2013 Dodge Caravan on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2016 Dodge Challenger and Charger Hellcats see doubled production

The launch of the Hellcat supercharged V8 in the Dodge Challenger and Charger for the 2015 model year was a massive success. The one-two punch of muscle cars probably grabbed the brand more headlines than it had seen in ages by offering a world-beating 707 horsepower from the growling engine under the hood. The only real wrench in the works was keeping up with all of the orders. For 2016, Dodge might have fixed that little problem with plans to make more than twice as many of these mean machines Despite production seeing a massive boost, a few customers with orders for 2015 examples will need to wait just a little longer to experience those 707 ponies. The automaker will cancel any unscheduled, sold orders for the current model, but those buyers will receive a discount on the 2016. Similar to last year, dealers will earn their allocation of the muscle cars based on Dodge sales and how long the Hellcats stay on their lots. There are some very tiny changes for any buyers who are holding out for the 2016 Hellcats, too. Mechanically, they are identical to the 2015s with a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 and eight-speed automatic. The interiors see some improvements, though. Both the Challenger and Charger now receive standard Laguna Leather upholstery and an improved 8.4-inch Uconnect system with navigation, an HD radio, and five years of SiriusXM Travel Link and Traffic. Orders for both open in the second week of August, and production actually begins in September in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.

3-row Jeep Wrangler, V8 Kaiser ambulance, and more from Mopar for SEMA

SEMA is back this year, and as is tradition, the American Stellantis brands Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Mopar are bringing some truly amazing concepts to the show. The brands have come up with seven vehicles, four from Jeep, two from Ram and one from Dodge. Some of them show off the current Mopar catalog and possible future parts, while others are just really cool customs. Let's check them out. Jeep Wrangler Overlook Jeep Wrangler Overlook concept View 8 Photos We're starting off with perhaps the most interesting of the concepts on display, the Jeep Wrangler Overlook. And you'll notice right off the bat that it's longer than your average Wrangler Unlimited. It's actually a full foot longer. And it doesn't just add cargo space, it adds passenger space. There's a third row of seats in the Overlook. Those seats also necessitated the safari-style custom rear roof. It's 5 inches taller than a regular Wrangler roof to provide headroom for rear occupants. It also made room for the extra windows. Front passengers also get a fancy single-piece roof section with a pop-up glass section, and the interior features black leather and bronze accents. Other body changes include a custom hood, a narrower front bumper for improved approach angle and a widened rear bumper to protect the longer tail. It also gets custom front bumper lights, Jeep Performance Parts (JPP) A-pillar lights and tubular side steps. The Overlook also rides on the Jeep Performance Parts (JPP) 2-inch lift kit with Fox shocks and 20-inch wheels with 37-inch tires. We wouldn't have thought a three-row Wrangler would be something that would reach production, and it's still unlikely. But, this looks really good. And when Land Rover already offers a third row in the Defender, and is working on a stretched version, we're starting to wonder if Jeep should think about an even more stretched Wrangler. Kaiser Jeep M725 Kaiser Jeep M725 concept View 11 Photos Next up is this year's resto-mod from the Stellantis crew. They found an old Kaiser Jeep M725 military ambulance and did a few things to make it a more modern, go-anywhere super tailgater. Under the hood is a 485-horsepower 6.4-liter V8 paired to an old-school TorqueFlight 727 automatic transmission, shifted by a B&M shifter housed in a repurposed ammunition box. It's still four-wheel drive and has the old axles, but they're attached via a coil-spring suspension instead of the original leaf packs.

General Lee Dodge Charger replica jumps Dukes of Hazzard-style in Downtown Detroit

Ouch. That was our first reaction after we saw the video up above, in which stunt driver Raymond Kohn goes full-on Bo and Luke Duke in a specially prepared Dodge Charger right in the middle of Downtown Detroit. The jump looks good – and, courtesy of the whistling-Dixie horn of the Charger, sounds good, too – until you see the landing. Like we said, ouch. The ramp stood just five feet tall, but since the bright orange '69 Charger was traveling around 55 miles per hour when it launched, the car soared 25 feet in the air over a distance of 134 feet. That's pretty impressive. Apparently, the car was modified to take the brunt of the landing forces at impact to help keep Kohn safe (relatively speaking, of course). The stunt was a promotion for the 65th annual Autorama Show, which is taking place this weekend at the Cobo Center in Detroit. Scroll down to watch a video interview with Kohn that was shot right after the stunt, and stick around till the end to see the automotive carnage close up. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Related Video: