What exactly does the high-performance R/T badge mean. In the 1960’s on musclecars like the
Dodge Coronet it meant Rapid Transit, I’ve also heard that it meant Real Trouble for anyone who would dare to challenge any Mopar at the strip or at a streetlight. In the 1990’s with the birth of the Viper it meant Racing Technology. But today on our 2010 Dodge Ram Sport, the R/T badge stands Road/Track, and although I couldn’t imagine any Chrysler Engineers clocking a Nurburgring time I’m sure the new coil spring rear suspension should be up to the job. One thing is for sure; the restyled aggressive exterior would be right at home in any NASCAR paddock
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Dodge is now giving the base Challenger the Hemi treatment with the Challenger SE Rallye. No, the 6.1-liter 425 hp V8 is from the SRT8 is not the standard engine (it’s a 3.5-liter V6), but it’s five-speed automatic does fine a home in the Rallye package.
Other features of the package include 18-inch rallye wheels, racing stripes and body colored spoiler. The whole package starts from $26,490, and is a small price to pay to look like it’s got a Hemi in it.
Press release after the jump.
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Dodge revealed today in Chicago the 2010 Ram pick-up line-up. For 2010, the Crew Cab with six-foot, four-inch box replaces the Quad Cab to meet Heavy-Duty customer needs and focus on overall vehicle refinement and ride comfort.
The new 2010 Dodge Ram Heavy Duty is powered by the 6.7-liter Cummins Turbo Diesel engine, which produces 350 hp at 3,000 rpm and 650 lb.-ft. of torque at only 1,500 rpm. The engine is mated to either a choice of either a G56 six-speed manual transmission or a 68RFE six-speed automatic transmission.
The other choice for 2010 Dodge Ram Heavy-Duty customers is the standard 5.7-liter HEMI® V-8 gasoline engine, delivering 383 hp at 5,600 rpm and 400 lb.-ft. of torque at 4,000 rpm.
Press release after the jump.
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If you’re going to go retro, why not go all the way? Dodge revealed a special edition called the Challenger R/T Classic, which takes even more elements from the original 70s Challenger.
The price for this extra throwback is $34,005, which is a $3,460 premium over the base price of a regular Challenger R/T. But with this extra cash comes some extra goodies. This includes dual throwback A-line body-side R/T stripes, ‘Challenger’ fender badging in classic script, large 20-inch polished-chrome heritage wheels with all-season performance tires, classic egg-crate grille with heritage ‘R/T’ badge, body-color rear spoiler and chromed fuel-filler door.
The R/T Classic is powered by a 5.7-liter HEMI V-8 engine that delivers 376 hp and a peak torque of 410 lb.-ft. of torque. This is the same powerplant as the regular R/T, so 0 to 60 mph in under 6 seconds should be expected in the R/T Classic.
Full details in the press release after the jump.
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Lookie what we got here. The Dodge boys decided to drop off their ultimate pavement pounder on our doorstep. They must have really liked our review of the Challenger SRT8 for us to deserve this reward.
When the Dodge Viper first showed up in 1992, it was the meanest thing around. It looked mean and sounded mean, so it was trivial why many people were surprised when the Viper had a mean attitude.
The original car was meant to be out in the elements. The car had side curtains and a fabric roof that was only meant for temporary duty, just like the open top versions Lamborghini Murcielago and Bugatti Veryon.
The Viper wasn’t ashamed of what it was, the American roadster. The Viper was designed to be the spiritual successor to the Shelby Cobra, but the public decided that modern cars needed modern conveniences. So over the 17 years Dodge has kept its snake in production there has been a little softening. But don’t think this is a compromised car. This is a pure sports car, which means we have no complaints.
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Dodge first showed us the EV concept as part a trio of electrics it was working on back in September. Now Chrysler is giving the car it’s full debut at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. It was pretty evident to sports car fans that the EV was a Lotus Europa with a battery pack. We don’t think Dodge was being unoriginal for trying to pass a Lotus off as its own. Lotus’ lightweight platforms are a good base for electric vehicles, just look at the Elise-based Tesla Roadster.
The Circuit EV is powered by a completely electric ENVI drivetrain that delivers 268 hp. The concept makes the 0 to 60 mph sprint in less than 5 seconds, while top speed goes up to 120 mph. It can even outrun a Dodge Challenger in a drag race. But if you’re not so hard on the throttle, Dodge says the EV can go 150 to 200 miles between charges.
Press release after the jump.
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The 2009 Dodge Challenger left a lasting impression on us. It’s been a few weeks since we gave it back, but it still was one of our early favorites when deciding our top ten cars for 2008.
This is a continuation of the first part of our time with the Challenger. Before that featured the interior and exterior in depth. Now we get the part we like the best, the test drive.
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Retro cars are held to a higher standard at TopSpeed. When a designer doesn’t have to spend as much time working on how a car looks, we expect more time spent on performance. This was the standard applied to the 2009 Dodge Challenger SRT8 when it showed up on our doorstep. Then again, it wasn’t going to be too hard for us to love a car with a 425 horsepower, 6.1-liter Hemi V8.
We got a little excited about this car. We got a lot of double-takes from people we passed on the street, and the exhaust note is an enthusiast’s dream. As a result, we had a little more footage of the Challenger than we usually do. So here is our review and opinion of the retro exterior and interior. The test drive will be posted in a few days.
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The Dodge Challenger can provide big power and torque to the rear wheels, which makes it a great starting point for drift competitions. So it only makes sense that Chrysler’s parts guys, Mopar, would create for SEMA the Drift Dodge Challenger.
Exterior modifications include a variety of safety components such as a full roll-cage and a five-point harness. A front carbon-fiber splitter and rear carbon-fiber wing were added for improved aero dynamics, and weight was trimmed off the Dodge Challenger SRT8 chassis by utilizing a custom carbon-fiber body by NuFormz Racing.
The powerplant of the Mopar Drift Dodge Challenger features a Mopar A8 aluminum engine built by Gary Stanton Racing Engines, with Mopar W9 raised port heads, pumping out an estimated 850 hp and 849 lb-ft of torque.
Press release after the jump.
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Chrysler unveiled today the new Trazo C1.8 by Dodge at the São Paulo Motor Show. Does it look kinda familiar? Maybe kinda like a Nissan Versa? It looks like the Trazo is the small car that Chrysler got in the tradeoff deal with the Titan/Ram agreement.
The Trazo will be offered exclusively on the Latin America market. The car is available with a 1.8-liter DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder gasoline and E100 ethanol-capable engine with both automatic and manual transmissions. The engine is also relatively the standard unit from the Versa.
Press release after the jump.
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