The latest snow falls across the U.S. have prompted a flurry of commercials from automakers touting the advantages of all-wheel drive models. This one comes from Dodge and shows the new Durango, Charger and Journey, all of which are available with AWD. Nevertheless, we'd say that while power sent to four wheels instead of two does help in certain situations, one should never, ever underestimate the importance of a good set of all season or better yet, winter tires.
We'll just add that the market launch is scheduled for December with prices (including $825 destination) starting from $25,995 for the base 2011 Charger SE with the V6 Pentastar. If you want the HEMI V8 effect, the rear-wheel drive R/T will cost you $30,995, while the AWD version, $33,145. Enjoy the video and our high-resolution image gallery after the jump.
Whoever the driver is, there's no denying that the long-haired fiend has got a pair; pushing old muscle up to 130+ mph in any instance has been known to get a little shaky. The last time yours truly tried such a feat in the old Stang, I recall a trail of white smoke about a mile long and desperately seeking an off ramp (but man was it fun).
As a reminder, the 'Mopar 10' is based off the Challenger R/T with a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 featuring a series of cosmetic and performance upgrades. Only 500 examples will be built, with all of them coming in a black shade with blue, red or silver strips on the outside and matching accents inside.
Read more »As a reminder, the 'Mopar 10' is based off the Challenger R/T with a 5.7-liter Hemi V8 featuring a series of cosmetic and performance upgrades. Only 500 examples will be built, with all of them coming in a black shade with blue, red or silver strips on the outside and matching accents inside.
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The final example of the 2010 Dodge Viper is a customized coupe model for D'Ann Rauh (second from right in the picture), who along with her husband Wayne from Arp, Texas, own more than 40 Dodge Vipers. The Texas couple own the largest personal collection of Vipers in the world.
The final example of the 2010 Dodge Viper is a customized coupe model for D'Ann Rauh (second from right in the picture), who along with her husband Wayne from Arp, Texas, own more than 40 Dodge Vipers. The Texas couple own the largest personal collection of Vipers in the world.
The subtly revised 2010 Dodge Viper ACR, which is set to make its world premiere at next month's Los Angeles Auto Show, has set a new lap record at the Laguna Seca with a time of 1:33.915 as recorded by Motech in-vehicle data recorder (1:33.944'' as unofficially recorded by trackside clock) breaking the previous lap record of 1.35.117 set by a Devon GTX this past August. The 2010 Dodge Viper ACR was piloted by SRT vehicle dynamics engineer, Chris Winkler."It was definitely exciting but a somewhat uneventful lap overall from behind the steering wheel," said Winkler. "The Dodge Viper ACR has amazing power and handles like a dream, so following my first practice here last month, I came away pretty confident that we'd be able to set a new record."
In the final year of the Viper's production, the hardcore ACR, (first introduced in 2008), receives a series of upgrades including a shorter fifth gear ratio that changes from 0.74 to 0.80 for improved high-speed acceleration and higher straightaway speed, a new short-throw shifter and a redesigned rear wing to further optimize aerodynamics and improve rear yaw downforce.
Dodge says that these improvements result in an increase in top speed of 4 mph, to 184 mph (296 km/h) for the 2010 model.
There are no other changes for the Viper ACR that is powered by an 8.4-liter V10 engine with 600 horsepower and 560 lb.-ft. of torque, for a 0-60 mph (96km/h) acceleration in under 4 seconds, quarter-mile time in the mid 11-second range and 0-100-0 mph in 11 seconds flat.
Ralph Gilles, President and CEO, Dodge Brand and Senior Vice President, Product Design Office, Chrysler Group LLC, said that the company plans to release several special edition models during the last year of the Viper including a Laguna Seca edition to commemorate the record lap. All in all, around 500 Vipers will be produced in 2010.
