1998 Dodge Ram 2500 Base Standard Cab Pickup 2-door 5.9l on 2040-cars

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FCA inline-six rumored to be real, headed for Jeep Wagoneer

In September, Allpar reported that that clues being dropped at Fiat- Chrysler headquarters, in the carmaker's factories, and on engineer resumes pointed to the development of an inline six-cylinder engine. The site has just proclaimed the rumor is reality, writing that the straight-six, "turbocharged to meet or beat 5.7 Hemi power ratings, with a smoother torque curve, is on the way." The motor's first outing is expected to be either the next-generation Jeep Grand Cherokee, debuting perhaps next year, or the Jeep Wagoneer, debuting in 2020 or 2021. "Tornado" is the purported codename for the power plant said to be just under three liters in displacement, expanding the family begun with the Global Medium Engine 2.0-liter turbo codenamed Hurricane. Engine bay constraints and a long use horizon mean engineers won't simply add two more cylinders to the GME, however. Allpar says the brief is to keep the Tornado GME-T6 — the alphanumeric for "turbocharged six" — no more than three inches longer than the Tigershark 2.4-liter four-cylinder. That means "major design changes" that could include a space-saving head, more closely spaced cylinders, and no cylinder liners. An FCA division called Comau could be called on for its "SmartSpray" plasma lining technology. Allpar muses that the standard version of the engine for Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, and Ram could get a single twin-scroll turbocharger. Performance trims for Alfa Romeo and Maserati could get different heads and maybe twin turbos, an SRT version might also get both those tweaks. History shows that the Italian versions would make changes to the block, as well. Even so, the Tornado would be less expensive than any Ferrari-supplied V6. A straight-six would put FCA in company with current adopters BMW and Mercedes-Benz, future users like Jaguar, and perhaps Aston Martin. The engine would span the widest range of use cases in the U.S. carmaker's portfolio, though. Potential applications include being a base engine for Ram trucks, serving double duty as a base engine and 5.7-liter Hemi replacement for the Dodge Charger and Challenger, working in the high-end Jeeps, and as a properly hot trim — with Ferrari-designed heads — in the luxury Italian sports cars. The Alfa Romeo Giulia begs for just such motivation to fill the gap between the 280-hp, $42,695 Ti Sport RWD and the 505-hp, $73,700 Giulia Quadrifoglio RWD. And a twin-turbo inline-six in a Maserati Alfieri would stack up nicely with the Germans.

Chrysler recalling 278,222 trucks and SUVs over bad rear axles

Chrysler has issued a recall of 278,222 light trucks and sport utility vehicles here in the United States. The reason: bad rear axles. Specifically, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the rear axle pinion nut may lack a necessary adhesive patch, which could cause the nut to loosen. If this happens, the axle can lock up, which could cause all sorts of havoc on the road.
This is an expansion of the rear axle recall announced in October of last year, where 44,300 Ram 1500 and Dodge Dakota models were being called in. At that time, 12 accidents had been reported due to the faulty axle pinion nut.
Affected vehicles include Ram 1500 trucks from the 2009 to 2012 model years, Dodge Dakota models from the 2009 to 2011 model years, and both the Chrysler Aspen and Dodge Durango SUV twins, both from the 2009 model year only.

Dominic Toretto's 'Fast and Furious' Lego Dodge Charger lives its life a quarter mile at a time

Fan of the "Fast and Furious" franchise and Lego kits? You're in luck. The brick-builder announced that it is now taking pre-orders for a new kit dedicated to the 1970 Dodge Charger widebody driven by Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) in the car heist film series.  The release of the latest installment in the "F&F" franchise may have been delayed until next year, but for better or worse, a lot of merchandising that was in the works to cross-promote the new film is still in the pipeline.  The approximately 1,100-piece Technic-line kit can be posed both on four wheels and in a wheelie stance thanks to a flip-down prop stand (which itself looks a bit like a misplaced wheelie bar). The kit includes details such as a trunk-mounted dual-bottle nitrous kit, a detailed roll cage, and other nods to the long-running movie car.  "With 1,077 pieces, this cool building set provides a fun challenge for kids who love toy model cars. Inspired by the original 1970s Dodge Charger R/T, this faithful replica is packed with realistic details," Lego's product page says. The kit features several moving parts, too, including the wheels, suspension, supercharger induction system and steering. It measures more than a foot long (15") and even comes with authentic California replica plates.  Those who want a kit will be able to pre-order it from the Lego website, with shipments starting on April 27. Those who want to roll the dice on retail availability will be able to shop for it in local stores the same day, provided those stores are open, of course.  Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Building The Fate Of The Furious Cars | Autoblog