When it comes to an American muscle car icon, the Dodge Challenger aspires to bring its original styling to the forefront in an easily recognizable new retro skin. The excitement does not stop there. The new 2012 Challenger SRT8 touts a serious punch in the form of a 470 horsepower 470 ft. lbs. of torque 392 HEMI V8 engine. For model year 2012, the new Challenger SRT8 gets just a few changes such as a new Sport mode and flat-bottom sports steering wheel. Just like the other 2012 SRT vehicles, the Street and Race Technology division incorporates new adjustable dampers to turn the husky chassis into a more-capable GT sports car on the lateral acceleration charts. Having tested the 2011 Challenger SRT8 392 last year with a 6-speed manual transmission, I became familiar with the monstrous proportions of power that this vehicle is capable of. For this year, the 2012 Challenger SRT8 392 with a 5-speed automatic transmission found its way into my garage.  To my surprise, there is not much of a contrast between the two. Other than different gear ratios and the obvious torque converter sapping what seemed to be only a miniscule amount of power to the rear wheels, things are kept virtually the same. The 2012 Dodge Challenger SRT8 392 in a slush-box (auto transmission) flavor may just be the choice for the light-hearted enthusiast. Considering how technology is out-driving the purist these days, it is no wonder that automakers of the finest sports cars have just about eliminated manual transmissions in their lineup. Dodge uses their proven 5-speed auto tranny, which is plenty capable of handling the massive HEMI power. The same unit is found in the 2012 Chrysler 300 SRT8 and Charger SRT8, which I had the pleasure of reviewing late last year. The manual shift paddles mounted on the steering wheel prove to be useful when you want to get the full grunt out of the HEMI at low RPMs. However, there is a slight delay in shifts at times especially when you reach near redline. In other words, it is best to let the computer handle the shifts when stretching the extremely tall gear cogs. The gearing is even tall enough to run 2 nd gear all the way up to 75 mph… perfectly fine because the HEMI V8 has a wide power band. The new sport mode feature, one of the few changes...

While it may seem obvious, putting make-up on while driving can be very dangerous. That’s just one of the many distractions that are being highlighted during the month, which has been billed Distracted Driving Awareness Month. One of the biggest fears for buyers of used cars is whether or not there are any hidden dangers. It’s no… View original post here: 2013 Dart Pricing, Veloster Six-Month Test, Deadly Tax: Today’s Car News

When Dodge finally got around to answering the Mustang and Camaro in 1970, designer Carl Cameron’s coupe went wide and mouthy with the sheetmetal and put the occupants in a sort of speed bunker behind a big engine. Of course, the Challenger was a child of its era, dependent on a loud throttle and not much else for its performance. Places like Dead Man’s Curve thus exacted their butcher’s bills. Keep Reading: Hotchkis E-Max Dodge Challenger – Specialty File Read more from the original source: Hotchkis E-Max Dodge Challenger Tested: An Original E-Body with Modern Suspension See original here:  Hotchkis E-Max Dodge Challenger Tested: An Original E-Body with Modern Suspension

In the future, Cadillac will still offer at least one coupe and one wagon—but unlike now, they may not both be CTS models. The alternative for either or both body styles would be to offer them for the new ATS . Cadillac execs know it’s critical to offer a number of body styles in the luxury segment; in addition to bringing in more sales, they signal to shoppers that the brand and its products are strong. “The fact that we offer coupes and wagons, that’s gonna continue,” Don Butler, the VP of marketing for Cadillac told us recently. But, he clarifies, “I’m not saying that will necessarily continue forward in the way we’re doing it today.” Below, we hash out the details. Cadillac Should Follow Audi’s Coupes Today, Cadillac offers its CTS in sedan , wagon , and coupe forms. With the arrival of the entry-level ATS, the next-generation CTS will grow larger, better targeting rivals like the BMW 5-series and Mercedes-Benz E-class. A large CTS coupe would likely be a poor seller; the days of Eldorados and other big two-doors are long gone, with BMW’s 6-series and Benz’s E-class coupe moving in small numbers. Instead, we expect Cadillac’s two-door to slot between the ATS and CTS. Last year, a source at GM told us that the ATS will spin off a four-seat convertible positioned above the ATS but below the CTS. A hardtop coupe—which we now know for sure will be built—would sensibly do the same thing. Not only does Audi do this with its A5 and S5, but zombie rumors tell of BMW planning a similar move, christening the next 3-series coupe a 4-series. Our ‘tweener Cadillac coupe—let’s not call it a BTS—would likely pull directly from the ATS’s powertrain options. Maybe the coupe will skip the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four from the bottom of the ATS lineup, but could do well with the 270-hp turbo four and 318-hp V-6. As we know, a 400-ish-hp  ATS-V is planned; we have no doubts that a coupe and convertible on that platform would get the same treatment. Wagon On Execs at General Motors have been clear that the CTS wagon was a success. It didn’t rack up tons of sales, but Cadillac claims it outsold the 3-series wagon, and attracted new customers. As such, we’re still...

