Dodge has just announced that the 2013 Dart is getting two special edition packages along with a new Ralleye appearance package.

The special edition packages will be available on SXT and Limited models, and both offer cost savings compared to buying all the options included individually.

Customers who opt for the SXT special edition will get a slew of options, all for about $595. For looks, the package includes a black crosshair grille, dark tinted projector headlamps, projector fog lamps, LED racetrack tail lamps, and integrated dual exhaust.

On the inside, the SXT special edition models get Uconnect voice command with bluetooth, leather-wrapped steering wheel, steering-wheel mounted audio controls, front-passenger seat in-seat storage, remote start (with automatic transmission), USB port, 12-volt auxiliary power outlet, trip computer, vehicle information center, tire pressure monitoring display, active grille shutters and underbody aerodynamic treatment.

Bump up to the Dodge Dart Limited Special Edition, and the car comes fitted with an 8.4-inch Uconnect touch screen, back-up camera, 7-inch full-color TFT (Thin Film Transistor) LED display, premium door trim panel with soft-touch upper surfaces, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio control and speed control, accent stitching on the instrument panel, power 10-way driver’s seat, front passenger in-seat storage, illuminated front cupholders, 12-volt auxiliary power outlet in console, speed sensitive power locks, power front windows with one-touch up/down, ambient LED interior lighting, automatic headlamps, active grille shutters, underbody aerodynamic treatment, tire pressure monitoring display and Limited badges. The Limited Special Edition package is available for $1,810.

Lastly, customers can now order their Dart with the Ralley appearance package, that adds on a unique black front fascia, Rallye badges and class-exclusive 17-inch Hyper Black aluminum wheels, all for $395.

The compact car segment is a hotly contested battleground, so is the Dodge Dart the secret weapon that the American automaker needs it to be, or does it miss the bulls-eye?

With a starting price of $15,995, the Dart is poised to sting the competition in value and affordability. Our tester was outfitted in Rallye trim, along with a manual transmission, Uconnect infotainment system and the 1.4L Turbocharged Multi-Air engine which rings up at the register for $20,635.

Take a look at this quick review of the Dart Rallye at AutoGuide.com

A tuner-inspired Mopar edition [URL="http://www.autoguide.com/new-cars/dodge/index.html"]Dodge[/URL] Dart has been unveiled at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show, with a slick paint-job and performance add-ons.

Mopar took the Dart and made it downright mean looking with a gloss black paint job and two Mopar blue racing stripes. The car also features a lowered suspension setup, low-profile performance tires, a premium brake kit with slotted rotors and a performance exhaust.

See more photos of the 2013 Mopar Dodge Dart on AutoGuide.com

The new Mopar 13? Dart is the fourth Chrysler vehicle to get the special-edition Mopar treatment, and it has just been unveiled today at the Chicago Auto Show.

Dodge says that the Mopar Dart is inspired by the “tuner scene,” and gives the car some extra performance capabilities to bolster that claim. Mopar gives the Dart revised steering-gear calibration, lowered suspension and low-profile 40 aspect performance tires, along with a premium brake kit with slotted rotors and a performance exhaust.

See more photos of the Mopar Dodge Dart on AutoGuide.com

Dodge has unveiled a sinister new Mopar Dart ahead of its official debut next week at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show.

The Mopar Dart will be the fourth special-edition, Mopar-badged vehicle the American automaker has created since it partnered with Fiat in 2009. It will be limited to just 500 units and will be customized with Mopar performance parts and accessories.

More photos of the 2013 Mopar Dodge Dart on AutoGuide.com

For the last three years, a Mopar limited-edition vehicle has been offered by Chrysler, and 2013 is no different, with the brand saying today that its 2013 Mopar-edition vehicle will be unveiled at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show.

Which vehicle will get the treatment remains a mystery, with Chrysler only releasing the image you see above showing off the seats.

The upgrades usually include aerodynamic enhancements with lower side skirts, a new hood, and a new front-air dam. Visually, Mopar-edition cars get some special paint work including different graphics packages. Despite most the upgrades being cosmetic, upgraded suspension is usually added to help give the Mopar car some added performance.

More: Mopar 13? Limited Edition Teased Before Chicago Debut on AutoGuide.com

It can pay to have a perfect attendance record for sa group of California high school students.

For the second consecutive year, family-owned Victorville Motors is running the “Its a Gas to go to Class” program, which offers students the chance at a new car… provided they haven’t missed any class. Students with a perfect attendance record are eligible to enter a raffle that takes place during a day-long festival in the spring. Prizes in the raffle include two new Dodge Dart compact sedans.

Participating schools say the contest has already had a significant positive impact by boosting perfect attendance fourfold. In California, where state funding is partially decided by attendance records, that translates into fatter budgets to the tune of more than $1 million last year.

