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Dodge to reveal Hellcat-powered Challenger in Detroit?

On top of all the other performance car debuts slated for next week's Detroit Auto Show, we might be able to add one more to the list - the new, supercharged Hellcat V8 from Chrysler. According to new reports, the rumored 640-horsepower mill is likely to cross the Motor City stage in the engine bay of a Dodge Challenger.
As AllPar points out, though, there may be more news than just the fire-breathing engine. While we've seen spy photos of the Hellcat testing under the hood of the current Challenger, there's a very fair chance that it won't arrive until the muscle car is refreshed later this year. The question now is whether that refresh will be shown off alongside the new engine in Detroit, or if it'll be saved, perhaps for the New York Auto Show.
Other details dug up by AllPar include potential transmissions for the supercharged engine - the Mopar-minded site is expecting an eight-speed automatic or a Tremec six-speed manual. Prices, meanwhile, could be in the same elevated range as the Chevrolet Camaro Z/28, at $70,000 to $80,000.

Detroit's new fleet of donated police cars have safety issues [w/video]

In a show of generosity in mid-August, Detroit's business leaders donated $8 million to the Police Department and Fire Department in order to buy 100 new police vehicles and 23 EMS ambulances. But now officers have discovered - and complained - that the police vehicles have glaring safety issues, Deadline Detroit reports. It is not made clear what models of the fleet vehicles - which include police versions of the Ford Taurus, the Chevrolet Caprice and the Dodge Charger - are affected by the safety issues.
Officers reportedly have complained that the Plexiglass partition separating front-seat officers and back-seat prisoners is easily breached, and that the front passenger seat is installed too close to the dashboard. Prisoners who manage to writhe out of their handcuffs can bend the Plexiglass and reach into the cockpit, and sitting too close to the dashboard can render airbags more dangerous and make officers more vulnerable to injury in a crash.
Mark Diaz, president of the Detroit Police Officers Association, received the complaints and reportedly said the vehicles would get safety updates addressing the issues. But Deadline Detroit reports that it checked some of the offending police cars and, as of the last few days, they hadn't been updated.

Dodge recalls 121,603 examples of Dart for loss of brake assist

Dodge will recall 121,603 worldwide examples of the 2013-2014 Dart with the 2.0- and 2.4-liter engines because of possible loss of power brake assistance. The company reports two minor injuries and seven accidents potentially related to this problem. The affected models have build dates before Jan. 24, 2014. There are 105,458 of these vehicles in the US; 11,996 in Canada; 3,705 in Mexico; and 444 outside of NAFTA. This campaign doesn't affect Darts with the 1.4-liter engine. These vehicles' brake-booster vacuum tube routing can potentially allow oil to access and eventually to degrade the brake booster diaphragm. If this happens, then the vehicles could lose braking assist. The brakes themselves would continue to work, but the driver would experience longer stopping distances. A pop or similar sound of a vacuum leak sometimes precedes the problem, according to the automaker. Dealers will inspect the components and replace the vacuum tube. If technicians find oil in the tube, they'll also swap out the vacuum pump, brake booster, and master cylinder. Affected owners will receive notice from the company within the next 60 days. Statement: Vacuum-tube Assembly December 3, 2015 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - FCA US LLC is voluntarily recalling an estimated 105,458 compact sedans in the U.S. to inspect and replace vacuum-tube assemblies and certain other components, as required. Some of the affected vehicles may be subject to oil migration that could affect their brake systems' power-assist feature. Foundation brake function is unaffected. However, if this condition occurs, the driver may notice hard pedal-feel on brake application, and longer distances may be required to stop the vehicle in emergency situations. An FCA US investigation identified certain model-year 2013-14 vehicles equipped with 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter engines, may have brake-booster vacuum-tube routing that inadvertently allows oil to reach the brake booster diaphragm, if ever the vacuum-pump check valve fails. Oil may degrade the diaphragm and lead to a loss of brake-assist – a feature that helps reduce stopping distances. FCA US is aware of two minor injuries and seven accidents that are or may be related to this condition. The recall is limited to model-year 2013-14 Dodge Dart sedans produced before Jan. 24, 2014. It also affects an estimated 11,996 cars in Canada; 3,705 in Mexico and 444 outside the NAFTA region. Vehicles equipped with 1.4-liter engines are excluded.