1967 Dodge Coronet Rare "mr. Norm" From Grand Spaulding Dodge Collector Quailty on 2040-cars

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Performance doesn't matter anymore, it's all about the feel

We've just had a week of supercars and high-end EVs revealed. Many of them boast outrageous performance specs. There were multiple vehicles with horsepower in the four-figure range, and not just sports cars, but SUVs with 0-60 mph times under 3.5 seconds. And it's not just a rarified set of supercar builders, comparatively small tuners are also building this stuff. Going fast is easy nowadays and getting easier. So what will distinguish the greats from the wannabes? It's all about how a car feels. This may seem obvious. "Of course it matters that a car should have good steering feel and a playful chassis!" you say. "Why are you being paid for this stuff?" But a lot of automakers have missed the memo. This past week I spent some time in a BMW M4 Competition convertible, and it's a perfect example of prioritizing performance over experience. It boggles my mind how a company can create such dead and disconnected steering; the weight never changes, there's no feel whatsoever. The chassis is inflappable, but to a fault, because it doesn't feel like anything you're doing is difficult or exciting. The car is astoundingly fast and capable, but it feels less like driving a car and more like tapping in a heading on the Enterprise-D. I also happened to drive something of comparable performance that was much more enjoyable: a Mercedes-AMG GT. It was a basic model with the Stealth Edition blackout package, and even though it had a twin-turbo V8 instead of a six-cylinder, it only made 20 more horsepower. The power wasn't the big differentiator, it was (say it with me) the feel. While not the best example, the steering builds resistance as you dial in lock, giving you a better idea of what's happening up front. Pulses and vibrations come back to you as you move over bumpy pavement in corners. The chassis isn't quite as buttoned down, either, providing a little bit of body roll that tells you you're pushing it. It's also easier to feel when the car is wanting to understeer or oversteer, and how your throttle and steering inputs are affecting it. The whole thing is much more involving, exciting and fun. 2021 Mercedes-AMG GT Stealth Edition View 8 Photos That's also to say nothing of the Merc's sounds. That V8 is maybe not the best sounding engine, but its urgent churn through the opened-up exhaust gets your heart racing. It also seems like it's vibrating the whole cabin, so you feel it as much as you hear it.

2016 Dodge Viper ACR racks up lap records

With 645 horsepower and an adjustable spoiler nearly six feet wide, the 2016 Dodge Viper ACR would look at home on the runways of most any airport, air base, or aircraft carrier in the world. But it's not built for the runway. It's built for the race track. And it has positively mastered them one after another. In fact, the new Viper ACR has not only beat the lap times of its own predecessor as it set out to, but took the production-car lap record at 13 tracks across the country. The endeavor started out at the Inde Motorsport Ranch in Arizona, where development engineer Chris "The Wolf" Winkler set a lap time of 1:33.75 on the Configuration 4 track to beat every other street-legal vehicle to ever lap the circuit. Then it was off to Buttonwillow, the MotorSport Ranch (in Cresson, TX), Big Willow, VIR, Grattan, Pittsburg, GingerMan, the Motown Mile, Nelson Ledges, Waterford Hills, and Road Atlanta. And with the new American Club Racer, Dodge took the lap record at each and every one. The journey culminated just days ago at Laguna Seca, where track expert Randy Pobst climbed into the Viper ACR and set a lap time of 1:28.65. That's 5.27 seconds faster than the previous ACR's time, and 1.24 seconds faster than the Porsche 918 Spyder that held the record until now. The sum total is a bragging-rights sheet of lap records set at 13 tracks across these United States. And you don't have to take Dodge's word on that. The records have been certified by the Sports Car Club of America (SCCA), cementing the ACR's place in the record books. Nice work if you can get it, and you can scope it out in the video above and press release below. Related Video: 2016 Dodge Viper ACR Is Undisputed Track Record King - Ultimate street-legal race car sets new high-performance benchmark with more track records than any production car in the world - Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) has certified lap records at 13 road courses, including world-famous Laguna Seca, Road Atlanta and Virginia International Raceway - With 645 horsepower and more torque than any naturally aspirated engine in a production car, the ACR is purpose built for weekend club racers who want the most extreme, but street-legal, track car available - Significant aerodynamic and suspension upgrades, new Carbon Ceramic brakes with six-piston calipers from Brembo and high-performance Kumho tires, specifically designed for the new 2016 ACR, set this Viper apart on any road course November 3, 2015, Auburn Hills, Mich.

Find these Star Wars-themed Dodge muscle cars near you

Getting excited for the upcoming release of The Force Awakens? Well you're not alone. Aside from the legions of fans squeezing into their costumes to line up for the theatrical premier on December 18, Dodge has been roaming the streets of Los Angeles with three Star Wars-themed muscle cars. And you can track where they're going on Twitter. The trio includes a Charger and Challenger, both in SRT spec, with Hellcat engines, and wrapped to look like Stormtroopers from the First Order Legion like the Fiat 500e we saw at the LA show last month. They're joined by a Viper ACR done up in a black livery inspired by Kylo Ren – one of the villains in the upcoming sequel. The special squadron has been patrolling the streets of LA since Friday and will be through Monday. If you spot them, you can post their location to Twitter with the hashtags #Dodge and #TheForceAwakens – and if you haven't, you can see where others have in real time. As we go to press, they've already been spotted in Beverly Hills, at The Grove, and on Hollywood Boulevard. Of course, this isn't the first time we've seen cars used to promote Star Wars, or vice versa. Volkswagen famously channeled Darth Vader, Toyota used everyone's favorite droids to advertise the Prius PHEV, and Nissan used Stormtroopers to promote the Juke. Red Bull even had its whole team dressed up in costume at the 2005 Monaco Grand Prix. We doubt this will be the last time we'll see the Force propel itself on four wheels in our galaxy, either. Related Video: Specially Wrapped Dodge and Viper Vehicles Patrol L.A. Streets This Weekend in Celebration of Upcoming "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" - Fans can get their pictures taken with First Order Stormtrooper-themed white Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat and Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat, plus Kylo Ren-inspired black Dodge Viper ACR - Vehicles patrol Los Angeles-area streets Friday, Dec. 11 – Monday, Dec. 14 - Track vehicle locations in real time on Twitter using hashtags #Dodge and #TheForceAwakens - Dodge social media activation part of FCA US partnership with Disney and Lucasfilm to co-promote "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" opening in theaters December 18 December 11, 2015 , Los Angeles - The weekend before "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" opens in theaters worldwide, Dodge is taking to the streets of greater Los Angeles with a team of specially wrapped Dodge vehicles to give fans the opportunity to take photos and videos with them.