To say that Chrysler has a lot riding on the success of the new Dodge Dart is a bit of an understatement. The Pentastar’s first viable competitor for compact car king since the Dodge Neon is based on an Alfa Romeo chassis that promises refined handling and plenty of power. With today’s kids latching on to motorsports stars like Ken Block and Tanner Foust, a big name behind the wheel of a fast car has a good chance of going viral.
That must have been the inspiration behind Dodge’s decision to enlist Travis Pastrana to drive a Dodge Dart in the 2012 Global RallyCross Championship. This video (which borrows heavily from the Gymkhana school of film editing) shows Pastrana dialing into the Dart before its RallyCross premier.
Boasting 600 horsepower and all-wheel drive, this Dart is worlds away from the model you’ll be able to purchase on the showroom floor. We should note though that there are already rumors of a 300 horsepower AWD SRT model in the works. And Pastrana will need all-wheel drive to navigate the dirt and track of the RallyCross competition, which is part motocross, part rally racing.
The Dart doesn’t seem to have any trouble on the track, though at one point it does lose a piece of rear body work. It will be competing against the likes of Tanner Foust in his own 600+ horsepower Ford Fiesta, among other contestants for the RallyCross crown. Are Dart and Pastrana up to the task?