1971 Dodge Dart Swinger on 2040-cars

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Watch dual-engined Dodge SRT4 do a FWD burnout, a RWD burnout, then AWD launch

There's something fantastically insane about racers who go out on their own and build something unique. Just take this crazy video from last year of a twin-engine Dodge SRT4 at a drag strip that can burn the rubber at either end – or both ends – at a moment's notice. With tires sticking out way past the fenders, a massive cooling system at the front and no back window to speak of, this Dodge is clearly meant solely for speed. Though it's real party trick is being able to spin the front or rear wheels independently. The setup makes for three quite showy burnouts. When it came time to actually get down the track, things got somewhat awkward. Like other twin-engine creations we've seen, the separate powertrains make for some odd sounds and a weird look launching down the strip. Still, there's no doubt that the engineering behind this Frankenstein is very impressive. Scroll down to see this monster in action and another of it in a very mismatched race last year. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

8 things you learn while driving a cop car [w/videos]

Let me start off with the obvious: it is absolutely illegal to impersonate a police officer. And now that that's out of the way, I'd just like to say that driving a cop car is really, really cool. Here's the background to this story: Dodge unveiled its redesigned 2015 Charger Pursuit police cruiser, and kindly allowed Autoblog to test it. That meant fellow senior editor Seyth Miersma and I would spend a week with the cop car, and the goal here was to see just how different the behind-the-wheel experience is, from a civilian's point of view. After all, it's not technically a police car – it isn't affiliated with any city, it doesn't say "police" anywhere on it, and it's been fitted with buzzkill-worthy "NOT IN SERVICE" magnets (easily removed for photos, of course). But that meant nothing. As Seyth and I found out after our week of testing, most people can't tell the difference, and the Charger Pursuit commands all the same reactions as any normal cop car would on the road. Here are a few things we noticed during our time as wannabe cops. 1. You Drive In A Bubble On The Highway Forget for a moment that our cruiser was liveried with Dodge markings instead of those of the highway patrol. Ignore the large "NOT IN SERVICE" signs adhered around the car. Something in the lizard brain of just about every licensed driver tells them to hold back when they see any hint of a cop car, or just the silhouette of a light bar on a marked sedan. Hence, when driving on the highway, and especially when one already has some distance from cars forward and aft, a sort of bubble of fear starts to open up around you. Cars just ahead seem very reluctant to pass one another or change lanes much, while those behind wait to move up on you until there's a full herd movement to do so. The effect isn't perfect – which is probably ascribable to the aforementioned giveaways that I'm not really a cop – but it did occur on several occasions during commutes from the office. 2. You Drive In A Pack In The City My commute home from the Autoblog office normally takes anywhere from 25 to 30 minutes, and it's a straight shot down Woodward Avenue from Detroit's north suburbs into the city, where I live. Traffic usually moves at a steady pace, the Michigan-spec "five-over" speed.

SpeedKore carbon-fiber 1970 Dodge Charger packs a 996-hp Demon engine

SpeedKore Performance does some pretty neat things with carbon fiber. SEMA is always the place to show off new and interesting builds, and SpeedKore has a few new offerings on display. We talked about the lightweight carbon fiber 2018 Dodge Demon late last week, but now that SEMA 2018 is in full swing, we've got a look at something even cooler, an all-carbon, Demon-powered 1970 Dodge Charger "Evolution." SpeedKore Performance is based in Wisconsin and has been churning out SEMA showstoppers for years. In addition to the Demon, take a look at this Shelby GT350R the shop modified a few years back. The Charger Evolution is named so because it further modifies the SpeedKore Charger "Tantrum" that was used in the " Fast and Furious" films. That car used a carbon composite body and was fitted with a 9.0-liter Mercury Racing twin-turbo engine making an absurd 1,650 horsepower. The Evolution might be down on power — only 996 horses thanks to a modified Demon crate engine — but the goal was to create something a little more usable than the Tantrum. Upgrades include a smaller supercharger pulley, larger fuel injectors, a custom cold-air intake, stainless steel headers and a custom exhaust with SLP mufflers. There's also a Dailey Engineering dry sump, upgraded oil cooler, and Saldana radiator. It's also lighter, thanks to even more carbon fiber. SpeedKore had a goal to get the '70 Charger to about 3,200 pounds. To get there, the Evolution employs carbon-fiber bodywork, an aluminum floor, a steel roll cage and a new 2x3-inch steel box frame. SpeedKore's autoclave is large enough to bake a one-piece roof, hood and quarter panels. The bare bodywork has been finished with a clear coat to help prevent fading. The Evolution uses billet aluminum for the door handles, fuel cap and grille, all finished in a bronze-nickel coating to pair with the HRE wheels. In addition to the floor, aluminum was used for the firewall, transmission tunnel and radiator shroud. To slow the Charger down, it uses Brembo brakes with six-piston calipers up front and four-piston calipers in the rear. The suspension uses Penske adjustable coilovers while Michelin Pilot Sport 2 tires wrap 19x10-inch front wheels and 20x12-inch rear wheels. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.