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Has Dodge stepped in it again with Scat Pack lawsuit?

Lawsuits are an unfortunate part of doing business in just about any industry, so the latest complaint filed by a California-based aftermarket firm against Chrysler would seem to be nothing more than business as usual. But this isn't the first time the two companies have sparred over this particular issue.
According to a report from Automotive News, the dispute revolves around the Scat Pack name that Chrysler first offered on the Charger, Coronet, Dart and Super Bee starting in 1968. Scat Enterprises, a manufacturer of crankshafts and other components for Dodges and other vehicles, sued Chrysler for using its name. A few years later the Scat Pack disappeared from the Dodge catalog.
Fast forward to August 2013 when Chrysler applied to register the Scat Pack name anew. The US Patent and Trademark Office turned down Chrysler's application, but the automaker proceeded anyway, unveiling new Scat Packs for the Challenger, Charger and Dart at last year's SEMA show.

Playing in the snow | 2017 Dodge Challenger GT First Drive

The previous day was miserable. An icy rain fell over Portland, Maine, coating the pavement and making even walking a chore. Driving a muscle car like the Dodge Challenger seems ill-advised. But this is exactly the weather Dodge hoped for, because we're here to test the new all-wheel-drive 2017 Challenger GT. The morning of our test drive dawns sunny and cold. The remnants of a late January nor'easter now past, we nonetheless steel ourselves for a day of unruly roads. Stepping into an inch of slush, we open the huge door, climb inside, and nestle into the heavily bolstered driver's seat. Immediately comfortable, we know the Challenger well. It's an old friend. Late in life, it's finally finding stability. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Heading onto the Maine turnpike, we're struck by the Challenger's poise. All-wheel drive civilizes the coupe's brutish nature. We confidently navigate the first on-ramp – still wet from the storm – and merge onto the highway. A rear-wheel-drive car would come unsettled here, yet this Challenger's 19-inch wheels wrapped in all-season Michelin rubber are not disturbed. At the very least, the specter of tire spin would have made us overcautious. All-wheel drive doesn't morph the Challenger into a Subaru Outback, but it does make the Mopar a realistic year-round option for buyers north of the Mason-Dixon line. Dodge arrived at this conclusion after some introspection. The Challenger and its sibling the Charger sedan are usually cross-shopped with each other, and design is often the deciding factor. With Charger AWD sales remaining strong (in 17 Northern states at least 50 percent of Chargers are sold with the system), not offering an all-wheel Challenger leaves money on the table. Ben Lyon, Challenger brand manager, says the common refrain was, "I would have bought a Challenger, or I would have bought a two-door muscle coupe, if it was available with all-wheel drive." View 50 Photos Naturally, the Dodges share an AWD system, which has an active transfer case and the ability to disengage the front axle, making the Challenger a rear-wheel-drive car in certain conditions to help save fuel. Ambient temperature, wheel slip, Sport mode, passing situations, and the driver's behavior can trigger the all-wheel capability.

Here's how to build the Hellcat-powered Dodge Magnum/Charger widebody wagon of your dreams

Dodge would undoubtedly offer a fire-breathing, Hellcat-powered variant of the Magnum if the model was still in production. It retired in 2008, and it's not coming back anytime soon, so Las Vegas-based tuner Jaye Fab is taking the matter into its own hands. It's developing a conversion kit that transforms an unsuspecting Magnum into a wide-bodied Charger wagon, and it plans to make it available to the public in the near future. If the name Jaye Fab sounds familiar, it's likely because it already made headlines in 2015 when it grafted the front end of a Charger onto a Magnum, gave the wagon a coat of can't-miss-it red paint, and drove it to SEMA. Its latest project takes the concept of a modern-day Dodge wagon a step further with a full body kit that includes wide fender flares and side skirts, among other add-ons. It's a work in progress, but we can already tell it's going to turn more than a few heads when it's finished. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. We don't know which engine the donor Magnum was powered by when it drove into Jaye Fab's shop. What's more interesting is the one it will leave with: a supercharged 6.2-liter Hellcat V8 from a Charger. The eight-cylinder develops 707 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque in its standard configuration, and we wouldn't be surprised if it picks up a few additional horses before Jaye Fab lets it loose on the streets of Las Vegas. The firm has done a stellar job at documenting the build on its Instagram account, and AutoEvolution learned it plans to make the kit available to Magnum owners who want a more modern-looking front end in the not-too-distant future. The mighty Hellcat V8 isn't included, but Mopar sells crate engines in search for tires to roast.