Dodge 1 Ton Dump Truck on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2015 Dodge Challenger crash test results slip from last year's model

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released the results of its latest round of crash testing, announcing that the 2015 Dodge Challenger has netted a five-star overall crash rating. Of course, Chrysler won't want us to tell you this, but that NHTSA overall rating is not the whole story here. As The Car Connection so astutely points out, five-star rating aside, the refreshed 2015 Challenger actually performed worse than when it was tested back in 2013. The V6-powered SXT model tested by NHTSA in this latest round of testing was only able to record a four-star rating in its frontal crash test, while it nailed a five-star rating in the side-impact test. The 2013 Challenger managed a five-star rating in the frontal test. Of course, while this rating is a sign of overall good news for Challenger fans, the car, as TCC argues, has yet to be tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. It'll be interesting to see if these NHTSA ratings translate to an IIHS Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick Plus. Scroll down for the full press release from FCA. All-new 2015 Dodge Challenger Earns Five-Star Overall Safety Rating From U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2015 Dodge Challenger coupe earns five stars overall, the highest possible score in NHTSA's safety rating program More than 70 safety and security features, including new for 2015 class-exclusive Forward Collision Warning, adaptive cruise control, Blind-spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path detection All-new 2015 Dodge Challenger starts at $26,995 (excluding tax, destination and title) December 18, 2014 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - The all-new 2015 Dodge Challenger has earned a five-star overall safety rating from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Five stars is the highest possible safety rating given by NHTSA. "The new Dodge Challenger coupe further demonstrates our commitment to broaden the proliferation of advanced safety technologies, such as driver-assist features," says Scott Kunselman, Senior Vice President-Vehicle Safety and Regulatory, FCA-North America. In its assessment of the new Challenger, NHTSA notes the availability of Forward Collision Warning (FCW), which features forward-facing sensors programmed to detect the potential for certain types of frontal collisions. If detected, the driver is alerted with visual and audible warnings. The 2015 Dodge Challenger is the only car in its segment with such capability.

New Barracuda, Grand Cherokee Trackhawk coming soon

As we write this, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles is conducting a major dealership event in sunny Las Vegas. New vehicles are being announced, redesigned offerings are being teased, and promises are being made to the sprawling company's dealer body. And, as all these announcements are meant to be tip-top secret, they're leaking out left, right, and center. Naturally. FCA is telling its dealers all of the vehicles shown at the Vegas gala will be in showrooms within 12 to 24 months, and that the product offensive will include at least 30 new or significantly refreshed models. Some of those we've known about since FCA boss Sergio Marchionne unveiled his highly ambitious five-year plan in May 2014, while we're hearing about others for the very first time. We've reached out to our sources within FCA, and will update this post as we learn more. It should be noted that while we've tried to rely on concrete sources or corroborations from multiple sources, some of the news here comes from people claiming to have been in attendance and posting in forums like Allpar and Jalopnik's Opposite Lock. Unless corroborated by a mainstream source or confirmed by our own sources within FCA, we're listing each item that comes from a forum. Have those grains of salt at the ready. Chrysler Dodge Durango-sized SUV with stow-and-go was shown. A poster on Allpar Forums claims it had a Durango's interior. New Aspen? Town and Country PHEV confirmed (again). A plug-in minivan was originally announced as part of five-year plan. No news on 200 or 300. Dodge The redesigned Charger will use the Alfa Romeo Giulia's rear-drive platform and, according Automotive News, draw inspiration from 1999's Charger concept car. We're wagering the 24-month time frame specified to dealers will move the new sedan's arrival up from 2018 to mid-2017. Jalopnik's Opposite Lock claims two new Challenger models are coming. Challenger ADR (American Drag Racer) and T/A. ADR should appeal to bracket racers and is more powerful than the SRT Hellcat, while T/A is for track rats, just like Viper T/A. Automotive News claims the legendary Barracuda nameplate will be revived as a Dodge. The Barracuda will be smaller than Challenger, offered as both a coupe and a convertible. Allpar claims it will feature modern styling. A Dodge Durango SRT was announced with 6.4-liter Hemi V8 and rear-drive. Sources within FCA confirmed its arrival with Autoblog. Apparently, dealers were shown an example in B5 Blue.

Jay Leno drives a 1970 Dodge Charger with 1,650 horsepower

When Jay Leno says a vehicle might have too much horsepower, he's got our attention piqued. That's exactly what he thinks about the 1970 Dodge Charger Tantrum from Wisconsin-based SpeedKore Performance. While it still looks like a classic muscle car, the front end now features a carbon fiber hood and fenders. Underneath the lightweight parts, there's a twin-turbo, 9.0-liter Mercury Marine offshore boat racing engine with an astonishing 1,650 horsepower, or an only slightly less asinine 1,350 hp on pump gas. Jay is very mechanically intrigued by the Charger at the beginning of this video, and puts it on the lift to take a look at the underside. The engine plumbing is a thing of beauty, and the mill packs a massive radiator and intercooler to keep things running cool. Leno's drive in the Tantrum is especially interesting. The beastly engine is difficult to control, and anything above half throttle in most gears can spin the rear tires. The significant turbo lag also makes the power unpredictable. When Jay finally finds a straight piece of road, he puts the hammer down and rockets into the distance. And, of course, you know Jay's not going to end the video without some suitably smoking tires. Related Video: