1951 Dodge Meadowbrook on 2040-cars

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Dodge Demon's deliverer? FCA files for 'Angel' trademark

We've driven the Dodge Demon, and despite its satanic overtones and 840 freakin' horsepower under the hood, the car is actually quite well-behaved. At least it didn't bite our head off or drag us into any sort of inferno. Still, Dodge might be looking to balance its lineup with something with a bit more righteous, as FCA has filed for a trademark of the moniker "Angel."... According to the United States Patent and Trademark Office, FCA filed the application on July 17, 2017, and it applies to "Motor vehicles, namely, passenger automobiles, their structural parts, trim and badges." Essentially, that's all the information we have to go on at this point. It could mean that Dodge is planning to further capitalize on the Demon name by creating another variant, or a completely different car. But what's the opposite of the Demon? Could it be a more road-friendly version of the drag-focused Demon? (And wouldn't that just be a Hellcat Widebody with more power?) Maybe it's a performance hybrid, as FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne recently said that the automaker would electrify half its fleet by 2022. For now, we can merely speculate as to what the Angel would be. And you can, too. Get at it in the comments section, below. And while you're at it, what name do you think FCA should trademark next, and what sort of car would that be?Related Video: Related Gallery 2018 Dodge Challenger SRT Demon: First Drive View 37 Photos News Source: US Patent and Trademark Office via FCA Authority Auto News Chrysler Dodge Future Vehicles Performance FCA trademark dodge demon

Top torque-to-weight ratios under $100k, $50k and $25k

Horsepower may steal a lot of headlines, but the always-more-complex torque figure is often a critical one for both the workingman and the motoring playboy. The measure of rotational force represents the twist that can liquefy one's tires or haul one's horse trailer. Good stuff.
It follows then, that as with the horsepower-to-weight list that we assembled for you a few months ago, a list of cars that offer the most pound-feet with the fewest pounds to carry, is an interesting one to break down. Sure, there's a big difference in how the torque is applied from a turbocharged six-cylinder in a Swedish luxury sedan and a massive heavy-duty truck's turbo-diesel. But being the car/stat geeks that we are, we think it's kinda neat that those two vehicles rank near each other where torque and weight intersect.
As with the horsepower list, we've given you figures as pounds per every one pound-foot. Again broken down into broad price categories, we've got a mixed bag of 2014 and 2015 models here, too. Every effort has been made to select the most up-to-date prices and specs, and we've also to omitted some '14 cars that won't be re-upped after the ongoing yearly changeover.

How to update and secure a vulnerable Chrysler Uconnect system

If you own one of the 1.4 million vehicles affected by the recent Chrysler software recall, you may want to watch this video. In it, we explain how to get the latest infotainment software loaded onto the 8.4-inch Uconnect system. The recall was a response to the findings of researchers who were able to hack into and remotely control a 2014 Jeep Cherokee through its cellular connection. Although Fiat Chrysler has worked with Sprint to plug most of the holes on the carrier side, there are still some vulnerabilities that only this latest software version can patch. Owners have three options to get the update: download it now, wait for a USB stick in the mail, or take the vehicle to an FCA dealer. Chrysler will be sending USB sticks loaded with the software update to customers. Anyone with an internet connection and a USB stick of their own with at least 4 GB capacity can speed things up by downloading the patch from the Uconnect website. We cover that process from start to finish in the video, with the final portion still applicable to those using the FCA-supplied USB stick. If after watching this you still don't want to tackle the patch yourself, you can take your vehicle to the dealer to have it done. Also note that this process is the same for all Uconnect updates, not just the one patching the exploits. Our demonstrator vehicle is a 2015 Ram 1500 pickup. The procedure should be very similar on other products with the 8.4-inch Uconnect system, with only the location of the USB port varying. Once you have the USB stick with the software on it – either after having downloaded it yourself or receiving it in the mail from Chrysler – the installation process is relatively simple. It takes about 15 minutes to perform the update; we edited out the wait in the video. To check whether or not your car's 8.4-inch Uconnect system is running the latest software, go to System Information on the touch screen's Settings page and look at Software Version. The update related to the recall is version 15.17.5. Related Video: Recalls Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM Safety Technology Infotainment Videos Original Video hacking