Dodge slaps new Charger nose on NASCAR body

2011 Dodge Charger stock car – Click above for high-res image

Boy, they ain't kiddin' when they call a stock car a stock car. You can call it a Ford, a Chevy, a Dodge or even a Toyota... they all look pretty much identical. Except the nose. That's where on "manufacturer" differentiates its cars from the others and lets you know what's sittin' under the hood.

For Dodge's part, they label theirs as a Charger. And with NASCAR introducing a slightly lower nose on the Sprint Cup racers for next season, Dodge found a perfect opportunity to bring the look of their stock cars in line with the new production Charger. The work was carried out in conjunction with Penske Racing, one of only two teams racing Dodge engines this season.

You can check out the solitary image of the 2011 Dodge Charger stock car – whose new mug our own John Neff likens to the grimace that follows a sip of unsweetened lemonade – by clicking here or on the image above, and the statement after the jump, but don't blink or you just might miss it.

[Source: Dodge]

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New Dodge Charger Nose Approved by NASCAR for 2011 Season

November 5, 2010 , AUBURN HILLS, Mich. - The new Dodge Charger nose has been approved by NASCAR for the 2011 Sprint Cup Series season. The development of the Charger nose has been a cooperative effort by Dodge Motorsports Engineering and Penske Racing and gives Dodge better brand identify for the Charger while remaining within the NASCAR approval process.

"With the introduction of the all-new 2011 Dodge Charger for the street, we worked closely with Penske Racing to develop the Dodge brand identity while maintaining neutral aerodynamics within the NASCAR rules," said Dave Bailey, Senior Manager of Dodge Motorsports Engineering. "Coupled with NASCAR's new common lower nose for 2011, the revised front end carries the image and character of the Charger forward in true Dodge performance fashion."