2008 Dodge Ram 3500 Slt on 2040-cars

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Made in America | These cars top the most-American list

The car with the most American/Canadian content for 2022 is ... cue the drumroll ... the Lincoln Corsair, in both standard gasoline-fueled and plug-in hybrid guise. Both versions of Lincoln's compact luxury crossover earned a score of 86 — due to 72% of its parts coming from one of the two aforementioned countries — in the American University Kogod Business School's annual "Made in America Auto Index." Last year's leader, the 2021 Ford Mustang GT (when equipped with a manual transmission) fell all the way to 22nd place with a 50% rating due to a switch in transmissions sourced from Mexico. In case you're interested, that puts Ford's red-blooded American ponycar below vehicles like the Kia Sorento, Mercedes-Benz GLE-Class SUV and Lexus ES. If you're wondering how an American car that's assembled within the borders of the United States could rank below a model from a Korean, German or Japanese automaker, well, we'll let Kogod explain: "The components of the index are based on research performed by the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor Michigan regarding the economic value of different components of auto manufacturing. For example, the highest ranked cars are made by U.S.-based manufacturers using American engines and transmissions, and with a high AALA percentage of U.S. and Canadian parts." There are 25 total vehicles listed in the Top 10 (there are lots of ties this year). Here's the full list: (1) Lincoln Corsair: 86 (1) Lincoln Corsair PHEV: 86 (2) Tesla Model 3 Long Range: 82.5 (3) Chevrolet Corvette Sting Ray: 81 (4) Chevrolet Colorado: 80.5 (5) Jeep Cherokee Latitude 4x4: 80 (5) Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk: 80 (5) Tesla Model 3 Performance: 80 (5) Tesla Model Y: 80 (6) Dodge Durango Citadel: 79.5 (6) Dodge Durango Blacktop AWD: 79.5 (7) Honda Passport Trailsport: 78.5 (8) Ford F-150 2.7L, 3.3L, 5.0L: 77.5 (8) Ford Ranger: 77.5 (8) Ford Bronco automatic: 77.5 (8) Tesla Model S: 77.5 (8) Tesla Model X: 77.5 (9) Jeep Grand Cherokee Laredo 3.6L: 77 (9) Jeep Grand Cherokee L LTD: 77 (9) Jeep Grand Cherokee Overland 3.6L: 77 (9) Chevrolet Camaro automatic: 77 (10) Honda Odyssey: 76 (10) Honda Ridgeline: 76 (10) Honda Pilot: 76 There's a whole long list of reasons for the above scores, with seven criteria that include factory location, headquarters location and where its various bits and pieces come from.

Junkyard Gem: 1987 Dodge Ram 50 with V8 swap

Chrysler did very well selling Mitsubishi Forte pickups with Plymouth and Dodge badging in the United States, even after Mitsubishi began moving the same trucks out of their own American dealerships in 1982. The 1987 Ram 50 2WD short bed weighed in at just over 2,500 pounds, so it was reasonably perky with its 2.0-liter G63B four-banger making 90 horsepower… but there's no replacement for displacement! At some point along the line, a Chrysler small-block V8 engine found its way into the engine compartment of this truck, now residing in a car graveyard in Sparks, Nevada. This was the cheapest new Dodge-branded pickup Americans could buy as a 1987 model, though it had to compete with its near-identical Mitsubishi Mighty Max twin for sales. The 1980s were great times for little pickups in the United States, but a desire for bigger cabs and more creature comforts doomed them by the dawn of the following decade. The most interesting thing about this engine swap is that it didn't involve a Chevrolet or Ford small-block V8. Both the Chevy small-block and Ford Windsor V8s are a few inches narrower than the Chrysler LA-series V8, which makes them easier to stuff into a small vehicle. It appears that engine length was the critical dimension in this case, since the Mopar seems to have had enough side-to-side clearance to avoid any slicing of Mitsubishi steel to make it fit. My guess is that whoever did the swap happened to have the engine handy and that's why it's here. Keeping it all Dodge might have been a factor in the decision as well, though the truck's Mitsubishi ancestry makes that unlikely. It was over 100°F out when I found this truck, so I wasn't motivated to check block casting numbers to determine exactly which LA engine we're dealing with here. The easiest LAs to get cheap for the last four or so decades have been the 318 (5.1-liter) and the 360 (5.8-liter), so one of those two is the most likely candidate here. Power levels for these engines got pretty dismal during the Malaise Era, but anyone with the wrenching skills to do this swap would have applied some basic power-enhancing wizardry before the engine went in. We can see there's an Edelbrock Performer intake manifold, and you might as well stab in a better camshaft if you're upgrading the intake. How much power? With a four-barrel carburetor on a dual-plane intake plus a meaner cam, 300 to 350 horsepower is easily achieved with one of these engines, even with stock exhaust manifolds.

The Dodge Demon is coming, an evil mutation of the Challenger SRT Hellcat

If there's one thing we'll take more of, it's Hellcat. Dodge's 707-horsepower supercharged V8 is a shining star of muscle car ideals. A panacea to the cylinder-count and displacement atrophy. And according to Dodge's new website, www.ifyouknowyouknow.com, a even crazier version of the Challenger SRT Hellcat is on the way. It's called the Dodge Demon. The website features a series of videos that reveal more and more details of the upcoming car. As of this writing, only the first teaser is available, title cage (and also seen above). The final video, and full reveal, of the car, coincides with the dates for the 2017 New York Auto Show. Details are scant at this point. The video, and the press release statement from FCA passenger car chief Tim Kuniskis, point to quarter-mile performance as the Demon's sole purpose in life. Said Kuniskis, "The Dodge Challenger SRT Demon is conceived, designed and engineered for a subculture of enthusiasts who know that a tenth is a car and a half second is your reputation." Whether that means an all-wheel-drive Hellcat, more power, or both remains to be seen. Stay tuned. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.