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Does the future of Fiat-Chrysler include Dodge?

Wards Auto reports the future of Dodge is looking uncertain. Fiat has more or less laid out it's game plan for the next few years, and while the Chrysler, Fiat and Jeep lines are set to receive plenty of love, Dodge isn't so lucky. Fiat has already hobbled Dodge significantly by splitting off the brand's trucks into a separate Ram line.
Wards says that after the Avenger rides off into the sunset early next year, Fiat-Chrysler won't replace the model, leaving a gaping midsize hole in the Dodge lineup. The report also cites unnamed sources as saying that at least two other current Dodge products will move to the Chrysler line.
One of those could very well be the Grand Caravan. Chrysler has already made it clear that it plans to trim redundancy between its minivan offerings, but it has yet to clarify which other vehicle could sail under the Chrysler banner moving forward. Either way, such changes to the product line would theoretically leave Dodge with just four models.

Mopar unveils Dodge Challenger Drag Pak [w/video]

Dodge is going drag racing, and it's doing it with an all-new version of the Challenger for NHRA's Sportsman class. FCA's Mopar parts and performance arm announced the new Challenger Drag Pak Friday, showing off a version with a 354-cubic-inch (that's a 5.8-liter, by the way), supercharged V8 and a 426-ci (7.0-liter), naturally aspirated V8 – both Hemis, of course – that can get the big coupes through the quarter-mile in "the eight-second range." While the two engines deliver similar performance, at their base, they're quite a bit different. The supercharged model uses a cast-iron block, while the 426 has aluminum for both the block and head. That said, both models get customized engine calibrations, and are mated to unique, race-spec automatic transmissions. But drag racing is about far more than just outright power. Mopar significantly updated the four-link rear suspension, adding a four-inch rear axle from Strange Engineering, along with an aluminum, nine-inch third member, while the rear-axle housing has been strengthened in general. Both the rear shocks and front struts can be adjusted for rebound and compression, too. Lightweight 15-inch wheels, meanwhile, are shod in super-sticky Hoosier drag radials, with nine inches of tread in back and 4.5 inches in front. The new Challenger Drag Pak should run the quarter-mile in "the eight-second range." In the cabin, there's an NHRA-spec roll cage, a Racepak gauge cluster, and a handsome pair of Sparco racing seats. Outside, supercharged models get blue decals, while naturally aspirated varieties get black stickers, although there's more to the new Challenger dragster's exterior than just its decals. Mopar tweaked the big-scoop hood, promising it's easier to get up to check on the engine, and the designers also added trailer tie-down straps in both the front and rear. While the dragster was the big news today, Mopar officials also announced the two enhanced Scat Pack kits for both the Dodge Charger and Challenger R/T. The 5.7-liter Hemi models gain an extra 56 horsepower and 30 pound-feet of torque in the Scat Pack 2 thanks to a new cam, valve springs, pushrods, and gaskets. The Scat Pack 3, meanwhile, adds 75 hp and 44 lb-ft, on top of the gains from the lower packages. That should be perfect for drivers who wish to snort in the face of their SRT 392-driving friends. The third stage adds a ported cylinder heads, as well as high-flow manifolds and catalysts.

Watch 1,414-hp worth of Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat do stereo burnouts

When Dodge announced that the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat would produce 707 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque from its supercharged 6.2-liter V8, automotive enthusiasts were shocked. The company had promised us that it would be powerful, but no one expected for the muscle car to post even larger numbers than the range-topping Viper.
Car and Driver recently got ahold of two new SRTs and decided that the only proper way to show them off was by lighting up the rears in stereo. With a combined 1,414 horsepower, the pair of them make burnouts from the Hellcat V8 look as easy as breathing. The tires start spinning at the slightest provocation and just don't stop. If you buy one of these, it looks like you and the employees at the local tire store are going to be on a first name basis.
Scroll down to watch these two Hellcats to lay down enough smoke to alert the local hook and ladder trucks.