Incredibly, more than a decade after the debut of the original The Fast and the Furious movie, the sixth-iteration of this fast-paced movie series is about to hit theaters. Not only has the series become more outlandish and over-the-top with each iteration, but it actually seems to make more and more money every time. Why? How? Someone explain this to us?
[1]It is unexplainable, and Dodge is apparently hoping some of that Fast and Furious magic can help its Dart subcompact pick up some extra sales. According to Automotive News [2], Dodge is hoping that commercials with Fast and Furious tie-ins will help driven younger male buyers into showrooms…but we’re not so sure it’ll work like that.
It would be one thing if the Dart had a starring, or even minor role in the new Fast and Furious film, but it doesn’t. Instead, Dodge is relying on commercials like the one above to cater to the street racing crowd. And Mopars do make a number of appearances in the new film, from a modern Challenger SRT8 to an old-school Charger Daytona.
Both cars are a far cry from the front-drive, four-cylinder Dart, but then again isn’t that what the Fast and Furious crowd is into? With an available turbocharged engine, 41 mpg, and numerous options and features to customize, the Dart does scream “Buy me young people!” to consumers. Maybe some explosions and tits in their commercials will help sales after all? The Dart is coming off of its best sales month yet, with nearly 8,100 units sold in April, but it still lags far behind competitors like the Ford Focus and Honda Civic.
Is this racer boy attitude helping or hurting the Darts street cred?