SEE ALSO: 2013 Dodge Dart Automatic DDCT Review

Last year, perfect attendance leaped from between 15 and 20 students, according to district superintendent Elvin Momon, to several hundred.

This year there are more jumping to participate in the program – six districts with a total 12 high schools. Even students that don’t win one of the two cars stand to win some sort of prize. For example, students with perfect records midway through the year are can win smaller prizes like gift cards.

The program is paying off for the dealer as well. It reports having sold “over 50 vehicles on the program during the first year, mostly to educators who were delighted to see a local business helping out with its local schools,” Watts said.

More: California Kids Can win a Dart for Not Dodging School on AutoGuide.com

Thanks to neglect and mismanagement Chrysler was forced to go years without a decent small car in its lineup. The recently departed Caliber was anything but a competent vehicle. It put the “rude” in “crude.” Thankfully, Chrysler got back into the compact-car segment in a big way last year with the Dodge Dart and it’s expanding the lineup this year.

In an effort to appeal to even more buyers the company just unwrapped the Dart GT at the Detroit Auto Show. As you might expect, it’s a sportier version of the car, and curiously it’s named after the original that first came out in 1963.

Ahead of the firewall sits a 2.4-liter Tigershark MultiAir2 engine. It delivers a more-than-competitive 184 horsepower with 174 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed manual transmission is standard while a PowerTech AutoStick slushbox is optional. Like its shift-yourself-stablemate it too features a half-dozen gears.

As for the chassis, engineers have changed things up, adding frequency-sensing damping shocks. The upgrade should deliver an even sportier driving experience than the regular car.

To match those technical changes the styling has been altered as well. The Dart GT gets standard 18-inch aluminum wheels, a performance front fascia with a “Hyper Black” grille and projector-beam head- and fog-lights. Pretty snazzy stuff for a compact car. Buyers can also choose from an impressive palate of 12 exterior colors.

Inside, the updates are just as subtle, but significant. The seats are heated and trimmed in perforated Nappa leather. An 8.4-inch touch-screen is standard, as is reconfigurable instrument cluster featuring a display that’s nearly as large (7 inches). A 10-way-adjustable driver’s seat is included at no extra cost as well.

The base price of the 2013 Dodge Dart GT is $20,995.

More: 2013 Dodge Dart GT Offers More Power, Attractive Price on AutoGuide.com

An image of what could be the SRT4 said to be currently under development in the Chrysler labs leaked today putting the new sub-brand’s smallest future project in the spotlight.

It’s been a while since the car last made headlines, but the car is expected to offer as much as 300 hp from a tuned version of Dodge’s 2.4-liter four cylinder engine. Dodge built a previous SRT4 between 2003 and 2005 as a much hotter version of the diminutive Neon, but the car saw a short run before being cut from the lineup.

SEE ALSO: Dodge Dart R/T Delayed, SRT4 Confirmed

Earlier today Chrysler confirmed that it’s still toying with the idea of building an R/T version of the Dart after announcing that car will now be called the Dart GT. GIven the maker’s apparent penchant for surprise name changes, it wouldn’t be so shocking to find out that the two cars were one and the same.

SRT has yet to return AutoGuide’s inquiry about the photo, but the bottom right corner is stamped with the name Tim Doyle. While that doesn’t necessarily mean the image is legitimate, it makes a good case because there is a designer at Chrysler with that name.

More: SRT4 Preliminary Sketch Leaked on AutoGuide.com

Dodge just announced what amounts to a new name for its top-trim Dart compact sedan previously called the R/T package. The newly named Dodge Dart GT will appear during the upcoming Detroit Auto Show.

It comes with the same 2.4-liter engine making 184 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque translated through your choice of a six-speed manual or automatic transmission originally expected in the R/T. In fact, almost everything is the same. It has the same leather seats, the same 18-inch wheels and same 8.4-inch infotainment screen. Why should you care?

That’s simple: it’s thousands cheaper than the R/T was supposed to be. Originally expected to arrive last September, the R/T didn’t make its expected date, but now it turns out not to be a bad thing — at least for consumers.

You might be left wondering why Dodge decided to make the switch and whether or not a name really matters that much. Arguments can be made on either side, but Dodge addressed the question in its press release, at least mildly.

The automaker said it “continues to investigate” a high-performance R/T model without offering any further details. Then again, it might not have to. Last September, the brand also confirmed that it is working on an SRT-4 which could boast as much as 300 hp. By migrating the car debuting next week in Detroit farther downmarket, Dodge keeps a reasonable gap open for an even hotter performance variant to compete with cars like the Ford Focus ST.

More: 2013 Dodge Dart GT Headed to 2013 Detroit Auto Show on AutoGuide.com