Not content to let Ford and Chevrolet take the Police departments over fully Dodge has revealed the upcoming Police Pursuit vehicle. This is the 2011 Dodge Charger in all it’s glory. In fact this is the first official picture released by Chrysler of the 2011 Dodge Charger. Details are still flowing in but you can bet the pursuit vehicle will feature both the new Pentastar V6 (that just launched recently in the new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee) and the Hemi V8 with MDS. Rear wheel drive will of course be the drive train set up and it is still murky as to the transmission choice, though I would assume the current 5 speed automatic will be in the police Pursuit vehicles. Oh by the way, they finally got around to adding a column mounted shifter for the police package thus freeing up some space between the seats for other equipment. Also inside the Pursuit vehicle they are touting red and white LED interior lighting which is for night-vision equipment and more.
This past Saturday the Minnesota Viper Club gathered at Waconia Dodge to show off their toys. My friend Ross was on hand to report on the mayhem. At least 2o Vipers showed up (probably more he lost count) and most were unique. Vipers are a unique type of beast, brash and unforgiving they will bite you and leave the venom so you will never forget. Everything from a chromed out engine bay to a custom painted interior nothing was too out there. A few were up front about the fact that they tracked the cars regularly, which is as it should be. Enjoy the mini gallery and drool at the V10 awesomeness.
So Dodge has finally launched the new upcoming 2011 Durango replacement website. Guess what?! Turns out the Durango replacement will be in fact another Durango! That’s right folks. The rumors of the name changing to Magnum were apparently wrong. They have put up three full teaser pics which between these and the spy shots we can pretty much tell what the new Durango will look like. Remember this based off of the new 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee with a slight stretch. Powertrain will be the same as the 2011 Grand Cherokee. Check out the full teaser site here.
Another month, another gathering of man and machine. Of course I speak of Cars & Café, out at the AutoMotorPlex in Chanhassen. This month promised, as usual, to be eventful. I woke up a little early (4:40 am), as I did poor planning. I had not washed the 300ZX (note to self: next month wash the 300ZX before the morning of Cars & Café). So, I washed the 300ZX and popped off the T-Tops.
As I was cruising out West to meet up with my buddy in his S2000, I saw black sky in front of me – then lightning – and then I saw a car come over the hill with windshield wipers on (this was not going well). I hit the gas and made it to his garage with the 300ZX still clean and dry. We ended up taking his daily driver and leaving the 300ZX and his S2000 there, as it started pouring down rain right after I pulled into the garage.
Upon arriving, it was clear the rain, which was at this point a nice steady rain coming down, had affecte turn out. Nooooooooo I cried to the car gods. Luckily some of the cooler rides still managed to show up. As I was admiring a nice Ford F150 Lightning, I heard something loud pulling into the complex.
I turn to see a true hard core car guy (you would have to be) driving a Cobra in (remember no top) through the rain. Two Dodge GLH Turbos sat next to each other, both in ridiculously good condition. I also counted not one but two Nissan 300ZX Twin Turbos (I drooled a little). Quite a few Acura NSX’s showed up, along with a Lexus IS-F.
Two BMW’s caught my eyes this month. One was a early 90′s 540i manual white on black with only 28k on the odometer. The kicker? It is for sale and they are asking only $25k!
Someone buy that car or buy me that car! There was also a mid 80′s M6 in fantastic condition that caught my eye., along with an early 2000′s black Audi S8 that is a regular at Cars & Café. I just love that car!
So good story, I am walking by the club house and hear tires squealing like a burn out. I look around and am quite confused. Suddenly I realize that the sound is coming from behind this building in the VIP section. I go running through the crowd, and as I turn the corner I almost fall over.
This Lamborghini Miura owner clearly had put the car in reverse instead of first gear (as best I can tell from the situation). The car had gone backwards off the cement and onto the pebbles directly below. Part of the car definitely was resting on the cement. The tires were squealing and these two guys were pushing the back of the Miura trying to get it back onto the cement. Finally after a few minutes they accomplished this task, but not before you could smell the clutch and tires. It was quite a scene.
Also filed in the – ahem – interesting category, was the Toyota Camry Solara parked in the American muscle section. Hey at least it was on dubs! Sitting next to that was a Chrysler 300C. Not just any Chrysler 300C, but one riding on 24′s – and wait – it gets better.
The person had welded extensions (eyebrows?) onto the leading edge of the hood. You can still see where the person welded and sanded them. They were not painted yet (I am assuming they are going to paint them….at least I hope so). Let’s not forget the white Toyota Yaris hatch with lime green wheels.
Jensen
On the list of awesome cars I would include the RUF 911, Aston Martin DB7 Vantage, and a Jensen that showed up. The red GMC Typhoon that was for sale earlier this year was on hand, along with two Ford GT’s (they are Cars and Cafe regulars). A new Lotus Evora made the trip, along with a Ford Mustang Shelby Super Snake.
