume that *if* mopar is going after the lift kits, expect it to be on par with superride RE, better than rough/tough country, nowhere near Fabtech
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Dub 2:07PM (1/17/2007)
Mopar is going to be doing stuff like bumpers, rocker guards, additional skid plating, more soft top options, etc. Similar to all stuff they've already been offering for the TJ for at least the past 2 years. This really isn't anything 'new' for Mopar.
I don't remember if they're going to try to offer a suspension kit or not though, but anything they did offer would be more long the lines of OME -- just slightly taller coils and shocks for ~2-2.5" of lift.
And they already offer Mopar branded offroad lighting and winches (Warn) too.
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Summer 12:40AM (1/21/2007)
Your television ad about making some man's dreams come true by replacing his old wife with a young girl named "Isabella" is age discrimination. You should know better. You are behind the times big time. Make my dreams come true--go bankrupt and go out of business. You obviously don't have a clue, you prejudiced old men. You are out of touch with the real world. Catch up! Or hire a younger advertising agent who is politically correct. I wouldn't dream of buying a Chrysler because of this disgusting ad. Ughhhh.
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