2010 Mopar Challenger revealed!

Dodge and Mopar are teaming to create a limited-edition Challenger for 2010 that wears triple black with popping blue stripes and has a goosed Hemi under the hood.

The Mopar Challenger will be revealed later this month at the Chrysler museum near Detroit and at the NHRA’s Mile-High Nationals in Colorado, but pictures were released and specs were announced on Wednesday.

This new muscle coupe arrives in dealers next month and will be limited to just 500 copies. The car will sticker for $38,000 for an automatic and $39,000 for the manual, including destination, slotting it between the R/T and SRT models. This is the first time Dodge and Mopar have collaborated directly like this to produce a car for sale at dealerships.

So what do you get?

The 5.7-liter Hemi V8 is pumped up with a cold-air intake, functional hood scoop and a new hood venting system that adds about 15 hp to about 387 ponies. The Mopar Challenger also gets 20-inch forged heritage gloss-black wheels, a black chromed grille, a functional Trans-Am style hood with vintage pins, a chromed fuel door and Mopar graphics all over the body.

The manual gets a Hurst shifter with pistol grip while the automatic is fitted with a Mopar T-handle. About 20 percent of buyers will take the manual, execs say.

Inside is more black with blue, red or silver accents and Katzkin leather.

Mopar fans will be able to order nearly all of the parts, such as the black chrome grille and wheels, through the catalogue, and the car is a showpiece for the debut of the Tran-Am style hood.

On top of the looks, this beast is fortified with the Super Track Pack suspension, which includes unique sway bars, bushings, springs and shocks, and Mopar front and rear powder-coated strut tower braces. The Challenger rides on Goodyear RSA 20-inch 245/45R-20 tires. It also comes with some swag, including an autographed sketch of the car by designer Mark Trostle, a certificate with the VIN number and date of build and other Mopar goodies.

“When combining all this it becomes a very special beast,” Dodge CEO Ralph Gilles said in a Web chat on Wednesday morning. “The Challenger is born a performance car, so this meant to underscore the Mopar heritage and the high-quality parts they have developed for enthusiasts over the years.”

By Greg Migliore