Today at Chrysler’s Mopar Complex in Center Line, Michigan they privately unveiled a new rally car based on the Dodge Avenger which is built to celebrate Chrysler’s partnership with Magneti Marelli.

Public debut is set for New York Autoshow next week.

Chrysler has teamed up with the Italian aftermarket parts supplier to prepare its performance arm Mopar for the the rising popularity of the motorsport in the United States. It’s great because they can use some European wisdom to refine their idea of sportiness! Hopefully it’ll eventually affect their cars for the better as well.

To make the Avenger rally car they started out with a stock 2011 Dodge Avenger Heat and first off reduced its weight by as much as 200lbs. Then they converted the interior into a rally office with a purpose-built center stack and console with a compact high-performance 1 GB data logger and an integrated GPS and inertial platform with real-time calculation of pitch and roll angles. A full 8-point Mopar roll cage, race seats with 5-point racing harnesses, steering wheel and diamond-plate foot well from OMP, a world-renowned racing component manufacturer, round out the interior transformation.

The car’s powered by Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 engine which is boosted with exhaust system and Mopar cold-air intake system to deliver 300 bhp. A high-performance Mopar/Magneti Marelli braking system provides a stable, solid braking performance under all driving conditions for the Dodge Avenger. As part of this braking package, a single-lever, dual-control rear braking system, which allows the driver to actuate both rear brakes in order to initiate the sudden slides and turns required in negotiating tough rally courses, is included.

A special Mopar/Magneti Marelli-modified suspension lowers the ride of the Dodge Avenger by 1.5 inches, improving handling, cornering ability and response as the vehicle zooms over rally course obstacles on durable Pirelli tires and unique Mopar/Magneti Marelli 18-inch alloy racing wheels. The exterior is finished in Brilliant Black and features a Mopar/Magneti Marelli graphics wrap with a rear spoiler, hood and mud flaps.

Here’s the details of the Avenger rally car all neatly classified:

CHASSIS

• Stock 2011 Dodge Avenger Heat

INTERIOR

• Flat carbon fiber inner door panels
• Mopar/Magneti Marelli unique carbon-fiber hydra-graphics center stack
• Mopar/Magneti Marelli fully programmable slim racing display with shift lights and alarm multi-color LEDs
• Mopar/Magneti Marelli unique carbon-fiber hydra-graphics center console
• OMP racing seats, branded Mopar
• OMP 5-point racing harnesses
• OMP steering wheel with Mopar/Magneti Marelli integrated paddle-shift system
• OMP footrests
• Mopar full 8-point roll cage
• Mopar/Magneti Marelli fire extinguisher
• Mopar/Magneti Marelli compact high-performance 1 GB data logger
• GPS box with integrated inertial platform with real-time calculation of pitch and roll angles

UNDERHOOD

• Dodge Pentastar 3.6-liter V-6 engine
• Mopar tower-to-tower cross-car brace
• Mopar cold-air intake
• Mopar Cat-Back Exhaust w/Magneti Marelli tips
• Mopar/Magneti Marelli high-performance ECU with TC, DBW, VVT

BRAKES/GEARBOX

• Mopar/Magneti Marelli rally package rear brake system, with hand-operated rally brake
• Mopar/Magneti Marelli unique front brakes with 14.25-inch diameter front rotors and 13.5-inch diameter rear rotors
• Mopar/Magneti Marelli unique paddle-gear shift
• Mopar/Magneti Marelli shift knob
• Stock 6-speed 62TE autostick transmission

SUSPENSION

• Mopar/Magneti Marelli suspension system, lowering the car 1.5-inches

WHEELS/TIRES

• Mopar/Magneti Marelli 18-inch alloy racing wheels
• 225/650 R18 competition Pirelli P-Zero tires

EXTERIOR

• Mopar/Magneti Marelli unique rear spoiler
• OMP hood pins
• Mopar/Magneti Marelli unique mud flaps
• Mopar and Magneti Marelli graphics, with logos from sponsor Shell Lubricants
• Mopar Brilliant Black body color

Mopar-First Features
Mopar has introduced numerous industry-first features including:

• Camper trailers: first to introduce off-road camper trailers
• Vehicle-information smartphone apps: first to introduce smartphone vehicle-information applications, a new channel of communication with consumers
• Electronic owner manuals: first to introduce traditional owner manuals in a DVD and brief user-guide format
• Electronic Vehicle Tracking System (EVTS): first to introduce new vehicle tracking system that sends owner a text when vehicle is driven too fast or too far based on set parameters
• 2011 Challenger Drag Pak: first to introduce a 500-plus cubic-inch V-10 drag-race package car
• WiFi: first to offer customers the ability to make their vehicle a wireless hot spot
• WiTECH: first to support vehicle diagnosis and software updates leveraging off-the-shelf personal computers and a dedicated wireless tool network