We might as well give you this disclaimer up front: we’re about cars that go fast, not about cars that look, frankly, like something that belongs in a circus. A donked-out Caprice or Crown Vic is one thing, since even in stock form the cars handled like an apartment complex on wheels. If rolling on 22s is your thing, there’s no shortage of Crown Vics to be had on used car lots from coast to coast. On the other hand, a Camaro rolling on 32s (and worse, spinner 32s), like this example caught on Inside Line , just looks ridiculous. Worse, it adds a massive amount of unsprung weight and raises the car’s center of gravity, both of which are the enemy of handling. We doubt those stretched-rubber-band tires were made for performance, either, so cornering at even posted speeds would be a challenge. We’re sure that finding tires for 32-inch wheels isn’t easy, and even made-in-China brands would have a hefty price tag due to their rarity. Since the tire’s life span (without any sidewall to speak of) would be exactly one pothole, we could see this ride being as expensive to own as a Veyron. If you have a friend who thinks this looks good, it’s time for an intervention. Friends, after all, don’t let friends mega-donk. See the rest here: Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Camaros On 32s: Video More here: Friends Don’t Let Friends Drive Camaros On 32s: Video

If you’re soon to be in the market for a compact sedan, chances are good the 2013 Dodge Dart has made your shopping list. It won’t hit dealerships until June, but Dodge has just released pricing on the full range of Dart models. Dodge’s compact sedan will be available in five trim levels, beginning with the Dart SE, priced from… Read more from the original source:  2013 Dodge Dart Pricing Announced

If you’re an early filer, you might’ve forgotten that today is tax day. That could be a deadly mistake. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, tax day is dangerous for drivers, with 6% more traffic fatalities than on other days. The study was led by Dr. Donald Redelmeier — which is tad ironic, since… Excerpt from:  Tax Day Is Deadly For Drivers: Be Careful Out There

General Motors announced today that it is sending the Chevrolet Avalanche—our Top Pick among pickups three out of the last four years—out to pasture. The versatile truck will soldier on for one final year in 2012 with a new 2013 Black Diamond edition, which will feature body-colored sail panels and bed cover, some additional equipment, and lower price. The Avalanche full-sized truck was designed specifically for non-commercial customers, emerging from the trend of trucks being used increasingly as personal transportation. Based more on the extra-large Suburban SUV than on their mutual pickup progenitor, the innovative Avalanche used an integrated body and bed, with a weather-tight fold down partition to extend the cargo space into the rear seat. It debuted as a concept vehicle in 2000, and it went into production for the 2002 model year. The Avalanche used a coil-spring rear suspension from the Suburban to give it a better ride than leaf-sprung pickups. All these features, along with an impressive degree of refinement and quiet cabin made it our Top Pick among pickups again this year. But as Chevrolet spokesman Michael Albano told us, “The world has changed in the automotive landscape.” That is, the once-vibrant personal-pickup segment has collapsed. Now, a much higher percentage of those who are buying pickups are more likely to need them for work than a decade ago. Chevrolet, it turns out, is redesigning its line of full-sized pickups and SUVs for a new fuel-economy era, and the Avalanche no longer fits in the product portfolio. “A lot of [Avalanche] customers were moving over into crew-cab trucks, which they see… as very close in capability,” says Albano. “And it becomes a question of, ‘do we need two vehicles in that space?’ So they’re taking that money [that would have gone into Avalanche development] and putting it into cars.” Many of the Avalanche’s innovations have also been incorporated into other trucks, as well. Dodge has adopted the built-in storage boxes in the Ram bed rails, Honda has taken the integrated body and personal pickup even farther with the Ridgeline , and Subaru for a while used mid-gate to open the bed to the cab in its Outback-derived Baja. All this, plus...

