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Chrysler recalls AWD 300, Charger, Ram 1500 over ZF transmission

What do the Chrysler 300, Dodge Charger and Ram 1500 all have in common? Yes, they're all Chrysler products, and two of them are based on the same platform. And we're sure you could find more similarities between them all, but the common trait we're looking at here is that, while they all come standard in rear-drive form, they're also available with all-wheel drive. And it's the transmission in those models that's the subject of the latest recall notice issued by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
The output shaft on the eight-speed automatic transmission supplied by ZF to Chrysler for the AWD versions of the 300, Charger and Ram 1500 is apparently prone to fracture. That in the end could leave the vehicle without power and could, according to the NHTSA investigation, increase the chance of a crash. The vehicle could also roll away if even if left in Park without the handbrake applied.
That's why Chrysler is calling in 4,194 examples of those three models from the 2013 model year. Dealers will be responsible for inspecting the transmissions and, where necessary, replace the entire unit. See the full recall notice below for all the details.

2019 Dodge Challenger Hellcat with twin-scoop hood spied with no camouflage

Dodge recently teased an updated 2019 Challenger SRT Hellcat sports coupe complete with an all-new hood with dual scoops. It didn't reveal anything else about the vehicle, saying more details were coming. And now we have more details, but not in the way Dodge probably wanted. We can now see the updated Hellcat with the new hood. To be perfectly honest, it's pretty much what we expected. The teaser photos indicated that the hood was the only major body change, and this car confirms it. The rest of the body is identical to a normal Hellcat. The bumpers, grille mesh, even the wheels are all standard Hellcat parts. Even the slotted rotors and Brembo calipers look the same. This car does suggest that the hood will be available on both the narrow-body Hellcat and the Hellcat Widebody, the latter of which was featured in the teaser images. There is actually one other minor difference on this 2019 Hellcat's exterior, and that's the grille badging. There's now a vintage-style badge with "Challenger" written in script off to one side. Currently only one grille and badge design is available on Hellcat, and it features just the SRT Hellcat logo. It appears the SRT badge is still present, but blocked off on this prototype. So it's possible this new badge comes with the new hood as a sort of retro package for Hellcat. We should have all the details on this and other 2019 Challengers when the car is officially revealed later this summer. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2019 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Spy Shots View 11 Photos Image Credit: KGP Photography Spy Photos Dodge Coupe Performance dodge challenger srt hellcat

Dodge Hellcat Widebody delivers Christmas tree at 174 mph

The holidays are here, and so last-minute shoppers are going to be in a serious rush to get all the items they need, especially Christmas shoppers that haven't even put up a tree yet. Those seriously late folks may want to invest in a Challenger Hellcat because apparently they can go an incredible 174 mph with a Christmas tree strapped to the roof. This was discovered by the folks at Hennessey. They got a Hellcat Widebody from Dodge for the little experiment, along with a suction cup mount roof rack from SeaSucker and a real Christmas tree from Lowe's. Then it was off to the Continental Tire test track in Texas to see how fast it could go, which, as mentioned was 174 mph. As you'll see in the video, it takes quite a bit of road to move up from 170 to 174 mph. It's impressive that the tree and roof rack don't seem to budge. And it's all capped off with a huge smokey burnout to the sound of V8 rumble and supercharger whine. It's a fun way to get into the holiday spirit. And we'll look forward to next year when maybe Dodge will give Hennessey a Demon to try out. Related Video: