2009 Dodge Challenger R/t on 2040-cars

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Hypermiling a Ram 1500 EcoDiesel to 38.1 mpg

You never quite know what Wayne Gerdes has up his sleeve. The man who coined the term hypermiling is always looking for adventurous ways to prove that anyone – even you... yes, you – can eke out more miles per gallon just by changing the way you drive. Saying that is easy. Proving it by going on outlandish cross-country drives is hard. But for Gerdes and his team of fuel economy fiends over at CleanMPG, hard is half the fun. Our latest adventure appeared, at first glance, to be nearly impossible. Which is why we always answer the phone when Gerdes calls. He likes to take journalists along on his drives, not only to try teach us how to hypermile but also to prove that we can be taught. The first time I 'helped' him and his team was when we got over 30 miles per gallon in a 2011 Ford F-150 XLT with the EcoBoost 3.5-liter V6. The EPA rated that truck with at just 16 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway. So, we'll count that trip as a success. Next up was a cross-country drive last fall in a trio of Audi TDI vehicles to prove that you don't need to drive extra slow to beat the EPA numbers. In fact, we made it from Los Angeles to New York City in just over 46 hours, cramped but not cranky. We had once again proven that how you drive is hugely important to your fuel usage. Our latest adventure appeared, at first glance, to be nearly impossible. The EPA says that the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel we would be driving gets just 22 combined mpg (19 city and 27 highway). Gerdes' idea was to drive it as far north from Houston, TX towards Detroit, MI as we could go on one tank. The day before we left, our itinerary got an extra stop. Instead of taking one of the official Shell Eco-marathon prototype vehicles to Detroit, it was decided to bring the winning diesel-powered prototype from the just-finished event to The Henry Ford Museum, where it had been arranged the car would be displayed. The winning car was built by a small team (just four students) from Sullivan High School in Sullivan, IN, who managed to beat a number of college teams with a score of 1,899.32 mpg. That target would be a bit out of reach for the Ram, but could we get 1,000 miles from the tank? Since the truck has a 26 gallon tank (officially, anyway), that would mean the EPA says we could only go 702 miles, assuming all highway driving. Could we make up 300 miles with careful driving? That spells both challenge and fun.

Vin Diesel's Fast 8 Charger has fake jet power, sounds mean

With filming for Fast 8, the eighth installment in the Fast and Furious franchise, well underway, we've gotten some sneak peeks into the actors' vehicles. Dominic Toretto, played by Vin Diesel, will once again get behind the wheel of a Dodge Charger. The Charger, which was revealed as Toretto's ride in Iceland, has been heavily modified and even features a jet turbine. Sadly, the turbine is purely cosmetic, but the sound from the car's V8 is glorious. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. The videos, which were posted to Jadatoys Instagram account, capture the Charger's incredible sound when it starts, revs, and idles. While the V8 sounds amazing, there's no word on what engine lurks behind the Charger's hood. The previous vehicles from Furious 7 featured 500-horsepower V8 crate engines from General Motors, which may make another appearance in the upcoming film. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Despite being a prop, Fast 8's film crew will surely find a way to bring the turbine to life in the movie that, according to Diesel, will come out on April 14, 2017. If the movie is anything like previous ones, it should have over-the-top action and an incredible selection of cars. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Star Wars Stormtrooper Dodge Charger | Beauty-Roll

Dodge pulls New Girl and The Office stars for new Dart spots

Dodge is hoping that a heavy dash of humor helps it move some more units of the Dart with a hilarious ad campaign called Don't Touch My Dart. The spots star actors Craig Robinson, best known for his role as Darryl on The Office, and Jake Johnson from New Girl as neighbors and friends playing a game of one-upmanship over Robinson's new car. Johnson is envious of the ride and just wants to touch it.
The ads are pretty funny if you're a fan of somewhat absurdist humor, and Robinson has just the right amount of over-the-top seriousness to really make the commercials work. They have kind of a Roadrunner and Wile E. Coyote vibe with Johnson constantly in inept pursuit of what he wants, but he clearly isn't getting it.
The first four spots in the campaign are already online, but according to Dodge this is just the beginning. The company says that it's planning about 24 different versions of these ads in various lengths to play on TV and online. You can check out the ads titled First Scratch, Birdhouse Police Garage Door and Voice Touching below, along with the brand's release about the new ads. There's also a pretty good gag on its YouTube page with Robinson protecting his Dart.