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Dodge Charger Hellcat makes 1,032 hp with Hennessey help

Sometimes you just want four doors. Earlier this week we brought you Hennessey's riff on the Dodge Challenger Hellcat. Now comes the Charger. Much like its two-door sibling, the Charger gets boosted to as much as 1,032 hp and 987 lb-ft of torque (at the crank) thanks to the addition of a twin-turbocharging setup that works with the factory supercharger. The turbo headers and downpipes are stainless steel, and there is a high-flow air-to-water intercooler and dual-turbo waste gates. Hennessey also beefs up the fuel injectors, fuel pump, and the rest of the fuel system. The engine management system and chassis are recalibrated to accommodate all of this. You also get numbered plaques signed by John Hennessey, the boss of the Texas tuning outfit, and the technician who does your build. Hennessey's additions result in zero-to-60 mph sprints in 2.7 seconds, and the big sedan can run the quarter mile in 9.9 seconds at 142 mph. Like the Challenger, the Charger has the same disclaimer: the lofty horsepower figure comes from an engine dyno, and it will be a 15-to 20-percent lower at the rear wheels. Related Video: Image Credit: Hennessey Performance Dodge Performance Sedan Hennessey dodge charger hellcat

The Dodge Demon sheds some weight in pursuit of speed

The Dodge Demon teaser train isn't stopping until it hits New York City. In case you need a reminder, the upcoming Demon is the more pedestrian Hellcat's stripped-down and hopped-up sibling that promises to be built for the sole purpose of traveling a quarter-mile mile quicker than any of its rivals. The weekly video rollout on www.ifyouknowyouknow.com continues with the latest sneak peak, "Reduction." While there were early rumors that the Demon may pack an all-wheel-drive system and in turn gain enough grip to rotate the Earth underneath it, Dodge and SRT look to be going down a simpler route. The press release reveals the Demon is 200 pounds lighter than the standard Hellcat. It's unclear where all that weight is coming from, but at nearly 4,500 pounds, the Challenger Hellcat could stand to go on a bit of a diet. The video hints at adjustments to the wheels, steering, suspension, and brakes, as well as some modifications to the car's interior. Don't be surprised if the Demon is a bare bones stripper model with no back seat, no A/C, and no radio. Who needs music when you have 2.4-liter supercharger and a 6.2-liter Hemi V8 making sweet love under the hood? Related Video: Image Credit: FCA Design/Style Marketing/Advertising New York Auto Show Dodge Coupe Future Vehicles Special and Limited Editions Performance dodge demon dodge hellcat

Dodge engineers trying to shoehorn Pentastar into Dart?

The fact that the Dart's launch has been a pretty dismal affair isn't what we'd call secret. Judging by its mounting inventories and poor critical reception, Dodge's successor to its unloved Caliber has struggled since it hit the market. And while both of those are difficult problems to address, at least their cause is well known - the powertrain.
Even Fiat-Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne has acknowledged that the powertrain options in the Dart are substandard, admitting at January's Detroit Auto Show that the powertrains are "less than ideal." Leading with the 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder found in the Fiat 500 Abarth left a bad taste in the mouths of consumers thanks to the laggy engine and dead throttle response (to say nothing of the manual and dual-clutch gearboxes that needed more refinement). The addition of the 184-horsepower 2.4-liter Tigershark in the Dart GT has helped matters some, but apparently Auburn Hills doesn't think it's quite enough.
If rumors are to be believed - get that salt ready - a possible solution may be in the works. A report from Allpar is claiming that Dodge is considering fitting a Pentastar V6 into the Dart's engine bay. As the Mopar-obsessed website points out, the critically acclaimed Pentastar is available in three different sizes - 3.0 liters, 3.2 liters and the original 3.6 liters. We don't get the 3.0 here in the US, but the 3.2 can be found in the new Jeep Cherokee and the 3.6 has been seemingly fitted to every model Chrysler can shoehorn it into.