2012 Dodge Charger Pursuit

The Chrysler Group announced that the 2012 Dodge Charger Pursuit V8 with 370HP set the fastest lap time ever reordered at Michigan State Police’s (MSP) annual Police Vehicle Evaluation tests earlier this week at the Grattan Raceway in Belding, at 1:33.70.

Chrysler added that Hemi V8 Charger Pursuit also leads the sedan segment (namely GM's Chevrolet Caprice PPV and the Ford Taurus Interceptor) in terms of pure acceleration with the fastest 0-to-60mph (96km/h) and 0-to-100mph (160km/h) time:

• 0-to-60 mph (5.83 sec)
• 0-to-70 mph (7.38 sec)
• 0-to-80 mph (9.18 sec)
• 0-to-90 mph (11.43 sec)
• 0-to-100 mph (13.65 sec)

The Detroit maker was also quick to point out that 292 horsepower Charger Pursuit V6 models averaged the fastest times for naturally aspirated (1:37.71) and E-85 capable(1:37.57) six-cylinder police cars with four wheels and a steering wheel.

Dodge Mulling Super Durango SRT8 with 465HP Hemi V8 PHOTO GALLERY

Chrysler already a high-performance SUV in its arsenal, namely the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8 that comes fitted with a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 pushing out 465 HP and 630 Nm (465 lb-ft) of torque and which can complete the quarter mile sprint in the mid-13 seconds range.

But now, the Detroit carmaker it also considering giving the Durango the SRT8 treatment in 2013. This would be an easy task, since both models are based on the same platform.

Therefore Dodge should have no problem shoehorning the 6.4-liter Hemi V8 under the Durango’s bonnet, as well as use the Jeep's lowered active suspension and proceed to some bodywork and interior upgrades befitting the SRT badge.

The only obstacle is that the most powerful model in the Durango line-up, the370HP R/T, has sold only 2,418 units since it launched in March – a meager 7% of the model’s total sales.

As a result, Chrysler’s executives are still understandably cagey about producing a model that would sell in even smaller numbers and wouldn’t justify its development costs.

Story source: Inside Line

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Alfa Romeo-Derived / U.S. Made Dodge Photos

A new U.S. market compact sedan to be developed by Fiat and built by Chrysler is set to make its debut appearance at the 2012 North American International Auto Show in Detroit in the beginning of next year, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.

The as-of-yet unnamed model will be badged as Dodge and powered by a Fiat-derived 1.4-liter turbocharged gasoline engine. It’ll also do 40 mpg combined, or at least it will if Fiat wants to net itself a further 5% of Chrysler from Mr. Monopoly Uncle Sam.

The Italian automaker wants to expand its 46% share in Chrysler & Friends by an additional 7.5% courtesy of the U.S. Treasury and Canadian government on top of the 5% it’s expected to get by pushing the 40 mpg envelope.

The new model will be built in Chrysler’s Belvidere plant in Illinois, which the brand is currently spending US$600 million retooling for the job. Production is expected to start later this year. Dealers, such as David Kelleher of David Dodge Chrysler Jeep of Glen Mills, PA are naturally very excited:

“We have never had a viable compact car. This will allow us to reach the entry level customer and it's a perfect fit for Dodge which has been faced with challenges.” [Like having to share a lot with the Chrysler Sebring, for one…]

The Caliber, the closest thing Dodge currently has to a Honda Civic / Ford Focus / Chevy Cruze competitor at present, does a paltry 24 mpg in automatic guise.

The new model will share the same basic floorplan as the Alfa Romeo Giulietta hatchback, which will also be used to underpin five new models over the next three years.

There’s no word yet on a name, but I’m willing to discount Aires, Neon and Stratus as possible contenders.

ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA

Multiple 2011MY Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep Vehicles

A dozen vehicles from the three core Chrysler brands covering more than half of the company’s 2011 models are being recalled in the United States to fix a potential problem with the steering column.

The recall covers 11,351 vehicles and affects certain 2011 model year Dodge Journey crossovers, Jeep Wranglers, Chrysler 200s, Chrysler 200 Convertibles, Dodge Avengers, Dodge Nitros, Jeep Liberty SUVs, Dodge Calibers, Jeep Compass crossovers, Jeep Patriots, Dodge Grand Caravans and Chrysler Town & Country minivans.

The Detroit automaker told the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [NHTSA] that certain vehicles “may have been built with a missing or incorrectly installed steering column pivot rivet”, and that the defect could “compromise the ability of the steering column to support the occupant loads in the event of a frontal crash.”

Chrysler said it expects to begin the recall process before the end of June.

Dodge Rebels Against Robots in New 2011 Charger

The future, as we imagine it now, may be full of robots doing all kinds of things for us humans, including driving our cars. As some scientists over at Google recently proved, driver-less vehicles may become a reality sooner than we expect, so here's what an automaker that produces cars for drivers has to say about this issue.

In the Chrysler Group’s latest commercial for the 2011 Dodge Charger called “The Future of Driving”, we are presented with a gloomy future, in which robots control all aspects of our lives, from choosing our diet and wardrobe to even walking our pet dogs. The hero of the commercial has nothing to say about all these things, but when a robot invites him to sit on the passenger seat of his own car, things get a little bit out of control...

What happens next is easy to imagine, as the commercial ends with the following tagline: “Introducing the 2011 Dodge Charger. Leader of the human resistance.” Scroll down to watch the commercial.

Kowalski Approved: Dodge Dealer Creates Nouveau Vanishing Point Challenger Based On 392 Inaugural Editions

The 1970s spawned some pretty cool car movies. Gone in 60 Seconds, Two-Lane Blacktop and Vanishing Point were all born in the decade of big collars, flared trousers and microwave dinners. The last of these three movies is considered to be somewhat of a classic. In it, a man named Kowalski (Barry Newman) makes a bet that he can drive a white 1970 Dodge Challenger from the dealership in Colorado to a customer in San Francisco in just 15 hours. The inevitable series of street races and confrontations with The Man ensue.

Now, forty years after the film premiered, New Wilmington Dodge dealer and long-time fan Bob Frederick has unveiled a special edition model to celebrate this genre classic. All of the “Kowalski Edition” cars are based on the 2011 392 Inaugural Edition Challenger SRT8, as white was not available for standard SRT8s.

Frederick explains: “I met with the team and told them what I wanted: 2011 Challenger SRT8 392, six-speed manual, Bright White, stripe delete, Dark Slate SRT seats, WP3 Alcoa SRT aluminum [sic] 20-inch wheels, 730 Nav and SRT Option Group II…. I reminded them that the paint was already in the plant and that the unique SRT8 parts were already there in white as well, so it seemed logical that it could be done.”

Along with the usual assortment of custom stickers and a uniquely numbered interior plaque, the Kowalski cars come with a wood grain Hurst Pistol Grip shifter that this writer thinks should be standard equipment. Sadly, just ten of these cars are planned to be built, and all have already been spoken for. At least you have our gallery to check out.

Sources: Hemmings & RedletterDodge

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Next Generation 2013 Dodge Viper Undergoing Testing in the Snow

Although roughly a year away from launch, Chrysler has published the very first official photo of a development mule of the next generation Dodge Viper undergoing testing in the snow. The prototype mule is based on the now obsolete 2010 Viper that was discontinued in the summer of 2010.

Not surprisingly, the Auburn Hills-based automaker released very few details on its upcoming high-performance sports car as the only piece of information we get is that “SRT engineers expanded the development scope for the next generation Dodge Viper to include stability control tuning for the first time.”

Earlier this year, Ralph Gilles, who heads Chrysler’s design division and is also the boss of the Dodge brand, said that the new 2013 Viper will be “drop-dead beautiful” with the styling inspired by “a naked woman on the beach”. According to Gilles, the next Viper will draw customers from Porsche and GM's Corvette.

It Came from eBay Hell: Thunder Ranch Riot with Scat Crate Engine

If Geo had asked Isuzu to design them a car that would appeal to California’s surfer crowd in the mid-1990s, chances are it’d look a lot like the Thunder Ranch Riot. A fibreglass bodied, Volkswagen Beetle-based turnkey kit car, the Riot looks like a Geo Storm that’s been cut, shut and had Dodge Viper parts tacked on to its exterior. And it can be all yours for the low, low price of US$12,000.

Assembled over two years starting in 2007, this particular example has the floor plan from a 1972 Bug. It’s since been retrofitted with a Scat crate engine, customer paint, front disc brakes, CD player and wood grain dashboard.

In all fairness, this particular Riot appears to be well built and well looked after by its current owner. That’s more than we can say for some of the cars we’ve featured previously on the site. You can check out our full gallery and leave a comment below if you wish.

By Tristan Hankins

Link: eBay

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