2006 - Dodge Ram 3500 on 2040-cars

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2013 Dart GT will hold us over until SRT stokes Dodge's handsome compact

No, this isn't quite the Dart SRT4 we've been waiting for - and still believe is coming - but as part of its 2013 Detroit Auto Show lineup, Dodge will be showing off the slightly sportier Dart GT seen here.
Building on the already well-equipped Limited model, the GT adds performance enhancements including a more powerful engine, 18-inch aluminum wheels, sport suspension calibration, unique front fascia and dual exhaust. Inside, you'll find perforated Nappa leather seats, a heated steering wheel and front seats, dual-zone climate control, remote start (if you spec the automatic transmission), Chrysler's 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen, a seven-inch TFT display in the gauge cluster, and a whole lot more. Optional goodies include hyper black aluminum wheels, a technology group (pushbutton start, keyless go, rain-sensing wipers, blind spot monitoring and smart-beam headlamps), power sunroof, Sirius radio, Garmin navigation, Alpine premium sound and high-intensity discharge headlamps.
Powering the Dart GT is Chrysler's 2.4-liter MultiAir2 four-cylinder engine producing 184 horsepower and 174 pound-feet of torque. That grunt is sent to the front wheels via a standard six-speed manual transmission, but a six-speed automatic 'box is optional.

Defiance Dodge Charger, saving Earth from aliens isn't clean work [w/video]

You'll be forgiven for not having heard about the TV show Defiance - it actually hasn't aired its first episode yet. The new science fiction show about an alien war against Earth in the near future seems like a perfect fit for the SyFy channel, and, apparently one that Dodge saw as a slick marketing opportunity for its Charger sedan.
Here in Chicago, Dodge has given a large corner of its show stand to the Defiance Charger, a car that won't be skipped by any Mad Max fans in attendance at this year's show. The Charger boasts one hell of a gnarly patina under a confusingly welded cage of tube steel, as well as window bars, a grille guard in front, and big, knobby truck tires. There aren't any obvious guns or turrets on the outside of the vehicle, so we can only hope that the characters driving it go well-armed.
Look for the Charger to make its star turn in Defiance when the series premieres on SyFy on April 15 at 9:00 PM EST. Also, there's said to be a Defiance video game in the works, too, so you may get a chance to steer the burly Dodge for yourself. Find a trailer for the show, below, as well.

Thieves still love older Hondas and pickups most, says NICB [w/video]

No one wants to have their car stolen, but a new study by the National Insurance Crime Bureau has some bad news for older Honda owners and pickup drivers. Fortunately, it has better news for drivers overall. The group is reporting that according to preliminary data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, thefts were down 3.2 percent in 2013 (versus 2012) to fewer than 700,000 cars. That's the lowest figure since 1967. That's also less than half of the peak of over 1.66 million thefts in 1991. "The drop in thefts is good news for all of us," says NICB President and CEO Joe Wehrle. "But it still amounts to a vehicle being stolen every 45 seconds and losses of over $4 billion a year."
Honda drivers might not find it such good news with older Accord and Civic models topping this year's theft study. Toyota and Dodge can't really celebrate, either, with two models each on the list, as well. Overall, this year's list was split evenly between foreign and domestic models, which were mostly pickups.
The 10 most likely vehicles to be stolen in 2013 were: