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Speedkore AWD twin-turbo Carbon Charger, best birthday gift ever

The backstory the Speedkore Performance AWD twin-turbo Carbon Charger teased a couple of weeks ago might be cooler than the car itself. Alan Palermo commissioned the carbon-fiber-bodied Dodge Demon Speedkore brought to SEMA last year, the one that supplanted the 6.2-liter Hellcat V8's supercharger with twin 6875 Precision Billet T4 turbos. That blasted the Demon's usual 840 horsepower up to 1,400 hp at the flywheel, 1,203 hp at the rear tires, good for an 8.77-second quarter-mile time at 162 miles per hour. Palermo's older brother remarked, "He liked the car but was more of a four-door guy," so Alan commissioned the AWD Carbon Charger as a 65th birthday gift for his sibling. Speedkore worked with Magnaflow on the sedan, starting with a 2019 Charger Pursuit as a base. The Wisconsin tuner secured a 2020 widebody Charger from Dodge, then 3D-scanned the bodywork to create the molds reproducing most of the sheetmetal in pre-preg carbon fiber. The hood, bumpers, fenders, rockers, rear spoiler, and rear diffuser are all fashioned from the lightweight stuff.  Beyond those Precision turbos laid in by Gearhead Fabrications, Speedkore installed a custom upper plenum, Boost Leash C02 progressive boost controller, custom Thitek heads, a Fore Innovations triple-pump fuel system feeding Injector Dynamics 1,700-cc injectors, and custom HP Tuners engine software calibration. Test results showed 1,525 hp at the crank when running 26 pounds of boost.  Hellraiser Performance engineered a new transmission working an FTI torque converter at one end and a carbon fiber driveshaft at the other. Instead of fortifying an off-the-shelf AWD system, Traction Products supplied a custom transfer case machined from billet shunting power to a set of Bogart Competition Series wheels wearing Mickey Thompson ET street rubber.  Speedkore fitted last year's Demon with a front-exit twin exhaust, with a single opening on each front fender, and left the rear bumper cutouts for the traditional exhaust empty. With the Carbon Charger sedan more of a family guy, Magnaflow sorted out a quad-pipe front-exit exhaust with two openings on each front fender, and ran a three-inch stainless steel Competition Series exhaust to the rear. The driver can switch between the two, the latter version providing a "moderate interior sound."  The folks at Speedkore say they'll keep tweaking the Carbon Charger after the show to get it right for the senior Palermo. We say, "Happy birthday, sir. Enjoy."

2019 Dodge Durango GT Blacktop | Blacked-out family hauler

We recently spent a day at FCA's Chelsea Proving Grounds here in Michigan, and after we had had a little too much fun driving the new 2019 Dodge Durango Pursuit, we took a ride in the updated Durango GT. New for 2019, the GT gets a new front fascia borrowed from its R/T and SRT brethren. It also gets standard LED fog lamps. The optional performance hood is inspired by the SRT model, with a single air duct and two heat extractors. In the rear. In addition to its updated styling, this tester was equipped with the Blacktop package, which gives the sporty new flair a menacing edge. It had glossy black wheels (20-inchers) and mirrors, and blacked-out badges on the exterior. At the rear, it had dual exhaust with bright tips. Inside, out tester featured carbon fiber accents, paddle shifters and a trailer brake control. The Dodge Durango GT is still powered by the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, producing 295 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. It's available in rear- and all-wheel-drive configurations, and can tow up to 6,200 pounds. It shifts gears via an eight-speed automatic transmission. RWD models get 19 mpg city, 26 highway, and AWD models suffer one mpg across the board. Our brief drive reconfirmed what we already knew about the Durango. It's a fun SUV that feels macho yet comfortable. For a vehicle that size, it really is fun to drive, and Dodge did a great job of making it feel like a lifted Charger. It's got plenty of room for the whole family, but you won't have to check your soul at the door. Have a gander at the video above, and be on the lookout for more videos coming from our day at FCA's proving grounds.Related Video:

Chrysler Recalling Nearly 907,000 Cars, SUVs

Nearly 907,000 Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep SUVs and cars are being recalled for alternators that can fail and heated power mirror wiring that can short and cause minor fires. The recalls, posted Thursday by U.S. safety regulators, push the total number of recalls so far this year 544, totaling a record of more than 52 million vehicles. The largest of Thursday's recalls covers nearly 470,000 Jeep Grand Cherokees, Chrysler 300s, and Dodge Chargers, Challengers and Durangos from the 2011 through 2014 model years. The alternators can fail, causing the 3.6-liter V6 engines to stall unexpectedly. The problem also can cause the electrical system to fail, as well as knock out power-assisted steering, antilock brakes and electronic stability control. It can even cause fire or smoke, according to documents Chrysler filed with the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. NHTSA opened an investigation into the problem in July, and Chrysler began its own probe in August. The company analyzed warranty complaints and alternators that had failed. The alternator generates electricity to recharge the battery and run other devices. Chrysler investigators traced the problem to heat fatigue in an alternator diode. Chrysler said it received 322 complaints about the problem, while 55 people complained to NHTSA. The company said it knows of one crash related to the problem, but no injuries or fires. The company will replace the alternators with upgraded versions for free. Owners will be notified in November. The company says customers who see warning lights or suspect a problem should contact their dealers. The recall affects cars and SUVs sold mainly in the U.S. and Canada, but some were sold in Mexico and overseas markets. The second recall covers almost 437,000 Jeep Wranglers from 2011 through 2013. Water can find its way into the heated power mirror wiring harness and cause corrosion. That can cause a short and could cause a minor fire and smoke, as well as cause loss of function of the mirror. The problem was discovered in February after three Wranglers in Canada were damaged. Chrysler says it has 26 complaints about the problem, but it knows of no fires, crashes or injuries. Dealers will move the wiring and install a protective shield to keep water out at no cost to owners, starting in December. Most of the Wranglers are in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, but more than 78,000 were sold overseas.