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Ralph Gilles shares how he imagined a modern-day Dodge Rampage in 1995

Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) design boss Ralph Gilles kicked off the company's 24-hour Design Sketch Battle by sharing an image of a mini-truck he drew in 1995. Called Tomahawk GTR, it never reached production. Gilles sketched the Tomahawk GTR when he was about 25 years old. He was a designer at the time, he wasn't promoted to a managerial position until 1998, and his obsession with performance already permeated the cars he drew. The Tomahawk GTR takes the form of a two-door, two-seater pickup with a muscular-looking front end, pronounced wheel arches, and a sizable spoiler over the cargo box. The wheels look almost Porsche-like. "I guess I was dreaming up a modern-day Rampage back then. This must be what happens when a want-to-be racer draws a truck," he wrote on his Instagram page, referencing the small, unibody pickup Dodge made from 1982 to 1984. His sketch moved the company's then-current design language in a sportier direction. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Dodge hasn't released a successor to the Rampage yet, at least not in the United States. The Fiat-based 700 that sister company Ram sells in Mexico is the closest thing available in 2020, but there's no indication it will be sold in America anytime soon. The firm used the Tomahawk name on a Viper-powered motorcycle concept introduced in 2003, and it dusted it off again for an SRT design study created in 2015 for Gran Turismo.  We may see a Rampage for the 2020s emerge from the Design Sketch Battle. The photo accompanying FCA's announcement depicted a Dodge Challenger Hellcat turned into a pickup and fitted with a front end borrowed from a Ram 1500. The contest's winners will be announced on Instagram today.  Instagram has recently turned into a window through which enthusiasts can peek into Gilles' mind. He published a futuristic-looking sketch in March 2020 that poked fun at the Charger and Challenger owners who leave the yellow protective stripes on their car while potentially shedding light on Dodge's next design language. Design/Style Dodge Truck

That thing got a Hemi? Mopar engine kits make it easier to say yes

Thanks to a new kit from Mopar, classic car owners will have an easier time dropping Hemis into their muscle cars. The kit works with Mopar's 345 and 392 Hemi engines (5.7 and 6.4 liters respectively) and with cars built before 1975. The kit will run $1,795 and has everything needed to get one of the above engines running. The parts include a power distribution system, engine computer, engine and chassis wiring harnesses, O2 and intake air temperature sensors, ground wiring and a gas pedal. The kit is also designed to work with a manual transmission, but Mopar says a transmission such as the Torqueflite 727 and 904 can be made to work with the system. As for examples of the kit in action, take a look at the Jeep CJ66 and Dodge Challenger Shakedown that Mopar revealed this week at the SEMA show. Mopar also offers a few other parts to help complete the project, including various oil pans to clear subframes, a set of headers, and accessory drives for power steering and air conditioning. All of these parts are extra cost though. You'll also need an engine, and the 345 starts at $6,070, and the 392 runs $9,335. However, if you happen to already have one from 2014 or newer, that will work, too. Muscle car fans are getting more choices for their engine conversions. Chevrolet Performance already sells crate engines with "Connect and Cruise" kits to get its engines working in classic cars. The General also offers it with more engines. However, for people who want to keep a Mopar engine in their classic Chrysler, Dodge, Plymouth, or Jeep, this is a cool new option. Related Video: Featured Gallery Mopar Hemi V8 Engine Swap Kit Image Credit: FCA Aftermarket SEMA Show Chrysler Dodge Performance Classics FCA engine swap SEMA 2016

2020 Dodge Charger Hellcat Widebody to race at Pikes Peak

The 2020 Dodge Charger Hellcat Widebody may be world's most badass Charger right now, but it won't be for long. This weekend, Dodge will unveil an even more serious Charger, a one-off racer that will run at Pikes Peak. Tim Kuniskis teased the race car during the Widebody reveal. It will have more power, more tire and more brakes than the road car. He didn't provide exact numbers for any of that, but we at least know it will have more than 707 horsepower, tires wider than 305 millimeters, and better brakes than the regular Hellcat. He said it will have an upgraded version of the Hellcat's 6.2-liter engine. We wouldn't rule out 797 horsepower like in the Hellcat Redeye and in the company's One Lap of America Dodge Durango. We suspect we'll have more concrete details and photos of the car very soon, since the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb takes place this Sunday. One other tidbit: Kuniskis said that we shouldn't expect any of the parts from the race car to show up as Mopar accessories. But we bet there will be plenty of aftermarket companies more than happy to help paying customers recreate it.