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Dodge could resurrect the ACR nameplate on a track-hungry Challenger

Dodge will reportedly celebrate the Challenger's 50th birthday by introducing a track-focused variant of the coupe that will resurrect the American Club Racer (ACR) nameplate. It will arrive as a cocktail of the automaker's best race-bred parts, including bits and pieces sourced from the defunct Viper. The Challenger ACR will be presented as a follow-up to the sold-out Challenger Demon available during the 2018 model year. While Dodge developed the 840-horsepower Demon for drag racing, it's designing the ACR to tackle America's windiest road courses, according to anonymous sources who spoke to website Mopar Insiders. It will need to take a turn, not just go really fast in a straight line. To that end, Dodge will give its popular muscle car more downforce by adding a full body kit that will include a huge adjustable rear wing shaped like the one fitted to the Viper ACR. The racer will be based on the Widebody variant of the Challenger, which handles considerably better than its narrow-bodied sibling, and it will rely on composite materials like carbon fiber to keep weight in check. In other words, it will receive more extreme modifications than the Challenger SRT8 ACR that Dodge introduced during the 2011 SEMA show but never approved for production. If this configuration sounds familiar, it's likely because the carmaker sponsors an independent team named Wesley Motorsports, which races a Hellcat Redeye all over America. It features an adjustable suspension provided by Blistein, slick Toyo tires, and a supercharged, 797-horsepower V8. The Challenger ACR described by Mopar Insiders sounds a lot like the one Wesley Motorsports regularly enters in hill climbs and time attack competitions (pictured). Coincidence? It's too early to tell for sure. Dodge hasn't commented on the report, and it hasn't announced what it has in store for the Challenger's 50th anniversary. The original Challenger made its debut in late 1969, and it arrived in showrooms during the 1970 model year, so Dodge will need to unwrap its surprise before the start of the 2021 model year to keep it timely. Expect an announcement during the first half of 2020. While pricing information remains a mystery, Mopar Insiders added the Challenger ACR will come standard with only a driver's sat. Buyers will be able to add a passenger seat for $1.

Chrysler recalling 280k Dodge Ram 1500 pickups over axle seizures

Following a June investigation by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles will be recalling 280,000 Dodge Ram pickups from model year 2005. The issue, NHTSA told The Detroit News, centered on a loose pinion nut, which could cause the rear axle to seize and, potentially, the driveshaft to detach. The affected vehicles were built between January of 2004 and August of 2005, while of the 280,000 trucks, only 257,000 were sold in the US market. According to The News, the recall will begin on February 13, and will see owners report to dealerships to have "a retention feature" added to the pinion nut.

2015 Dodge Challenger looks fresh, still plenty retro [w/video]

It was the Ford Mustang that kicked off the retro-styled muscle car renaissance back in 2005, but it was the Dodge Challenger that served as the movement's poster child, with its unabashedly retro looks. Over the years, though, as the Mustang and the Chevrolet Camaro were freshened and upgraded, the look of the big Dodge has remained largely consistent since its 2008 debut. For 2015, the Challenger has received a big freshening, boasting strongly revised front and rear ends and (finally, finally, finally) a redesigned interior.
Let's talk about that new cabin first. It's basically been plucked directly from the redesigned Charger, and boasts the same seven-inch IP display. The center stack's miserable, last-gen display has been replaced by an expansive, 8.4-inch UConnect system. Material quality should see a solid boost with the new cabin, as well.
The exterior, meanwhile, sees a revised front fascia with LED halo lights, as well as new grille inserts. A functional shaker hood scoop is a must-have extra on the V8 models, while the back of the car is highlighted by a new set of LED taillights that don't use the "Racetrack" design of Dodge's other models.