2014 Dodge Challenger R/t on 2040-cars

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2014 Dodge Durango

Say what you want about the Dodge Durango, but ever since it came on the scene in 1998, it has occupied its own niche in the SUV market - not too small, not too big, tough, able, not always the best on the road and not always the best off-road. If it were a football player, it would be a tight-end that can block and catch. If it were a hamburger - a double burger with cheese and bacon, but not the Whopper.
As part of a mid-cycle upgrade for what was already a very capable SUV that Chrysler introduced in 2011, and built on the same platform as the Mercedes GL-Class and Jeep Grand Cherokee, the 2014 Durango has gotten some refinements worth noting that have cleaned up its tailoring and toned up its body and powerplant. The result is an SUV that shows itself to be a very good value in a category full of sticker prices that can run away faster than a kid who's been told he has to take ballroom dancing lessons.
Chrysler executives showing us the new Durango made a special point to reiterate that the Dodge brand is not going away, as has been rumored after the company took the Ram and Viper - the cream of the brand - out from under the Dodge umbrella. Turns out Dodge has been the brand attracting the most young people (who knew?) and has a younger average age buyer than Honda. The Dodge brand historically has also attracted buyers who aren't exactly Phi-Beta Cappa, which some companies worry about. Chrysler not so much. Dodge buyers tend to be more the working, high-school-educated, community-college-educated backbone of the work force in America. If they keep coming to Dodge, the Durango is a pretty good piece of hardware to save up for.

1972 Dodge Challenger on an M1009 CUCV military frame is YES

The subject of this post is cause for celebration, not reason to ask "But why?" We don't know why this random Craigslist seller chose to marry the body of a 1972 Dodge Challenger with the frame and axles from a 1987 Chevrolet M1009 military vehicle. We're here to appreciate it, thanks to The Drive, and maybe spend some time after dinner considering whether to buy it. Now that we're on the same page, an owner in Tucson wants to rid his garage — or his Bullet Farm — of what appears to be an exceptionally well built conversion. Starting from the bottom, the M1009 CUCV, for Commercial Utility Cargo Vehicle or "Cuckvee," emerged from a program turning K5 Blazers into supply rigs that were meant to support hardcore hardware like the AM General Humvee. The M1009 got GM's 6.2-liter Detroit Diesel V8, a TH400 transmission, an NP-208 chain-driven transfer case, a 10-bolt rear axle and 3.08 gears. Produced from 1983 to 1987, they returned "less than desirable" results in the field and the military unloaded them. Not much of that remains for this build. The diesel got dropped, replaced by a 5.7-liter GM gasser with a four-barrel carb and long-tube headers, shifting though a 4L80E automatic transmission attached to a U.S. Shift Quick 1 transmission controller in the cabin. The seller doesn't mention output, but if it's a more recent Chevy 350 then it'll certainly provide a healthy bump over the maximum 160 horsepower from the diesel, especially running through a custom Flowmaster dual exhaust. An NP-205 two-speed transfer case switches between 2H, 4L, and 4H. The Dana 44 front and Dana 60 rear axles feature lockers and 3.52 gearing in back. Skyjacker Black Max provides the suspension to keep the 37-inch BFG KM2 on the pavement or the dirt. About 11,000 miles ago the owner rebuilt and upgraded the drivetrain, installing new accessories like a high-rise intake, four-core radiator, new alternator and Holley fuel pump. Losing the K5 body for an E-body Challenger cap means losing M1009 features like the rifle rack and gas can mounts. But you gain style, something real hard to find on a vehicle stout enough to back you up when you tell the crew, "I've been to hell and I'm going back." As part of that rebuild a few miles back, the minimalist interior got all new panels, dash and custom gauges, headliner, seats, and a Sony audio system with Alpine amps, a sub, and Kenwood speakers.

FCA and Cummins named in diesel emissions class-action lawsuit

Chrysler is now the first United States-based carmaker to be sued for allegedly skewing emissions results. In a move that sounds eerily similar to the troubles of European manufacturers, Chrysler is claimed to have hid diesel engine characteristics causing emissions as much as 14 times higher than permitted by regulations. According to Bloomberg, the lawsuit alleges that Chrysler, together with its diesel engine partner Cummins, has concealed the nitrogen oxide output of certain Ram vehicles produced between 2007 and 2012. The NOx pollutants were meant to be broken down in a process called regeneration in the truck's NAC system, or NOx Absorption Catalyst, which predated the 2013-introduced SCR, or Selective Catalytic Reduction system. By design, the NAC captures and stores NOx emissions, converting them to nitrogen and oxygen through a catalytic process. The lawsuit claims the Cummins engine's system has a limited capacity to store the emissions, and as a result the pollutants escape, increasing emissions, worsening fuel consumption and wearing down the catalytic converter. The later, cleaner SCR system uses a urea-water injection, and it gradually replaced the NAC on Cummins 6.7-liter engines, as it was first implemented in 2011 and made standard in 2013. As Bloomberg notes, the model years of Ram trucks involved in the lawsuit predate the earliest Volkswagen "Dieselgate" models by two years. The lawsuit, filed on behalf of 500,000 truck owners, accuses Chrysler and Cummins of fraud, false advertising and racketeering. As an underlying motive, the filing mentions a 2001 change in EPA emissions standards. Announced to become effective in 2010, the EPA requirements drove Chrysler and Cummins to try and reach those already by 2007. However, the NAC system is said to have fallen short of these goals, and the filing claims that Chrysler and Cummins chose to "rig" the engines instead. The affected vehicles predate the 2014 merger of Chrysler and Fiat. FCA US has released a statement regarding the lawsuit, saying it will contest the lawsuit "vigorously". News Source: BloombergImage Credit: Getty Editorial Government/Legal Green Chrysler Dodge RAM Emissions Diesel Vehicles FCA cummins diesel