Category: Dodge

The Dodge Delon Cocept has been given the green light and will be built in China by the local Chrysler’s partner Chery.

The production version will share its underpinnings with the Hornet model due to go on sale in 2009. Also built in China by Chery, the small car will feature a front-wheel drive layout. Unfortunately, the Demon will likely share the same layout. Chrysler missed the opportunity to offer a viable competitor to the Mazda MX-5. The company explained the move due to a higher cost generated by the rear-wheel drive layout and stricter emission regulations.

At this early stage, no information is available regarding the engine spec. The concept car was powered by a 2.4-litre petrol engine with an output of 170bhp being hooked up to a six speed manual gearbox.

The new Journey is Chrysler’s serious attempt to enter the crossover segment in the US and in the Europe where it will go on sale next year. Unfortunately, the crossover segment is still in its infancy so it will also compete with the small SUVs such as the Volkswagen Tiguan or the Mitsubishi Outlander with which it shares its underpinnings.

Indeed, the Journey model uses the global D platform co-developed by Chrysler and Mitsubishi. This platform is also used for Mitsu Lancer, Chrysler Sebring, Dodge Avenger, Caliber, Jeep Compass et Patriot. If it alo shares powertrains and suspension, it has unique exterior and interior styling on the other hand. It features the corporate grille and the bold design shared by other company’s models.

Featuring a longer wheelbase than the Avenger saloon at 2890 mm, the Journey is roomy enough for five people and can offer two more seats as an option. The second row can move forward and rearward a total of 4.7 inches to give more leg room or provide more cargo room behind the seats. The second row also integrates integrated child booster seats and features a 60/40 fold-flat capacity. The front passenger seat can old flat as a option. The available third-row seat can be set up easily with the turn of a single lever on the side of the seat back, the seat cushions easily fold upward and the seat slides forward. It comes with 50/50-split-folding seats.

The interior styling can’t be mistaken for a European interior. Indeed, the Journey features a symmetrical dashboard, large buttons and poor quality at first glance. The Journey features varied storage facilities. Located in the floor behind the front-row seats are two standard in-floor storage bins that are designed to hold 12 cans. On five-passenger models, a tri-fold load floor is located behind the second-row seat and provides a hidden storage compartment for added utility while a rear in-floor hidden storage bin located behind the available third-row seat is standard on 5+2-passenger vehicles.

The Journey comes with a choice of three petrol engines on the American market. The entry level is powered by a 170bhp 2.4 litre 4 cylinder unit, followed by a 183bhp 2.7-litre V6 engine while the top of the range gets a 232bhp 3.5-litre V6 engine. In Europe the main engine will likely be the 138bhp 2.0-litre TDI provided by Volkswagen and already featured in the Avenger saloon. The 2.4-litre and 2.7-litre units are hooked up to a four speed automatic gearbox as standard while the 3.5-litre is coupled with a six speed automatic gearbox. In Europe, we will get a new dual-clutch transmission developed in partnership with Getrag. This is the first time such a transmission has been offered on a Dodge vehicle. , the new transaxle is equipped with two independent lay-shaft style gear sets with separate clutches, that use manual transaxle-based components.

On the American market, the entry-level SE starts at $19,985/£10,070, with the up-level SXT stickering for $22,985/£11,580. The all-wheel drive architecture increases the SXT’s price to $25,530/£12,870. The range-topping R/T has a price tag of $26,545/£13,380 for the front-wheel drive and $28,295/£14,260 for the four-wheel drive.

This is a very good news for the troubled Chrysler. The American car maker received 4,300 pre-order deposits for the first day of the Dodge Challenger debut. From December 3 until last Friday, it recorded 6,000 deposits. This unplanned rush might also become a nightmare as Chrysler originally planned to build 5,000 cars per year. The waiting list might become longer when the car will be officially on sale. But, Chrysler has announced that it might increase the production to 10,000.

If demand remains strong, Chrysler might increase the production to 30,000 units per year in 2009 according to the Challenger Brand Manager, Mark Mallie. Of the 6,000 deposits, a trend emerges as the HEMi orange colour has been the most popular among the available paints that also include black and silver.

With a price tag of $37,995/£18,700, the Challenger SRT8 is a competitive offer thanks to its bold design but also its 6.1-litre V8 HEMI engine whose power remains unknown. Officially launched at the next Detroit Motor Show, the unique SRT8 model will be followed by a full engine range later with a V6 engine for the entry level. With the Challenger coupé, Chrysler hopes to meet that same success Ford met with the Mustang.

The sketch you see here is the second concept car which will be revealed by Chrysler LLC at the next Detroit Motor Show. It is a 2+2 sport wagon labeled Dodge Zeo concept.

