1979 Dodge Li'l Red Express Truck on 2040-cars

Auto blog

MotorWeek relives '80s coupes with Dodge Daytona, Ford Escort EXP

Get ready for a wave of nostalgia and the rapid realization of the huge progress in performance cars over the last 30 years. For its latest Retro Review, MotorWeek takes a look back at two, front-wheel drive coupes from the '80s that seem to have entirely vanished from the roads today. Both the 1986 Dodge Daytona CS and the 1986.5 Ford Escort EXP were considered affordable, sporty options in their day, but the passage of time hasn't been kind to either of their specs. The Daytona certainly looks the part of a performance machine with a body that's reminiscent of other '80s coupes, like the third-gen Chevrolet Camaro. However with 146 horsepower and 170 pound-feet of torque from a 2.2-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, acceleration wasn't exactly a strong suit. MotorWeek complained about copious torque steer, as well. The optional CS suspension upgrade package on this Daytona was apparently a nod to Carroll Shelby who was working with Dodge at the time. If anything, the Escort EXP withstands the test of time even worse. As a two-seat coupe, you might have expected Ford's engineers to really turn up the performance to fit the sporty image that the exterior conveyed. That didn't really happen, and depending on which model buyers ordered, they got either 86 horsepower with a 1.9-liter engine or the "high-output" version of that mill with 108 hp.

Dodge Viper and Jaguar XK revival | Autoblog Podcast #543

On this week's Autoblog Podcast, Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore is joined by Green Editor John Beltz Snyder and Consumer Editor Jeremy Korzeniewski. We talk the possible rebirth of the Dodge Viper and Jaguar XK, as well as the recent goings-on at Tesla. Then we share some of our experiences driving in Europe. We also discuss the cars we've been driving, and help spend another listener's hard-earned dough in this week's "Spend My Money" segment. Autoblog Podcast #543 Your browser does not support the audio element. Get The Podcast iTunes – Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes RSS – Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator MP3 – Download the MP3 directly Rundown Dodge Viper and Jaguar XK to make a return? Tesla Model 3 braking issues and Elon Musk vs. media Driving in Europe Cars we've been driving: Porsche Panamera Turbo S E-Hybrid Sport Turismo, Infiniti QX50, Range Rover Velar Spend my money Feedback Email – Podcast@Autoblog.com Review the show on iTunes Related Video: Auto News Green Podcasts Dodge Infiniti Jaguar Land Rover Porsche Tesla Car Buying Used Car Buying Driving Safety Performance jaguar xk infiniti qx50

2013 Dodge Challenger R/T Redline revs into Chicago

When Dodge released the Challenger Rallye Redline last year, it brought a new dimension of styling to the car's classic muscle car lines, but it was only available in V6 form lacking the oomph to back up its sinister appearance. To remedy that situation, Dodge is unveiling the Challenger R/T Redline, powered by a Hemi V8 engine, at the Chicago Auto Show.
Other than the extra cylinders, most of the R/T's Redline package carries over from the Rallye model including the custom-look 20-inch black chrome wheels with red paint accents, but the R/T version of the package gets more of a retro look to the side stripes with graphite graphics featuring Redline lettering. Cars equipped with the six-speed manual transmission will get a performance-tuned, low-restriction exhaust allowing the engine to produce 375 horsepower and 410 pound-feet of torque; cars with the five-speed auto are rated at 372 hp and 400 lb-ft, but they do offer a bright chrome Mopar t-handle shifter and steering wheel paddle shifters.
The R/T Redline Group is offered only on cars painted in Billet Silver, Granite Crystal, Bright White and Pitch Black, and it adds just $1,995 to the MSRP of the Challenger R/T (starting at $31,990) and the Challenger R/T Plus (starting at $33,990), which adds features like Nappa leather and Boston Acoustics speakers.