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Driving the Jeep J6, Shakedown Challenger and other Mopar concepts

Mopar has been a one-stop-shop for factory-backed performance modifications and accessories on FCA products for a long time now. You want a 707-horsepower engine for your old Plymouth Belvedere? Mopar has you covered with the Hellcrate. Maybe you want a lift and off-roading lights on that newly-bought Wrangler? Mopar can accommodate those wants (or needs, we don’t judge) as well. We get to see some of the companyÂ’s weirdest creations every now and then, but rarely do we get the opportunity to drive the FCA Mopar concepts. ThatÂ’s what made this past Woodward Dream Cruise so special: We got to rip some of MoparÂ’s finest and most recent creations up and down Woodward Avenue. Everything from a 1971 Challenger restomod to the brand-new Easter Jeep Safari J6 concept was in attendance, so letÂ’s get right to it. Mopar Woodward View 6 Photos 1967 Plymouth Hellvedere This car is near the pinnacle of what you can do with off-the-shelf Mopar purchases. It was only a humble 1967 Plymouth Belvedere before Mopar dropped the 707-horsepower supercharged V8 from the Hellcat into the engine bay. Sound ridiculous? Yeah, it is. Other parts of it are new as well, including the disc brakes. Good call. However, Mopar didnÂ’t remove the classic car charm from the entire driving experience. The steering, for example, is surely as slow and inaccurate as it was back in 1967. That doesnÂ’t help matters when youÂ’re trying to put 707 horsepower to the pavement with less-than-ideal rear rubber. Floor it in damn near any gear of the Tremec six-speed, and the front end rises straight up as the rear kicks sideways with the force of many mules. There are no electronics such as traction control or stability control to step in and wrangle the car into submission. But hey, who wants them, anyway? The question remains: Should you buy a Hellcrate engine for your classic? If money were no object, the easy answer is yes. Have at it so long as you love smoky burnouts and excessive amounts of horsepower. Just make sure you know how to deal with that much power before you stick your right foot in it.   Dodge Challenger Shakedown View 15 Photos 2016 Dodge Shakedown Challenger Concept WeÂ’re going downhill in horsepower with this restomod, but the drivability and ease of driving goes way up. Dodge showed this “Shakedown” concept at SEMA awhile back, and as with most concept cars, getting a chance behind the wheel is a special opportunity.

The Dodge Demon was developed under a cloud of smoke

The Dodge Demon needs no introduction. The car is so full of superlatives that most of it sounds unbelievable until you see and hear it in action. The car was revealed after months of teasers and cryptic messages, but the public weren't the only ones in the dark. From the start, the Demon's development was a closely guarded secret. There were even some within SRT that didn't know about the project. The people behind the car went through a lot of effort to keep it that way. At an event covering the finer details of the Demon's supercharged 6.2-liter V8, Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis and SRT Powertrain Director Chris Cowland spoke about the smoke and mirrors used to hide the Demon's development. Work on the car progressed for nearly two years before it was made public, with just a small team having full access to the project. Numbers were altered. Secret meetings were held. SRT engineers worked nights and weekends while parts suppliers were given as little information as possible to move progress forward. Preliminary work on the Demon began in April of 2015, not long after the standard Hellcat hit the streets. The goal wasn't to create a faster Hellcat. Kuniskis said that would have been easy. They wanted a single-minded vehicle that could also be driven on the road. It's the same mindset that brought about the Dodge Viper ACR. Dodge wanted a car that could sell the brand to both enthusiasts and non-enthusiasts alike. 840 horsepower is going to raise anyone's eyebrows, including the Camry owner parked down the street. While preliminary work started in April, the final greenlight wasn't given until September. The project was originally going to revive the American Drag Racer, or ADR, name. When we saw the first hints of the Demon last fall, we labeled the spy photo above the Dodge Challenger ADR. It was set to have 10-percent more power and 20-percent more launch force than the already gut-punching Hellcat. It was also only going to have a quarter-mile time in the 10s, just slightly quicker than the Hellcat. Somewhere along the line, the team realized that the ADR wasn't enough. It was just going to be a Hellcat plus, and that wasn't exciting. The main goal was changed: 9s with light. Translated, that means a 9-second quarter mile with light under the tires (read: a wheelie). From that point forward, everything about the Demon's development, from power to suspension to weight, would be done in pursuit of that goal.

2020 Dodge Challenger Review & Buying Guide | The most muscular muscle car

Despite going more than a decade without a complete redesign, the Dodge Challenger is alive and well, and still worth your consideration. Primarily, it offers more of a classic muscle car experience focused on straight-line performance and comfort that its rivals from Ford and Chevy that skew closer to sports car dynamics. The Challenger has the brash, broad-shouldered design to match that muscle car feel, too. And its big body brings more space and practicality than the competition. The 2020 Dodge Challenger also has a few unique bragging points. It's the only one of the modern pony cars to offer all-wheel-drive, which is a boon to people living in snowy parts of the country. And the Hellcat Redeye is still the most powerful pony car on the market with a whopping 797 horsepower from its supercharged 6.2-liter V8. Of course, there is a multitude of other Challenger models beyond those two examples, though, with many customization options from colors to wheels and trim. We think pretty highly of them all, proving that just because something is getting on in years doesn't mean it's any less relevant.  What's new for 2020? The 2020 Dodge Challenger brings a small number of updates. There are new wheel designs for every trim except the base rear-drive SXT. Three new colors are available with typically excellent Mopar names: Hellraisin, Sinamon Stick and Frostbite. Dodge has also made some welcome efforts to spruce up the interior with stitched dash and door panels on leather-equipped Challengers, carbon fiber trim and faux suede options for V8-powered cars and caramel-colored Alcantara for the GT, R/T and R/T Scat Pack trims.   What's the interior and in-car technology like? The Challenger's interior certainly isn't as characterful and flamboyant as its exterior would suggest. The Mustang and Camaro are more interesting and distinctive inside. Still, there are some interesting design flourishes that spruce things up, from the base trim's standard houndstooth cloth to the two-tone leather choices available as options. Besides, we're not sure how flamboyant you need the interior to be in a car available in electric orange, blue, green and purple paint colors. Furthermore, what the Challenger interior may lack in visual pizzazz, it makes up for with space (see below) and technology. A 7-inch touchscreen is standard, but all trim levels have an 8.4-inch version available as an option or standard.