Dodge Dart: Not Your Mad Trucker's Road Kill

Chrysler/Fiat is bringing back the Dodge Dart nameplate for 2013, a rebadged Fiat Viaggio (try keeping a straight face with THAT name). The base model has a 2.4 155 hp 4, or for a few thousand more you can gain 5 big horsies with a turbocharged 1.4. Certainly a bit flashier looking than the old insurance salesmen Slant 6's from the 60's and 70's, albeit with Fiat and Alfa Romeo's reliability. Which is not a GOOD thing

The old Dart that brought state administrators to work wasn't exactly a thing of beauty, although the late 60's Darts with some wheels and a 340 (5.6L) made for some pretty cool muscle back in the day. Most of them were bland compact sedans with the 226 Slant Six that while indestructable unfortunately came with a free Dart or Valiant to hold it.

This is the 1971 Dodge Dart, sister car to the 1971 Plymouth Valiant that Dennis Weaver drove in Steven Spielberg's "Duel".  Weaver's Valiant not only couldn't outrun a stone age Peterbuilt tractor-trailer, it couldn't outhandle it either. Steve McQueen would have floored his Mustang and taunted the road raged trucker for funsies, and Clint Eastwood just would have shot the bastard. But then again it would have been a pretty short movie.

Here's a clip from the fantastic and terrifying 1971 movie.