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Will Dodge limit 2015 Challenger SRT Hellcat to 1,200 units?

With over 700 horsepower on tap and a price tag barely over $60k, Dodge appears on paper to have a winner on its hands with the new Challenger SRT Hellcat. But if you want to get your hands on one, you may have to act quicker than this most powerful of muscle cars covers the quarter-mile.
That's because, according to our compatriots over at Edmunds, Dodge may limit production - in the first year, at least - to just 1,200 units. That would amount to barely a quarter of the Challengers that Dodge moves each month, and would also mean only one Hellcat for every two Dodge dealers in the US - which could lead to some serious contention over which stores and which customers can get their hands on the ultimate Challenger.
Reached for comment, SRT spokesman Dan Reid told Autoblog that "there is no plan to limit production of the Challenger Hellcat," echoing the words of Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis who told Edmunds: "We don't know what the market demand is." Which doesn't mean that it won't restrict production, but doesn't mean that it will, either. It just hasn't decided yet - or announced any such decision, at any rate - over what will be the final allocation strategy for what could be a game-changing muscle car. That is, at least, until new versions of the Mustang and Camaro come along in pursuit of Dodge's bragging rights...

Car dealership in East Texas destroyed by tornado

Few things are as fundamentally and unconditionally destructive as a tornado. These cataclysmic phenomena pass through towns, leaving nothing in their wake but ruin and despair. According to an NBC affiliate in the Dallas-Fort Worth region, a car dealership in nearby Canton was hit by a tornado Saturday night. No employees were hurt. Four other people in the area weren't so lucky. Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram of Canton's new showroom and service center were pounded by the storm, leaving dozens of cars in various states of ruin. Some merely lost windows, while others were flipped and left on their sides or roofs. Photos show piles of cars stacked up like Hot Wheels dumped on the ground. According to a statement from the National Weather Service, winds reached speeds of up to 140 mph. Two other tornadoes were reported in the region. The area has been declared a disaster zone and first responders from up to 100 miles away have swarmed in to help out those in need. According to Reuters, the storms Saturday killed 11 people nationwide. Related Video: News Source: NBC DFW, National Weather Service, Reuters via Automotive NewsImage Credit: Reuters Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM tornado

Dodge Viper returning to Le Mans this year?

If you were among the fans disappointed by Chrysler's recent decision to end the Dodge Viper's racing program, we may have some good news for you, as the racing outfit behind the campaign is reportedly working to bring the American supercars back to Le Mans this year. That racing outfit is Riley Technologies, a constructor perhaps best known for its Daytona Prototypes, but it has also prepared its share of GT racers, too. Chrysler charged Riley with leading its racing program for the new Viper GTS-R, campaigned it in the United SportsCar Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Auburn Hills made the unfortunate decision back in March to pull its Vipers out of Le Mans, and then in October to withdraw from the US series, as well, thereby effectively ending the program altogether. Disappointed though it surely was, Riley remains defiant. The North Carolina-based company is planning on taking the existing Vipers back to Le Mans on its own, with or without factory support. The Viper has, after all, proven a capable machine, having taken both the drivers' and teams' titles in the United SportsCar Championship this past season. "With Le Mans, every driver and every manufacturer needs to have their first trip there, and it isn't always what you want it to be, but we did show reliability and did have some pace," Bill Riley told Racer.com. "Since then, we've worked hard on the cars, they're now strong, front-running cars in the US, and we're working with the ACO on the BoP to make sure the cars are strong at Le Mans. They're super-reliable and fast, and we'd expect to be right in the mix with the other cars." Riley has kept the existing support staff in place, and once it secures its driver lineup and sponsors, chances look good that it could represent America well at Le Mans this year in either the GTE Pro or GTE Am class. Its predecessor did, after all, complete a three-year winning streak that saw it dominate the GTS class right up until its withdrawal in 2000. News Source: Racer.comImage Credit: FCA Motorsports Dodge Coupe Racing Vehicles