2007 Dodge Ram 3500 Diesel 4x4 Dually Regular Cab Flat Dump Bed on 2040-cars

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The Dodge Demon's massive drag tires are just barely street legal

Despite the gaffe that was the Vin Dieselgate leak (no, not that one), Dodge and SRT are soldiering on with the twelve-part Dodge Demon rollout in the lead up to the car's reveal at the New York Auto Show. The Vin Diesel video showed what is almost assuredly the car's front, but now we get an official view of the Demon's rear in this week's video, "Wide Body." Along with the new view, Dodge shows off a cryptic license plate (Michigan #2576@35) and details on the Demon's tantalizing wheel and tire combo. That wheel and tire combo, meant to fill out the Demon's new wide wheel arches, is frankly impressive. Lightweight 18- by 11-inch wheels are wrapped in special Demon branded Nitto NT05R tires measuring an astounding 315/40R18 at all four corners. Not only does that trump the old Camaro Z/28's 305 section tires, it makes the Demon the first production car to come equipped from the factory with drag radials, claims Dodge. Presumably, the goal with the Demon is to provide enough power and grip to rotate the Earth underneath the car rather than propelling the car itself down a dragstrip. Beyond that, few other details were revealed. Dodge provided some vague information about how the "wide-body is laser clearanced, and the entire chassis is e-coated for durability before final assembly," but doesn't actually explain what that really means. We do know now that the flared fenders add 3.5 inches to the Demon's overall width. Overall, the car looks mean and purposeful, especially wrapped in just barely street-legal rubber. Follow along at www.ifyouknowyouknow.com and see if you can find and decipher all the hints. Related Video: Design/Style New York Auto Show Dodge Coupe Performance tires dodge demon dodge hellcat

Fiat Chrysler faces $79 million U.S. penalty for fuel economy shortfall

WASHINGTON — Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV on Wednesday said it faces a $79 million U.S. civil penalty for failing to meet 2017 fuel economy requirements, as regulators reported more automakers were falling short of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions standards. The Italian-American automaker said the payment is not expected to have a material impact on its business. Of 18 major carmakers in the United States, 13 including Fiat Chrysler failed to comply with fuel economy and greenhouse gas emissions standards for the 2017 model year without using credits, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). The agency said its review of model year 2017 vehicles showed "automakers falling further behind current standards." The 2017 model fleet fell 1 1/2 miles per gallon short of the 33.8 mpg standard based on yearly performance without including credits, NHTSA reported. The shortfall was a half-mile per gallon for the 2016 model year. NHTSA said more automakers were failing to comply with standards for the 2018 and 2019 model years, "and the potential penalties on automakers, which are passed along to consumers, are expected to continue to increase." The Trump administration has used the widening gap between the emissions of automakers' U.S. fleets, which are skewing toward larger vehicles, and national vehicle CO2 emissions standards to bolster its case for freezing vehicle emissions and mileage standards at current levels through 2026. Environmental groups and regulators in California and other states are fighting against any rollback in standards, saying tough rules are needed to address climate change and reduce consumer outlays for fuel. NHTSA and the Environmental Protection Agency are working to finalize as early as next month a rewrite of the Obama administrationÂ’s fuel efficiency requirements, which call for sharp reductions in fleet-wide emissions by 2026. Fiat Chrysler is paying fines for the shortfall in its domestic passenger car fleet, which includes several front-wheel-drive Jeep and rear-drive Dodge SUVs and some sedans and muscle cars. The automaker killed its slow-selling domestic small and midsize sedans. After paying $77.3 million last year for a 2016 model year fuel-economy shortfall, a Fiat Chrysler spokesman confirmed Wednesday the company had received a letter on the 2017 penalty and has 60 days to pay the fine.

Dodge Challenger Shakedown: '71 body, new guts

While Jeep has created a number of vintage-bodied custom vehicles with modern components, this year's SEMA show plays host to Dodge's take on the idea. The Shakedown concept began life as a 1971 Challenger and ditched almost everything in it, including the engine and chassis. What's left is a modern car with a retro look. The chassis was a particularly complicated part of the job, since the Challenger was originally a unibody car. However, Dodge chose to separate the Challenger's iconic body from its structural parts, and moved it onto a custom, one-off chassis from which the body can be removed as needed. The chassis also carries lowered suspension, Challenger Hellcat brakes, and a 6.4-liter 392 Hemi V8 connected to a six-speed manual transmission from the Viper. Dodge also installed the engine using the new Hemi engine swap kit from Mopar. With the shaker cold-air intake and custom exhaust, the Shakedown's powerplant makes 485 horsepower. View 13 Photos The body itself received plenty of tweaking as well. Dodge shaved off the drip rails, door handles, and turn signals for a cleaner look, and also fitted the grille, headlights, and taillights from a 2017 Challenger. The whole thing is finished in matte black paint with a "vibrating" stripe offset on the left side. The Shakedown also gets 20-inch Slingshot rear wheels and a pair of custom 19-inch versions for the front. On each fender is a bright red "392" decal that uses the same font as the labels on classic Mopars 360 cubic-inch V8s. Inside, the Shakedown gets the same radical upgrade as the chassis. Two Viper seats accompany a Viper steering wheel, and the rear seats are gone altogether. The Viper gearbox is shifted with a Challenger Hellcat gear knob, and carbon-fiber accents and leather adorn the wheel, door panels, instrument panel and center console. Related Video: Image Credit: FCA, Joel Stocksdale SEMA Show Dodge Coupe Concept Cars Performance