2005 Ram 3500 Diesel 4x4 Dually Slt Big Horn Quad Cab on 2040-cars

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Dodge Viper plant will close for good Aug. 31

It has been a long time coming, an end rumored since at least 2015, but after 25 years, the Dodge Viper's demise is nigh. Production of the $90,000 bespoke sports car is ending. Therefore, FCA will be shutting down its Conner Assembly Plant on Aug. 31. Automotive News reports that the Detroit plant will be shutting down. The car has been hand-built there since 1995, save for a hiatus in 2010-13 (production began at FCA's Mack Plant in 1992). The Prowler was built there, too, from 1997 to 2002. More than 80 workers currently build the Viper, making Conner FCA's smallest assembly facility. But not many Vipers are sold - 630 last year - despite an enthusiastic following. And of course FCA's own 707-horsepower Dodge Challenger and Charger SRT Hellcats and new 840-horsepower Challenger SRT Demon can't help matters. But the last straw is the fact the Viper can't comply with new safety requirements going into effect. On the bright side, the UAW has seen the plant closure coming since 2015, and FCA has told the state of Michigan that it expects to find positions at other plants for the Viper crew. FCA has been celebrating the Viper valedictory for a couple of years now, offering serialized special editions, including the $121,000 Viper ACR, and touting the ability to build unique Vipers with its "1 of 1" customization program, with a choice of 16,000 unique paint colors and 48,000 unique stripe combinations. Related Video:

Dodge Demon makes so much torque, it needs stronger driveline parts

Torque is a lovely thing, a sweet and wonderful force that twists and pulls and can help propel a two-ton metal box forward at comical speeds. Torque is also fickle and will bend and break those same metal parts without a second thought, which is why the new Dodge Demon is compensating for its increased torque with some new re-engineered and reinforced parts. And there's software intended to combat wheel hop, which one of the most dramatic ways torque can break stuff. Week 8's video, "Race-hardened Parts," gives a hint towards what all these new parts can do. While we still don't know how much torque the Demon will throw out, we do know it's enough to warrant an upgraded prop shaft, half shafts, and a differential housing. The Challenger Hellcat, which is the basis for the Demon, makes 650 pound-feet of torque already. The new parts will go a long way toward making sure the work from the Demon's engine is properly translated into motion by those Nitto drag radials. The new prop shaft uses high-strength steel, heat-treated stub-shafts, and increases the tube thickness by 20 percent for a 15 percent increase in torque capacity. Additionally, Dodge says the upgraded differential housing allows for a 30 percent increase in torque capacity by using heat-treated A383 aluminum alloy and a higher strength shot-peened gear set. The 41-spline half shafts that deliver 20 percent increased torque capacity through the use of high-strength low alloy steel and 8-ball joints. In addition to the hardware, the Launch Assist software has been tuned to help alleviate wheel hop. Dodge says the Demon is the first factory production car that uses wheel speed sensors to detect hop and momentarily cut torque to compensate. This means a driver can keep their foot planted on the floor while the computer sorts out the traction. Previously, the best solution was to back off the throttle to manually cut the load. Finally, the Dodge Demon will offer a four-point harness mounting bar as an optional accessory. The part will be supplied by Speedlogix and fits in place of the deleted rear seat. Customers can install the bar without having to hack apart their cars to find a proper mounting point. Look for more teasers and info on ifyouknowyouknow.com in the lead-up to the Demon's debut at the 2017 New York Auto Show. Related Video: Image Credit: FCA Dodge Performance dodge demon dodge hellcat

Dodge Charger Hellcat hitting 60 in 2.9 seconds on drag radials?

The Dodge boys and their cousins from SRT have shoehorned the same 707-horsepower, 6.2-liter supercharged V8 into both the Dodge Challenger and Charger. The former being a two-door, it's lighter than the latter four-door sedan. So it would stand to reason that the Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat would be the quicker of the two, right?
Only that's not necessarily proving to be the case. On stock rubber, yes, the coupe beats the sedan: Dodge quotes a 0-60 time of 3.7 seconds for the Charger SRT Hellcat and 3.5 for the Challenger. Same gap across the quarter-mile: 11 seconds flat for the Charger versus 10.8 seconds for the Challenger. But according to recent reports, the story changes when you put both on drag radials.
While visiting Chrysler HQ in Auburn Hills, MI, TorqueNews.com caught wind of performance figures for the Charger Hellcat on drag tires: 0-60 in a mind-blowing 2.9 seconds and a quarter-mile in just 10.7. The latter figure just barely pips the Hellcat-powered Challenger's NHRA-certified figure of 10.8, making the Charger not only the fastest sedan on the market, but also the fastest muscle car. What isn't immediately clear, however, is whether the drag radials in question have any tread on them and are street-legal, or if they're pure slicks confined to a closed strip.