2007 Dodge Ram 1500 Slt Mega Cab Pickup 4-door 5.7l on 2040-cars

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Dodge designer on yellow plastic splitter guards: 'I wish they would take them off'

About a year ago, Dodge began placing yellow strips of plastic on the leading edge of Charger and Challenger front splitters to prevent damage during transport from plant to dealer. Dodge embossed "To Be Removed By Dealer" into the plastic, but those instructions weren't always followed. By summer of 2018, so many owners had left the tabs on, or reinstalled a discarded set, or bought a set on eBay for $100 or more, that factions broke out. Some thought the protectors looked cool, some thought they looked foolish, some thought it didn't matter either way. Now Dodge and SRT lead designer Mark Trostle has stepped in with his thoughts, those being, "I wish they would take them off."  Trostle made the remarks at the end of a video by Canadian auto scribe Brian Makse that otherwise dove into the design and technology on the 2010 Charger Widebody. Part of the designer's remarks related to aesthetic aspects — designers are paid to be precious about every line they draw, after all. "When we did the sketch for the Charger and Challenger," he said, "it never had yellow strips on it," and, "To me, as a designer, it ruins the lines of the car." He had a functional reason as well, though: "You're just ruining the paint!" The paint issue convinced Tyler Grant, the Internet sales manager at a Dodge dealer, to make a Facebook post in April this year requesting owners remove the splitter guards. Grant wrote that because the guards aren't specifically molded to fit perfectly, dirt and moisture get between the plastic and the splitter and mar the clear coat or paint, illustrated by a scuffed example that had been driven just 18 miles with the protectors on. He ended with, "Please, on behalf of your splitter AND its paint, take off the splitter guards." Despite forum chatter, splitter-shaming Facebook photos, and Facebook groups like "Hey Pal, You Forgot to Take Your Splitter Guards Off," it appears too late for the protector color to curb (get it?) the trend. Owners have already dealt with the dirt issue by putting protective tape on the air dam, others have painted the spilitter guards to match the car, and the owner of a vintage Dodge pickup ran yellow tape across the width of his front bumper in an attempt to join the party.  In the Makse video, Trostle said that the automaker would soon be rolling out a "new fashionable purple color" for the protectors. "We'll see if that one takes off," he said. "I hope it doesn't."

Stormtrooper Dodge Charger Episode II: Attack of the Scones

We spent a day with a Dodge Charger that looks like a Stormtrooper helmet and made a few videos. This one features a bewildered Stormtrooper in the Starbucks drive-thru. Read about the car and watch the rest of the videos here. Dodge Videos Original Video star wars dodge charger scat pack the force awakens

'Baby Driver' is a car chase movie set to music

The Fate of the Furious is certainly the 6,000-pound SUV in the garage of automotive movies, but that doesn't mean gearheads are starved for options. The upcoming film Baby Driver looks to be a winner for car guys, featuring exciting chases with cars including a "hawk-eye" Impreza WRX, a Dodge Challenger, and a 1980s Chevy Caprice. The movie is written and directed by Edgar Wright, whom you may know as the man behind movies such as Sean of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, and Scott Pilgrim vs. The World. And based on the two trailers released so far, seen above and below, it's about a young man by the name of Baby, who is a getaway driver for criminals. He's apparently the best in the business, and the secret to his success is the music he listens to while he's driving. He also wants out, but his boss, played by Kevin Spacey, has no intention of letting him go. Spacey is one of a number of major stars in the film, including Jamie Foxx and John Hamm. The driving action shown in the trailers definitely looks entertaining. The WRX is seen doing an array of drifts and J-turns. There is some driving precision on display here that wouldn't be out of place in a Gymkhana video. And it looks like Wright's attention to detail in his shots and transitions, as well as some solid comedy relief, are all going to be present. The film comes out this August. Related Video: News Source: Sony Pictures Entertainment / YouTube via Road & TrackImage Credit: Sony Pictures Entertainment / YouTube TV/Movies Chevrolet Dodge Subaru Videos baby driver