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Rare Dodge Shelby Dakota is a very '80s sport truck

The late-great Carroll Shelby built an incredibly successful career of making all sorts of cars faster, more often than not, with a bigger or more potent engine under the hood. The icons are well known—legends like the Shelby Cobra, GT350 Mustang, and the big GT500. But by the 1980s, Shelby was plying his trade over at Chrysler, at the behest of chairman Lee Iacocca, churning out special editions like the Dodge Shelby Charger, zippy CSX, rorty GLHS, and this—the 1989 Shelby Dakota muscle truck. 1,500 of these racy pickups were built for just one year and a whole two-and-a-half decades later they still turn heads. This one especially. The spotless pickup recently turned up for sale online , and its odometer reads a claimed 25,307 miles. So what makes these rarified work trucks special? As with most Shelbys, it starts under the hood. Up until 1989, the standard Dodge Dakota pickups were offered in only four-cylinder and V6 variants. But Dodge (and Shelby) wanted more, so the larger 5.2-liter Magnum V8 from Dodge's full-size pickup was shoehorned into the midsize Dakota, albeit not effortlessly. To fit, Dodge had to swap the V8's belt-driven fan for an electric unit mounted in front of the radiator. That did the trick, as well as earned the V8 a few extra ponies, pushing the special Dakota up to 175 horsepower and 270 lb.-ft. of torque. That performance may sound paltry by today's standards, but in 1989 it was seen as quite sporty, and netted a zero to 60 mph dash in 8.5 seconds. A four-speed automatic with lockup torque converter transmitted that power to the rear wheels. Additional Shelby performance goodies included a limited-slip differential, transmission cooler, along with a host of eye-catching body mods, including a unique air dam and bumpers, Shelby floor mats, monogramed seats and door panels, a "CS" steering wheel, 15-spoke hollow alloy wheels, and shouty body graphics. While the Shelby Dakota didn't return for 1990, its V8 legacy did continue, and in 1991 the 5.2-liter eight-cylinder became an option on new Dakotas. Of the 1,500 Shelby Dakota pickups built, 860 were dressed in red while a rarer 640 came adorned in Bright White. This '89 is said to be #245 of those white trucks, sold new to its original (and sole) owner in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, for $15,985 (the Shelby package cost $3,933 in its day). Currently, it's demanding bids north of $10,000 for its low-mileage originality. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party.

Mopar Hellephant is sold out, but here are 4 other awesome crate V8s to try

Despite a relatively enormous $30,000 price tag, Mopar's 1,000-horsepower supercharged Hellephant crate engine sold out in just 48 hours. Some enthusiasts may have missed out on the crazy engine due to lack of funds, or they just assumed there would still be some Hellephants down the line. But worry not, swap-happy gearheads. There are plenty of V8s in the world to pick from, and we highlighted four favorites. They're not as powerful, but they're all cheaper, and still have a lot to offer. Mopar 6.2L Hellcrate Odds are a lot of prospective Hellephant buyers were Mopar fans to begin with, so we'll start the list with the next-most-potent offering: the Hellcrate. This is the same supercharged 6.2-liter V8 found under the hood of the Dodge Charger and Challenger Hellcats and the Grand Cherokee Trackhawk. It makes 707 horsepower and 650 pound-feet of torque like those cars, too. It's also about $10,000 cheaper than the Hellephant engine at $20,020, and that leftover money can be used to finish the project or for aftermarket upgrades to get it closer to the Hellephant's output. GM LS9 6.2L The Hellcrate isn't the only factory supercharged crate engine on the market. From General Motors comes the supercharged 6.2-liter LS9 V8. This is the engine that was used in the C6 Corvette ZR1. At 638 horsepower and 604 pound-feet of torque, it doesn't make as much power or torque as the Hellcrate. But it does boast a dry sump oil system. So instead of pumping oil out of a pan at the bottom, the engine uses an oil tank mounted remotely that pumps oil into the engine. This means the engine is shorter overall, and can be mounted lower for a better center of gravity. It also means that there's almost no risk of running the engine dry in hard cornering, as could happen with a normal oil sump where the oil can slosh to the side without the oil pump. Basically, it offers some major benefits if you want supercharged V8 power for a road course car. It's also a tad cheaper than the Hellcrate at $18,149. But get one while you can, because GM is only selling what's left from when it was building the C6 ZR1. Ford Aluminator 5.2XS Our pick from the Blue Oval lacks a supercharger, but it's still pretty sweet.

'CSR Racing 2' mobile game adding 'Fast & Furious' pack

Popular mobile drag-racing game CSR Racing 2 (CSR2) is constantly adding new cars, new events, and new features to keep the game fresh. In March, CSR2 released the stunning McLaren Speedtail into the game, and for April, a "Fast & Furious"-themed pack is on the way. CSR2 recently celebrated 100 seasons of racing (the game runs on its own calendar) and announced a new update is on the way. Many new vehicles are coming, including a McLaren F1 LM, a Mercedes-Benz 300 SL Coupe, a Bugatti EB110 Super Sport, a Honda NSX-R, a C3 Chevrolet Corvette ZR1, a Lamborghini Countach LP5000 Quattrovalvole, a Porsche Carrera GT and a Shelby Cobra 427 S/C.  Through various events, players will also be able to unlock more cars such as the Aston Martin Valhalla Concept, the Ferrari Monza SP1 and SP2, a TVR Griffith, a Toyota GR Supra, a Bugatti Chiron Pur Sport, a BMW M8 Competition Coupe, and for the first time in a video game, the Mini John Cooper Works GP. But possibly the most hyped vehicles included in the new update are not cars that come straight from the production line. Update 2.11 will add character cars from the "Fast & Furious" franchise.  As part of a series of special events within the game, CSR2 customers will be able to race with numerous F&F cars such as the 1970 Dodge Charger Daytona, the 2001 Veilside Honda S2000, and Jesse's iconic 1995 Volkswagen Jetta. There are no details about the specifics of the events, but the first will launch in mid-April and the rest will slowly drip the rest of the year. The new cars come after CSR2 released the "Fast & Furious" Toyota Supra, Veilside Mazda RX-7, and Mitsubishi Eclipse back in 2019.  For more information about CSR2 and the upcoming update, visit CSR2's Tumblr. 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. Featured Gallery CSR Racing 2 Fast and Furious Pack Auto News Toys/Games TV/Movies Dodge Honda Volkswagen Fast & Furious Honda S2000