One of the cleaner Oldsmobile 442′s I’ve seen was on site as well. Obviously I have already mentioned the two Dodge GLH Turbo’s but I want to just mentioned them again in this section of awesome. Last but not least was the regular BMW 200ti. It is a work in progress, but hot all the same.
One cool thing was this garage that had a Corvette Z06 in it. Ok that car was nice but you know those bag chairs you take to soccer games and such? Well they had one of those. and then they had a ginormous one that was literally super sized. To get a idea of just how big it was they let me sit in it and I got a picture!
Overall the rain really put a damper on the attendance, or at least it felt that way. With most of the people clearing out before 10 AM, it had to be one of the shortest Cars & Cafés I have attended yet. Thankfully, the doughnut holes provided by Imola Motorsports stayed dry in the clubhouse.
Yes they were tasty,and yes I ate some. Just for the record, doughnut holes always seems to taste better when they are delivered in a BMW M5. I can not prove that, but that seems to be my experience. Here’s hoping for a dry Cars & Café next month!
I will be the first to admit that I was not around during the beginning of the pony car wars. Luckily for me, I am around at the rebirth of the pony car wars. The Ford Mustang really never left , while the Challenger had been off the market for some time. The Challenger beat the new Camaro to market, but the Camaro is making up for lost time with killer sales numbers. So back to the Challenger SRT8, is this beast one blast from the past or should it just be left in the past?
The exterior really is a retouched 21st century take on the original formula. The exterior lines and design is unmistakably Challenger. The SRT ups the formula with a chin spoiler, larger wheels and brakes, along with a small trunk lid spoiler. Up front you have what almost looks like a sucker mouth front clip with four round lamps, the two inner lights being parking lights while the outer two are the headlights. The fog lights below put out a surprising amount of light. The character line that flows from the headlights down the side of the fenders and door flows into the rear haunches, which are exaggerated and quite large. They look terrific. The rear end is somewhat tall but stays true to the retro recipe set forth by the rest of the styling. The rear tail light is a strip across the back that is really three pieces – but usually if you look quick, you would not notice. Two squared off polished exhaust tips peek out from the bottom of the bumper to let you know, “hey I’m here, I can and will let you hear me.” From the retro metal fuel cover to the raised hood with functional air inlets, I love the exterior lines. They are classic – pure and simple.
Some have called the Challenger’s interior bland or boring. I really actually feel it fits the car. It is not over done, but the materials are all soft touch and have a feeling of quality. The seats are nothing short of terrific. I did note the seat bottoms were a little flatter then the seats in the Charger SRT8 I recently tested. That said, they are terrific ,with great bolsters for your backside. They were all-day comfortable and then some. The gauge cluster consists of four round barrels with the tachometer and speedometer in the center and the fuel and engine temp gauges to the side. The SRT8 model had a built in performance meter set up. This included everthing from the ability to time 1/4 miles and 0-60 runs, to braking and even a G meter. I must say this is very trick. The head unit in this Challenger was the optional Uconnect system. It is hard drive based and easy to use. Something of note is that automatic climate control is not currently available in the Challenger. While this does not bother me, it seems to irk some when they see the price tag on this particular car. Did I mention the seats? Overall, I liked the interior.
Like the other SRT8′s, the engine bay is filled with a 6.1 liter HEMI V-8 pumping out 425 horsepower to the rear wheels. The power is channeled through either a pistol-grip six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic. I had the later and it was acceptable. I noted the block of the engine was painted orange in a nod to the history of this vehicle , and I really liked that little detail.
I drove this car in town during the week and went up north during the weekend. On the open highway the car was a very comfortable cruiser. Composed at any speed, it enjoys straight lines. When the turns start coming the car can handle it, but this is no light weight. The car weighs over 4,000 lbs! On the way back from up north I had my mother, girlfriend and sister all in the Challenger SRT8, along with a full trunk. After the nearly four-hour drive I asked how they fared. Only the person behind me (the driver) said it was cramped. I still managed to average 22.7 mpg on that highway jaunt with the cruise control set at 77 mph. In the city I averaged 16.5 mpg, and that included downtown stop and go along with suburb and highway driving. The car is rated at 13/19, which I easily exceeded.
So what do I make of this modern day remake of the Challenger? It’s big, it’s comfy (did I mention the seats?) while being somewhat practical for what it is. A ton of fun, but at a price. Ringing in at $44,940, this is no cheap trick. That is a lot of coin considering what Ford and Chevrolet are offering now with the new Mustang and Camaro. Still, this car has a different personality then both of those cars, and I think it sells on its own merits. Would I recommend the Challenger? In a heart beat! Now, if you asked if it is better then the Mustang or Camaro? I would say that is all inyourdefinition of better.
Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by Dodge
That is right folks! Over the weekend I spotted The Mystery Machine right here in Minnesota. While Scooby Doo and the crew were no where to be seen the woman and child inside the van seemed to enjoy the attention. Funny because I spotted them again later in the afternoon on the highway. Oh one last thing, I am no expert but I am fairly certain The Mystery Machine was not a Dodge….
The Dodge Charger hit the scene back in 2005 and made quite a splash. That splash was two fold: firstly the fact that many people were less then thrilled that the Charger name was applied to a four door sedan. If you remember, the original Dodge Charger was a 2 door. The second part was the bold and in your face styling, which was fresh and really spoke to many people. The Charger has now been on the market since 2005 with only a few major changes (depending on how you look at it). So lets dive in and see how this once-popular muscle car has fared.
The Charger has a bold styling that can be described as chunky by some. The SRT8 kicks it up a notch, but in a subtle way. The hood has an integrated scoop that is functional, funneling outside air into the engine bay to keep that large engine nice and cool. The front end is lower to the ground and slightly more aggressive. There is a belt line that runs from the top of the headlights down the side into the rear “haunches” that begin at the rear of the back doors. These haunches go over the rear wheels and into the tail lights. The tail lights are one piece but they have been refreshed and now have four (two on each side) circles. The trunk has a small but raised spoiler. It is tasteful, but I still wonder if I would want it on my SRT8. The spoiler is attached by four bolts and I think it could be removed (not that I tried). The wheels are 20-inches, and ride on low profile tires. My favorite line on the whole car is the intersection of the belt line and the shoulders in the rear. It almost looks like a lightning bolt.
The interior was originally a horrible mess. The materials when the car launched were all hard plastic. I am not talking about just any plastic. We are talking about plastic that even Lego would reject for quality control. Back in 2008, a mild refresh fixed that, and everything you touch and even most things you do not are now soft touch. Very little hard plastic is still left. The belt line is high, which makes it feel smaller then it really is. Sight lines are surprisingly good. The interior has tons of space both in the front and back. The rear seats fold down almost flat – the bolsters prevent them from being perfectly flat. That said, it is nice to see that they are able to fold. This increases functionality for hauling large items. The seats were very well bolstered and more then comfortable. The bolsters are leather and the center of the seat is a suede-like material that keeps you from sliding when driving aggressively.
The SRT8 is powered by not just any HEMI but the HEMI. The 6.1 liter HEMI puts out 425 horsepower and 420 pound feet to the rear wheels. The power is channeled through a one-choice five-speed automatic transmission with manual shifting capabilities. No manual is offered, though how cool would it be if they offered the pistol grip six-speed from the Challenger? This engine just sounds terrific. You literally just want to slam the gas to hear it over and over again. Of course you would expect with this amount of power this car has, mileage suffers- -and you would be correct. It is rated by the EPA at 13/19 mpg, I saw an average of 14.3 mpg with a mix of city and suburb driving.
This car drives like a big sports car. Wait – well not like just any sports car. This is not a Porsche, rather this is a large car. It will push in the corners and you will feel its weight. That said, it is very composed. It drives European-like which should be no surprise, because the basic frame and transmission is a hand-me-down from the 1999 generation Mercedes Benz E Class (W210).
I actually was moving when the Charger SRT8 was in my possession. I used this vehicle to see just how practical it was in daily service. The seats folding down helped and the trunk swallowed a surprisingly large amount of boxes. The subwoofer in the corner of the trunk did eat into some of the cargo space, but that is minimal. The practicality of this vehicle was demonstrated in spades.
Alright so what do we have here? Well, it is practical for a sports car. A large trunk and large interior while still going like a bat out of hell. I already know what you are going to say – but Joel it gets crappy gas mileage. To that I say this – it gets no worse then my Jeep and many other SUV’s that Americans love, yet it is a heck of a lot more fun to drive. This Charger SRT8 was fully loaded and had a sticker price of $43,730 and that is a lot of coin. You can get any of the other new muscle cars such as the new Chevrolet Camaro SS or Ford Mustang GT with just as much power, better fuel economy and for a lot less coin. But they do not have four doors. It is all about what you need and or want. I would say this is a great family sedan for the guy that simply wants fast but can not compromise and get a two door. With the Pontiac G8 GXP now dead and gone, this is one of the cheapest four-door sports sedans that houses over 400 hp.
Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by Chrysler
As previously reported the new upcoming 2012 Dodge Durango (or is that Magnum?) is coming very soon. In fact if earlier leaks are correct the new Durango should start production on November 8. That is pending that the production is still on schedule or that the schedule has not shifted. Judging by this picture which is obviously in the factory or near the pre-production line the vehicle is probably on schedule.
The design has not changed much from the earlier leaks which is to say it is strong but dramatically different from the current Durango. The Durango (Magnum?) will be based on the new Grand Cherokee platform though probably a little longer due to third row. The powertrain line up will also mimic the new 2011 Grand Cherokee with the Pentastar V6 and Hemi V8.