So what do you do when you have a ton of oil money, plenty of imagination and a passion for anything on four-wheels? Well, for starters, you go and buy any type of car your heart desires. Been their, done that. So what's next? The answer to that question for Seikh Hamad bin Hamdan Al Nahyan from the United Arab Emirates who is also known as the 'Rainbow Sheikh', due to the fact that he once bought a fleet of Mercedes-Benz in every color of the rainbow, was to build a colossal working replica of a 1950's Dodge Power Wagon. Created in the mid 1990s, this replica is an astonishing 64 times the original size and weighs in at about 50 tons! It is said to be the largest car/truck in the world. It's so big that it houses four large, air conditioned bedrooms, a living room and bathrooms. In fact it even has a 'terrace' in the pick-up bed! Although it was not designed to hit the road (apparently...) it does come with a 300HP GM diesel engine that helps it move around on its own. The video is from Jeremy Clarkson's Motorworld television series that aired on BBC back in the mid 1990s.
Hat tip to Alex!
The U.S. Air Force has spent taxpayer money collaborated with Galpin Auto Sports, which is widely known through its involvement in MTV's Pimp My Ride show, to create customized versions of the Ford Mustang and the Dodge Challenger pony cars. Why, do we hear you ask? Well, the Air Force needed something a bit more spectacular than your typical TV ads to draw the attention of new recruits. The result is the air-force-inspired white Ford Mustang 'X-1' and black Dodge Challenger 'VAPOR' that will travel across the country this year. 
The 'X-1' Mustang features a 'jet cockpit that includes a single-driver ejection seat placed centrally, short shifter, flight stick, and a high-tech instrumentation panel. On the outside, the heavily modded 'Stang gets a wide bodykit, dark alloy wheels and a pair of Lambo-style scissor doors. Power is provided by a custom 4.6 liter V8 engine with 500HP, courtesy of Ford Racing.
The more radical looking Dodge Challenger 'Vapor' continues the air-force theme with a 'Stealth' bodykit, carbon fiber exterior trim, a custom stealth exhaust mode that gives the driver the option to run the vehicle in complete silence, one-off carbon-fiber wheels, radar-absorbing paint, proximity sensors, and a 360-degree camera with a quarter-mile range.
Like its Ford counterpart, the Vapor's interior comes with aircraft style controls plus a passenger side steering wheel, GPS tracking, night and thermal vision via a film on the front windshield, and what Galpin calls, as the "most technologically-advanced computer system with remote control UAV-type access from anywhere in the world utilizing the internet."
Source: U.S. Air Force
Dodge Challenger Vapor
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Ford Mustang X-1
Dodge's motorsport division has launched a new series of online ads featuring the company's 'big-bad' NASCAR bus that will be making an 88-stop tour across the country to promote the Dodge product lineup. Nicely done commercials, too bad that Chrysler's PR department (ha, that's a good one...) hasn't taken the time to promote the ads as we stumbled upon them by chance, but we guess we'll get the word around...
"With inexpensive aerodynamic aids, a state-of-the-art electric drive system and some other helpful bits, we'll turn our potent Challenger into a parallel hybrid plug-in/solar/electric that burns no fuel at all in everyday driving," say the creators of the ECO + Challenger R/T. "We think this is a spectacular way to please both environmentalists and enthusiasts. Eco+Muscle. What's not to like?"
Before the addition of the electric drivetrain, the modified Challenger R/T ran the 0 to 60mph (96km/h) sprint in 3.95 seconds and the quarter-mile in 12.4 seconds at 114 mph. That's compared to the stock Challenger R/T's 5.5 seconds and 13.9 seconds at 103 mph respectively. Other upgrades include a sport suspension, Brembo brakes and 20-inch alloys wrapped in Michelin rubber.
The electric drivetrain consists of an 125HP and 176 lb-ft of torque electric motor, 28 batteries that replace the rear seat bench, a fuel cell system and a separate, aircraft-like hand throttle to control the electric motor. The Hemi V8 is controlled by the stock foot pedal.
The creators haven't disclosed acceleration numbers for the electric drivetrain, but they say it can provide a top speed of up to 100mph (160km/h) and a range of around 40miles (60km). In theory, the driver could use both drivetrains to accelerate but that of course would mean he'd have to handle both throttles.
The dual-powered Eco + Challenger R/T will be on display at the NASCAR Pocono 500 race in June, at the San Bernardino Route 66 Rendezvous in September and at the Las Vegas SEMA Show in November. According to the site, it will be auctioned off in Scottsdale next January.
Source: ECO , Via: Insideline
