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Hypermiling a Ram 1500 EcoDiesel to 38.1 mpg

You never quite know what Wayne Gerdes has up his sleeve. The man who coined the term hypermiling is always looking for adventurous ways to prove that anyone – even you... yes, you – can eke out more miles per gallon just by changing the way you drive. Saying that is easy. Proving it by going on outlandish cross-country drives is hard. But for Gerdes and his team of fuel economy fiends over at CleanMPG, hard is half the fun. Our latest adventure appeared, at first glance, to be nearly impossible. Which is why we always answer the phone when Gerdes calls. He likes to take journalists along on his drives, not only to try teach us how to hypermile but also to prove that we can be taught. The first time I 'helped' him and his team was when we got over 30 miles per gallon in a 2011 Ford F-150 XLT with the EcoBoost 3.5-liter V6. The EPA rated that truck with at just 16 mpg in the city and 22 on the highway. So, we'll count that trip as a success. Next up was a cross-country drive last fall in a trio of Audi TDI vehicles to prove that you don't need to drive extra slow to beat the EPA numbers. In fact, we made it from Los Angeles to New York City in just over 46 hours, cramped but not cranky. We had once again proven that how you drive is hugely important to your fuel usage. Our latest adventure appeared, at first glance, to be nearly impossible. The EPA says that the Ram 1500 EcoDiesel we would be driving gets just 22 combined mpg (19 city and 27 highway). Gerdes' idea was to drive it as far north from Houston, TX towards Detroit, MI as we could go on one tank. The day before we left, our itinerary got an extra stop. Instead of taking one of the official Shell Eco-marathon prototype vehicles to Detroit, it was decided to bring the winning diesel-powered prototype from the just-finished event to The Henry Ford Museum, where it had been arranged the car would be displayed. The winning car was built by a small team (just four students) from Sullivan High School in Sullivan, IN, who managed to beat a number of college teams with a score of 1,899.32 mpg. That target would be a bit out of reach for the Ram, but could we get 1,000 miles from the tank? Since the truck has a 26 gallon tank (officially, anyway), that would mean the EPA says we could only go 702 miles, assuming all highway driving. Could we make up 300 miles with careful driving? That spells both challenge and fun.

Ram, Jeep redesigns on hold, Alfa Romeo models may come sooner

Last summer, FCA outlined an ambitious five-year plan that sketched out the company's product intentions for each of its brands through the end of 2018. However, even the best strategies sometimes need tweaking. According to Reuters after speaking with unnamed people at auto suppliers, FCA is now possibly delaying at least a dozen projects in North America for a variety of reasons. From vehicle to vehicle, these postponements allegedly last anywhere from just a few months to over a year. The sources from the suppliers claim that in some cases these tweaks are for engineering and design changes. The next-gen Ram 1500 reportedly has among the shorter delays and is being pushed from mid-2017 to November 2017, according to Reuters. Also, the much-discussed future Jeep Wrangler is allegedly moving a little later to July 2017. Among the vehicles purportedly seeing longer delays, the next-gen Grand Cherokee could get pushed back about a year to 2018. That then forces the launch of the three-row, luxury Grand Wagoneer to be even further away. Jeep's upcoming C-segment CUV and the all-new Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger, and Challenger might also see postponements. The one brand allegedly seeing an accelerated plan is Alfa Romeo. Without going into detail, the sources from these suppliers claim that the Italian automaker is getting even more vehicles for its lineup and could get them even faster than planned. "Those plans need to be flexible and fluid, with the potential to add some vehicles, pull some forward and extend the life cycle of others," FCA said to Reuters about all of these allegations. "We look at these programs on a vehicle-by-vehicle basis." Investment in the auto industry has been a major topic for FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne as of late. He believes consolidation is necessary so that companies aren't burning money on the same projects. Related Video: News Source: ReutersImage Credit: Bill Pugliano / Getty Images Plants/Manufacturing Alfa Romeo Chrysler Dodge Fiat Jeep RAM Sergio Marchionne FCA fca us

2019 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody Drivers' Notes | Widebody for everybody

The 2019 and soon to be 2020 Dodge Challenger R/T Scat Pack Widebody is another Challenger dart thrown against the wall by Dodge. It takes the desirable Widebody package we’ve seen on Hellcats and applies it to the naturally aspirated Scat Pack with the 6.4-liter V8. This kit includes stiffer adaptive shocks, stiffer springs, larger stabilizer bars, big Brembo brakes, a 3.09 rear axle ratio, 20-inch forged wheels and massive 305 section-width tires on all four corners. Most important of all, you get the special Widebody fender flares that give the car its signature look. The package is $6,000 on top of a regular Scat Pack. That means the cheapest youÂ’ll step into a Scat Pack Widebody is $46,740. The Widebody that rolled through our offices came in at a much-higher $57,295 after a number of options were tacked on. Many of these, you can skip. The 485 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque that comes standard is the most important aspect of this big coupe. Several packages costing more than $1,000 each add convenience and driver assistance tech, and the Harman/Kardon system is a hefty $1,595. With such a loud engine and exhaust, itÂ’s hardly worthwhile. Our tester also had the $1,595 eight-speed automatic transmission. ThisÂ’ll let you scare unsuspecting bystanders with the remote start system, but opting for a manual is an easy way to save some cash and increase driver involvement. With all the modern technology like adaptive cruise control, auto high-beams, heated and cooled seats, and blind-spot detection, the Challenger tries its best to keep up with the times. ItÂ’s no technological marvel, but itÂ’s neat to see some of these options available for folks who might want them. Still, tech gizmos are not what the Widebody is about. This Challenger keeps the same personality as all of those before it, but adds a dash of handling and hostility to its outward appearance. Here are our varied experiences with it during a week of testing. Editor-in-Chief, Greg Migliore: Yes, you can put a rear-facing convertible car seat in a Dodge Challenger. I did. It actually wasnÂ’t that hard. Remember, the Challenger is genetically a Mercedes sedan and shares underpinnings with the Dodge Charger. The biggest hurdles are ingress and egress, which is to be expected in any coupe. The roofline is low, but really not that bad. I simply lifted my toddler and maneuvered him into the backseat.  I was able to get him secured and fastened, and then I just stepped out of the car.