Filed under: Concept Cars, SEMA, Sedans/Saloons, Dodge
SEMA 2007 Preview: Dodge Avenger StormTrooper
Click the StormTrooper for a gallery of press and live photos
The car you see pictured here is what happens when a self-professed Star Wars geek gets to have his way with the latest Dodge mid-sized sedan. While the stock Dodge Avenger looks awkward from some angles, sits a little tall, and is generally unexciting visually, the Avenger StormTrooper largely eliminates those problems. Under the hood, the StormTrooper gets the 4.0L V-6 from the Pacifica crossover while the whole body is lowered over the twenty-inch tires. The white bodywork and dark tinted headlight covers and windows were inspired by the armor of the soldiers in George Lucas' movies. A set of four buckets from a Charger SRT8 adorned in alcantara suede adorn the front and back rows and a pair of mobile PCs provide entertainment for the driver and passengers. The front unit is tied into the powertrain control allowing the driver to tune the engine, while the rear unit allows passengers to play games, watch movies, or surf the net.
Click here to listen to a chat I had with Avenger StormTrooper designer Scott Anderson, in which he explains some of the unique elements of this concept.
All live photos ©2007 Sam Abuelsamid / Weblogs, Inc.
Dodge Avenger Tuner - Stormtrooper
Designer: Scott Anderson, Senior Product Designer – Advanced Interior Design Studio
Project Coordinator – Engineering: Brandon Thomas, Product Release Engineer – FWD Chassis Group
The Dodge Avenger Tuner – Stormtrooper is a sophisticated sedan designed to appeal to an adult tuner with an appreciation for technical superiority, exhilarating performance and unbridled luxury and style. The technical, yet organic nature of the Stormtrooper costumes from Star Wars inspired its execution. The Avenger Stormtrooper represents the holistic fusion of technology, racing, comfort and performance.
Smooth power is unleashed by the digitally-tuned 4.0-liter V-6 engine – that packs the punch of a velvet hammer. It features an all-wheel-drive powertrain and six-speed automatic gearbox with AutoStick steering wheel paddle shifters and KW custom coil-over suspension that is tuned for ride-height and damping. Its custom exhaust is from Borla. The large 20 x 9 custom Alcoa Forged rims come with die-sub custom graphics and Michelin 245/35R20 Pilot Sport PS2 tires. It also features a StopTech six-piston front and four- piston rear big-brake package, Xenon HID projector head lamps, Umnitza Predator halo lighting and Challenger fuel filler cap.
Exterior custom modifications on the Avenger Stormtrooper include:
black-out high-beam parabola package
tinted head lamp and taillamp package
tinted PPG blue-magic glass
billet exhaust tips
front and rear fascias
sill aero kit
integrated rear spoiler
rear door sail panels
cold-air intake
Painted a custom pearl white, the Avenger Stormtrooper's story continues on the inside.
The Alcantara suede-lined interior features four black and white Dodge SRT8 bucket seats with red stitching and stripes to carry the driver and three lucky passengers for the thrill ride of their lives in style. The instrument panel, doors, headliner and pillars are swathed in this performance material. The custom Dodge "rim-shell" steering wheel and shifter paddles are constructed of black leather, white suede and red accent stitching and centering stripe. The centerstack/console features triple gauge pod and glossy pearl white finish.
Revolutionary technology abounds for the sophisticated tuner. There are two Azentek mobile PCs installed with 1.8GHz Intel Core Duo processors and two gigs of ram – one unit is in the front dash and one is in the rear seat center console. With the touch of a finger, the driver is "master of the vehicle network domain." ETAS' INCA software digital interface to the engine controller could allow the driver to have the capability to control its tuning and read vitals. The owner could even order parts or download engine calibrations through Mopar Performance Parts and could communicate with engineers and other Dodge owners in Web logs and chat rooms. The driver could adjust fuel maps (as opposed to static flashing) and even download Technical Service Bulletins (TSBs) from a Chrysler, Jeep or Dodge dealership as he or she drives by.