Travis Pastrana, in addition to driving Dodge’s 600-horsepower rallycross Dart , also runs a fairly-unhinged stunt show called Nitro Circus . In the crew’s spare time, they like to jump Golfs in Pastrana’s backyard. More » Read more: Travis Pastrana’s Backyard Is A Daredevil’s Paradise [Video] See the original post:  Travis Pastrana’s Backyard Is A Daredevil’s Paradise [Video]

Although it’s upstaged by the glamorous 2013 Fusion —an all-new take on the mid-sizer slated to appear in showrooms later this year—Ford’s updated 2013 Taurus looks to be a stronger player in the large-car game, with freshened styling, more engine options, NVH upgrades, and improvements to its MyFord Touch infotainment system. Keep Reading: 2013 Ford Taurus SHO – First Drive Review See more here: 2013 Ford Taurus SHO First Drive: A Comprehensive Dose of Refinements Read the original here:  2013 Ford Taurus SHO First Drive: A Comprehensive Dose of Refinements

Car commercials have long used music, imagery, and messaging to create brand awareness and drive sales. In our busy world, striking the right emotional chord can make a lasting emotional impact that can influence consumer decisions, but as with the case of the latest Ram pickup truck ad, they don’t often hold up to scrutiny. At the 2012 New York International Auto Show , the truck brand Ram, formerly known as Dodge, made a powerful presentation of its improved 1500 pickup truck. The speech, stagecraft, multimedia magic, and in fairness, the engineering, all made a powerful impression. Ultimately, the capper was an evocative commercial called ” Tommy and the Ram .” A part of the “Halftime in America” series, this new television ad really pulls at the heartstrings. It chronicles the challenges of a family down on its luck and celebrates the husband’s perseverance to scrape together work thanks to the versatility of his truck. It is a story that, sadly, many Americans can closely identify with and many more can appreciate. Yet, remember: This is an ad to sell trucks. It doesn’t tout the various sizes, configurations, and prices the Ram can be had in, nor highlight the impressive specs and abilities. Instead, it keeps the message simple and plays to your emotions. However, the underlying theme remains: “Buy a truck as good as the Ram, and you can work yourself out of tough times.” Perhaps an old beater truck would be a better solution for some people, but this ad shows a Ram 2500 Crew Cab Power Wagon, an impressive off-road machine whose price tag starts around $45,000. Depending on trim and options, the MSRP can flirt with $50,000. That is a lot of scratch to make up by delivering an odd load, as Tommy attempts to do. It could be intuited that Tommy had bought this truck before he fell upon hard times, a terrible situation that has happened to many car buyers. However, this is an ad by an automaker. Simply defined, this company wants to sell new trucks. When times are tough, or your employment situation is tenuous, make cautious decisions and minimize your financial risks. In other words, if you think you’re about to get canned, buying a $50,000 truck might not be a good idea. Instead, if you need a truck...

These 2012 Fiat 500 Abarths will reside above an anticipated 500T Sport in the lineup. Fiat is planning to introduce a 500T Sport for the 2013 model year, according to documents the company has filed with NHTSA and the California Air Resources Board (CARB). This seems to corroborate rumors of a new model that would be positioned between the standard Fiat 500 and the Abarth , which would feature a less powerful version of the U.S.-spec Abarth’s 160-horse turbo four. (The T in 500T is for “turbo,” of course.) The evidence includes a chart filed with NHTSA, which explains how to decode VIN numbers; it clearly shows a “500T Sport” listed among Fiat’s 2013-model-year offerings. Fiat applies Pop, Sport, and Lounge to the base 500 as trim levels, but this 500T Sport is listed separately from those, as well as apart from the 500C convertible models. Among the convertibles, though, we now see an Abarth listed for the first time. No real surprise there— the car already exists —but it’s a vehicle Fiat hasn’t publicly confirmed for the U.S. The 500T’s introduction is further supported with CARB paperwork released last month. Each engine that will be used for sale in California receives its own certification, even if it will be used in multiple vehicles. California certified a turbocharged 1.4-liter engine for use in several Dodge Dart models, the Fiat 500 Abarth, and another Fiat 500. As of now, the Abarth is the only 500 to use a turbo 1.4—but this engine is exactly what we expect to see in the 500T Sport. This strategy wouldn’t be new for Fiat. In Europe, the 500 Abarth makes just 133 hp in regular trim (more power is available via “Esseesse”—or “SS”—kits). Figure on something in the 130-hp range for the 500T, then. Last month, a user at Fiat500USA.com, a fan site for the Cinquecento, posted pictures of what they say is the 500T. In addition to an elongated snout—which accommodates the turbocharger’s intercooler—it sports Abarth-ish bodywork. Given all of this, we’re pretty confident the 500T will debut sometime within the next 12 months. A spokesperson for Fiat declined to comment. Read the original: Fiat Plans Turbocharged 500T Sport, Abarth Convertible for...

