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Weekly Recap: Things you might not know about the 2015 Dodge Charger and Challenger Hellcats

If you're an enthusiast, and you don't know that Dodge spawned another Hellcat this week, you really must have been living in cave. The 2015 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat is probably the biggest news for enthusiasts since the reveal of, well the 2015 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat.
But, there are some things you might not know or might have missed about the new Charger and Challenger Hellcats. For starters, reports that the Hellcat production would be limited to a low volume are not true.
"We have not capped the Hellcat on either the Challenger or the Charger," Dodge CEO Tim Kuniskis said.

Jaguar laying groundwork for a reborn XK

There have been rumors about plans to replace the Jaguar XK since before the gentleman's coupe ended production in 2014. Depending on which rumor you read, a reborn XK could remain compact and offer a 3.0-liter turbodiesel, grow a bit and move upmarket to challenge the Mercedes S-Class Coupe, or grow even more and challenge the Bentley Continental GT as "an elegant four-seater coupe." About the only three consistent details have been that the new XK would ride on a reworked F-Type platform, that the XK would become Jaguar's new flagship, and brand design director Ian Callum providing all the quotes about a potential resurrection. Now Hanno Kirner, the head of product strategy at Jaguar Land Rover, has added quotes that could portend the return of the big two-door cat. Kirner told Autocar that Jaguar "will continue to invest in sports cars," and that "I use the plural quite deliberately." That is, the F-Type won't be left to carry the sports car mantle by itself. Questions remain about the definition of the term "sports car," and whether that really means a return of the XK. Kirner suggested it's possible that a future offering could be "a body variant" of the F-Type. Callum's been fighting for the XK's return ever since Jaguar made the decision to kill it. The designer said the two-seat F-Type wasn't intended to kill the bigger 2+2, and at one point his team had already finished design work on the third-generation XK. However, the F-Type sold so well that the company marketers decided the automaker didn't need both cars. A number of things needs to happen before any XK gets the green light, though. The next-gen F-Type is in the works and could come as soon as next year, and Jaguar will want to make sure the two-seater continues its run of steady sales. The XK spirit lives on in the current F-Type, since the F-Type sits on a reworked version of the XK's aluminum architecture, and the second-generation F-Type will evolve that aluminum platform again. It's said that the platform could morph back into a 2+2 without undue hassle, but any new XK wouldn't likely arrive before 2021 even if approved. Callum remains on the case, saying in October 2017, "I want a two-seater [the F-Type] and a 2+2. We're working on something now." Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Jaguar XF Sportbrake is the cure for the common F-Pace

Before Jaguar introduced the F-Pace crossover, the only way an American could get their hands on a long-roof leaper was to either move to Europe and buy an XF Sportbrake or pick up the rare X-Type Sportwagon on the used market. But now that the F-Pace is on sale, there's no need for a Jag wagon (henceforth known as the Jagon), right? Wrong. Spotted lapping the Nurburgring, the second-generation XF sedan transitions to wagon duty as naturally as the first-gen car did, promising a boost in cargo capacity without sacrificing the good looks of Jaguar's middle child. But the sloping roofline won't do the XF's versatility too many favors – as our spies rightly state, it looks like Jag's designers are favoring style over outright cargo space. Beyond the roofline, expect the new Sportbrake to follow its predecessor's example and adhere very closely to the XF sedan. Don't expect any changes from the firewall forward, with most of the changes above the beltline and at the tail, where Jag's designers obviously need to rethink the look to accommodate the rear hatch. The overall taillight shape should stay the same, while the lower bumper will carry over with only modest adjustments. Under hood, our spies report the car shown here is Jaguar's potent S trim, with a 380-horsepower, 3.0-liter, supercharged V6. While it's a safe bet that Jaguar will sell the Sportbrake in Europe with all the lesser XF engines – not to mention R and RS variants – it's unlikely all three mainstream engines will arrive in the US. Oh yeah, our spies claim there's a chance the long-roof XF will hit the US market. We're calling it a very slim chance, though. Audi and BMW deported their A6/5 Series wagons years ago, leaving the segment to the Mercedes-Benz E-Class. The Volvo V90 will add some Swedish flair to the segment, but the bottom line is that importing and federalizing a new model to compete in a segment responsible for just 20,000 units per year isn't good business. Here's hoping Jaguar makes a bad business decision. Related Video: Featured Gallery Jaguar XF Sportbrake: Spy Shots View 11 Photos Image Credit: CarPix Spy Photos Jaguar Wagon Luxury jaguar xf sportbrake