Like all Dodge cars, it features the brand’s grille, but the appear to be more stylish than usual. Described by the press release as a sport wagon model, we have some doubts concerning the boot capacity.

This four-seater is powered by an electric engine which provides a 250 miles range.

Here are the first official pictures of the Dodge Viper SRT10 ACR due to be unveiled at the Los Angeles Motor Show next week. With this new ACR version, Dodge has focused on weight reduction, with lightweight wheels, lighter Michelin Sport Cup tires and lighter – but equally as powerful – brakes. On the interior, all luxury items have, of course, been removed. Dodge leaves the audio system, the underbonnet sound deadening system, the boot carpet and the tire inflator behind. The interior also features carbon fiber panels to reduce the overall weight.

Technically, the 8.4 litre V10 engine remains unchanged. It still has enough power with just 600 bhp and a torque of 560 ft/lbs. Dodge engineers have put their expertise into offering a package that allows the owner to customize the car settings. The car gets adjustable KW Suspensions race coil-overs, a new front roll bar, a removable 3-inch front splitter and a huge carbon fiber adjustable rear wing.

Despite its power and its track abilities, the SRT-10 ACR remains competitively priced at less than $100,000/ £47,500.

Source photos: Autoblog

An E85 Viper has broken the standing mile record for street cars, achieving a speed of 220.07mph and beating the previous world record by 2.85mph.

To achieve such a record, the Viper inevitably had to undergo a certain degree of modification. The car was tuned by a company called SVS, a Chicago-based tuner which specialised in fitting Viper engines with turbochargers during the nineties.

The current generation has a V10 8.3 litre engine which produces 503 bhp/510 hp and 525 lb-ft/711 Nm of torque. In the record-breaking Viper, the turbocharged V10 produces 1085 bhp/1100 hp.

Although the record is likely to appear irrelevant to some observers, it may help to make E85 fuel to more appealing to the masses. Less polluting than the petrol fuels, it has nevertheless met with little success. This time, carmakers are not the guilty party as several of them already offer E85 powered cars. The problem stems from the reluctance of governments to promote E85 fuel. The E85 Viper’s record may help to change this, at least in the U.S.

Of course, it is better not to ask exactly how much E85 this Viper used to break the record.

When I turned 19, I decided it was finally time to get my driver’s liscence and buy a car. I remember thinking, "I’m gonna get a 4×4 truck or a nice Jeep!" Then I came home one day and my sweet mother had bought me this exact car. A 1979 Dodge Colt, lemon yellow (and a lemon, it was) with ugly black racing stripes. Not to mention I didn’t know how to drive a stick. After 2 months, that car was dead. I had rode the clutch and grinded gears so much, it couldn’t have lasted much longer than that anyway. That poor car went through hell with me behind the wheel.

To start with, not a week into owning it, my genius boyfriend put diesel in it. Need I say more? After that was fixed, we proceeded to take it 4×4-ing out in the boonies, getting it high-centered and having to walk 5 miles back to town to call a tow truck. Fun fun. And last, but not the only other thing that I did to that poor car, the town I lived in had one main road with a big hill seperating the two sides of town. Be it bad driving or dead car, I couldn’t make it up that hill and proceeded to roll backwards, screaming at the people behind me to get out of the way. Looking back on that now, I laugh of course, but at the time…well…I’m sure you can imagine. I was so embarrassed, I called my poor mother and chewed her out for putting me through such hell. It was all her fault for buying the stupid thing!! Ten years and a couple of cars later, I’ve made peace with my mom, stopped 4×4-ing with vehicles that aren’t supposed to 4×4, and become a much better driver!

Dodge sought inspiration in its past and was damn right! Remember the time of those terrific muscle-cars? Dodge has dug out a famous name: Charger.

So, the Dodge Charger is back, with a suggestive fast-back body built on a Chrysler 300 platform. From the sixties, not only does it keep the style but also the power: under the bonnet, you can notably find V6 and V8 “Hemi” engines, delivering 250 and 340bhp.

This rear-wheel-drive sedan offers a near 50/50 weight distribution and Nivomattm self-leveling shock absorbers are standard on the Daytona R/T version.

All models in the line-up are equipped with ESP (electronic stability program), ABS and TCS (traction control system) devices so as to make them easier to drive than their famous ancestor.    

Last but not least, the SR/T Charger receives a tremendous 6.1 litres V8 engine delivering no less than 425bhp, and 20-inch forged aluminium wheels.

The icing on the cake: it’s not even expensive, since the SE is available for $22,995 and the powerful Daytona R/T will be yours in exchange of $32,495.

Of course, at this price, don’t expect the finish of an Audi A6…