Stand and fight, or run away? That’s not a question most of us face each day, but big boy toymaker VWerks wants to make sure you’ll have what you need to choose the former. Namely, a flame-throwing Dodge pickup and a .50-caliber-topped 1-ton Jeep. I got to drive both of them. More » Read the rest here: Doesn’t Every Truck Need A Flamethrower? [Video] Read the rest here:  Doesn’t Every Truck Need A Flamethrower? [Video]

Like other modern street-legal vehicles, the Terrafugia Transition includes such safety equipment as air bags for the driver and passenger, energy-absorbing crumple zone construction, a collapsible steering column, auto-tensioning seatbelts with force limiters, and a back-up camera. But unlike most other street legal vehicles, the equipment list also includes a stowable floor-mounted control stick, an antiservo tab, electric pitch trim, and, patented, electro-mechanical folding wings. That’s because the Terrafugia can fly, but the developers would prefer you not call it a flying car. It is billed as the world’s first practical street-legal airplane. And practical it is, with a sensible 100-hp engine said to be good for 35-mpg on the highway, disc brakes all around, a storage compartment big enough to swallow up a set of golf clubs, and a built-in airframe parachute. The reason behind not wanting it called a flying car is that the Transition is designed not so much to be a car that flies, but as an airplane that can be driven to its destination if thunderstorms pop up. Its creators are quick to point out that because bad weather and small planes don’t get along, this innovative ability vastly increases its practicality and makes an argument for having a personal aircraft in one’s garage. And yes, the Terrafugia can fit in one. Woburn, Mass., based Terrafugia chose the New York International Automobile Show to show its new plane because, they figured, it was likely to draw lots of attention from the media, the public, and those all important potential investors. And if the crowds elbowing each other for a better view during media days are any indication, they made the right call. The Transition was drawing more crowds than almost anything this side of the new SRT Viper . Of course, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology aerospace engineers behind Terrafugia are pretty smart folks. You don’t always encounter actual rocket scientists at a car show. Priced at $279,000, Terrafugia plans to begin deliveries by the end of the year, giving well-heeled adventures another way to hit the skies and road in style. And they can relax in the knowledge that if there’s a problem, the airframe has a built-in parachute. But they may want another...

Very shortly, you’ll be able to walk into a Dodge dealer and put money down on a new Dodge Dart compact sedan. While the Dart you can buy promises to be much better engineered and built than the Dodge Caliber it replaces, it’s still no match for the Dart that Travis Pastrana will be driving in the 2012 Global RallyCross season. Pastrana’s Dart gets 600 horsepower and all-wheel-drive, while the Dart you can buy gets a fraction of that and sends its power to the front wheels only. We seriously doubt that the Mopar parts catalog has what you need to build a Dart with 600 hp sent to all four wheels, and we’re pretty sure that Pastrana’s ride isn’t street-legal in any of the 50 states. It does look plenty entertaining, though, and we’d welcome the chance to spend a day behind the wheel, playing in the dirt. The Global RallyCross season kicks off in Charlotte, North Carolina on May 26, and Pastrana can expect serious competition this year. Dave Mirra is back, again driving for Subaru, while Tanner Foust and Marcus Grönholm will be driving the proven Ford Fiesta. Rhys Millen will compete in the series this year, driving an all-new Hyundai Veloster. If you want to check out the schedule of events or learn more about the Global RallyCross Series, head on over to the GRC webpage.   See more here: Travis Pastrana Shakes Down The Dodge Dart Rally Car: Video Originally posted here: Travis Pastrana Shakes Down The Dodge Dart Rally Car: Video