Entertainment – Internet, gaming, music and video – is also controlled. Sync Bluetooth® links to any devices: phone, iPhone and Zune. Heart-pounding sound is provided by KICKER® Audio. It also features a Mopar Performance gauge pack with red accent LED lighting.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Tim 10:06PM (10/23/2007)
Revenge of the K car Clones.
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MaxP 10:15PM (10/23/2007)
seriously... i like it
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Dodge 10:28PM (10/23/2007)
It pains me to say this..but yeah, its not bad looking...scary.
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Hello 10:28PM (10/23/2007)
Strangely I rather like this. It's fascinatingly neat and eye massaging. It's very subtle but effective in evoking a storm trooper. I wouldn't drive this personally, but I'd certainly love to see it on the road!
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Maestro1 10:30PM (10/23/2007)
I have to say that this is probably the best-looking Dodge Avenger i've ever seen. I'm surprised how good it looks in white!
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raj 10:32PM (10/23/2007)
seriously i like it tooooooooooooo,,,,,,,looks solid ,,,,they should have get this in the production,,,,,,except the intrior,,,,,,,,,,
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Mehdi Cheddadi 10:32PM (10/23/2007)
I love it!
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Brett- BMW Advocate 10:36PM (10/23/2007)
wonder where they got the idea for those halo lights...? hmmm...
I don't care what they do to the Avenger, its still going to be awful. Plus, it has a crap chassis.
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Carlos 10:44PM (10/23/2007)
Haha funny you should say that because the hoffenmister(sp) kink that was so called made by BMW was actually made first by an american car company, I believe it was either Chrysler or Ford, not sure.
Brett- BMW Advocate 11:40PM (10/23/2007)
yea ive heard that but i cant find the car that it was and when it was.
The Hofmeister kink was though created by Wilhelm Hofmeister in the 50's.
500 2:59AM (10/24/2007)
1951 Kaiser. And copied by nearly every Honda since 1990.
And I really like the looks of this Avenger! The regular Avenger is attractive in a mini-Charger kind of way, but it's amazing how much the look of the car is improved here.
Brett- BMW Advocate 3:19AM (10/24/2007)
yea i think the Avenger was a hit and miss type thing, seemed like a rushed out vehicle because the new sebring was coming. i like the chargers front end way more than this.
George Stewart 10:37PM (10/23/2007)
interior is not quite my taste but it is a marked improvement on the stock interior.
Exterior is a masterpiece. there is a saying about lipstick on a pig but this works.
kudos to Mr Anderson.
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Alex 10:41PM (10/23/2007)
wow, this is the first time i have actually liked a car after a tuner/modder has had their hands on it.
really well done.
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zamafir 10:45PM (10/23/2007)
mmm nothing says cheap like headlight condensation! ah the joys of quality crafted after market parts. Aside from that and the hideous blue sheen on the tint, very nice!
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Sam Abuelsamid 10:58PM (10/23/2007)
It's not condensation. It was raining during the preview.
Aaron B Brown 11:01PM (10/23/2007)
To be fair to the boys over at Dodge, that's not condensation on the inside, but water droplets on the outside of those headlight enclosures. Obviously these photos were taken right after a rain shower, and this bad boy is quite wet.
But knowing this manufacturer as I do, after a few years on the road, I have little doubt that the Avenger models will acquire the problem you mention, it's a Chrysler, it's inevitable. :-)
zamafir 11:02PM (10/23/2007)
really? on the headlight? the one on the driver's side? Which is evident in every shot? and looks distinctly different then the passenger headlight? The fogging effect inside the housing? not the obvious water droplets. The condensation that looks like the same condensation which seems to plague all BMW look-alike headlights? No? Very strange. Pray tell what that fogging effect inside the light housing is?
Aaron B Brown 10:52PM (10/23/2007)
Awesome looking car, if it weren't a Chrysler product I would buy one, I worked for Chrysler once you see.
Love the Star Wars revival, I can't wait to see the Darth Vader
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howard 12:37AM (10/25/2007)
Worked at Chrysler? Cleaning the commodes I'll wager! Anybody who ever worked WITH CHRYSLER wouldn't have negative comments about they're time there! From all the people I know personally(at least 25) I never heard one negative comment about the company! Maybe about a boss or co worker but not about the company itself!