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Driving the Jeep J6, Shakedown Challenger and other Mopar concepts

Mopar has been a one-stop-shop for factory-backed performance modifications and accessories on FCA products for a long time now. You want a 707-horsepower engine for your old Plymouth Belvedere? Mopar has you covered with the Hellcrate. Maybe you want a lift and off-roading lights on that newly-bought Wrangler? Mopar can accommodate those wants (or needs, we don’t judge) as well. We get to see some of the companyÂ’s weirdest creations every now and then, but rarely do we get the opportunity to drive the FCA Mopar concepts. ThatÂ’s what made this past Woodward Dream Cruise so special: We got to rip some of MoparÂ’s finest and most recent creations up and down Woodward Avenue. Everything from a 1971 Challenger restomod to the brand-new Easter Jeep Safari J6 concept was in attendance, so letÂ’s get right to it. Mopar Woodward View 6 Photos 1967 Plymouth Hellvedere This car is near the pinnacle of what you can do with off-the-shelf Mopar purchases. It was only a humble 1967 Plymouth Belvedere before Mopar dropped the 707-horsepower supercharged V8 from the Hellcat into the engine bay. Sound ridiculous? Yeah, it is. Other parts of it are new as well, including the disc brakes. Good call. However, Mopar didnÂ’t remove the classic car charm from the entire driving experience. The steering, for example, is surely as slow and inaccurate as it was back in 1967. That doesnÂ’t help matters when youÂ’re trying to put 707 horsepower to the pavement with less-than-ideal rear rubber. Floor it in damn near any gear of the Tremec six-speed, and the front end rises straight up as the rear kicks sideways with the force of many mules. There are no electronics such as traction control or stability control to step in and wrangle the car into submission. But hey, who wants them, anyway? The question remains: Should you buy a Hellcrate engine for your classic? If money were no object, the easy answer is yes. Have at it so long as you love smoky burnouts and excessive amounts of horsepower. Just make sure you know how to deal with that much power before you stick your right foot in it.   Dodge Challenger Shakedown View 15 Photos 2016 Dodge Shakedown Challenger Concept WeÂ’re going downhill in horsepower with this restomod, but the drivability and ease of driving goes way up. Dodge showed this “Shakedown” concept at SEMA awhile back, and as with most concept cars, getting a chance behind the wheel is a special opportunity.

2018 Jeep Wrangler Moab splits the Sahara and Rubicon gap

We knew it was coming, and it's pretty much what we were expecting. The 2018 Jeep Wrangler Moab Edition is now official, is available solely as a four-door Unlimited Model with the 3.6-liter V6 engine, and splits the gap between the luxury-biased Sahara and the off-road-ready Rubicon. It's easily identifiable by the big Moab lettering on the hood, but there's a lot more to this limited edition model besides its graphics. The Moab borrows its hood and steel bumpers, complete with removable end caps, from the Rubicon. The 17-inch wheels are painted in a low-gloss black that matches the headlight surrounds, grill inserts, and tow hooks, and are shod in 32-inch mud-terrain tires. LED lighting clusters are standard front and rear. Rock rails from the Rubicon are standard, but the Sahara's side steps are a no-cost option for owners who don't plan to do any hardcore rock crawling. Jeep's new Selec-Trac full-time four-wheel-drive two-speed transfer case is also standard equipment, which means all Wrangler Moab models will have an eight-speed automatic transmission. A limited-slip rear differential is also standard. The Safety Group, which includes blind-spot monitoring, rear cross path detection and a rear backup camera, is included along with an 8.4-inch Uconnect touchscreen infotainment system. A leather interior package comes standard on the Moab and includes contrast stitching on the seats and dash. Granite Crystal, Billet Silver, Punk'n Metallic (orange), Mojito! (green), Black, Bright White, Sting Gray, Ocean Blue Metallic and Firecracker Red are all available on the Moab, which leaves the recently introduced Hellayella (bright yellow) as the only stock color that's not offered on the Moab. A body-color hard top comes standard on the Moab, and the Dual Top Group and power-operated Sky top are optional. Jeep didn't release pricing when it announced the 2018 Wrangler Moab, but an ordering guide showing a starting price of $52,695 out the door has already made the internet rounds. That makes the Moab Edition Jeep's priciest Wrangler package... so far. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

FCA cuts powertrain warranties to 60k miles

FCA US is cutting back the mileage of its powertrain warranty on some 2016 model year vehicles. Rather than the current five years/100,000 miles of coverage, the new amount is five years/60,000 miles for gasoline-fueled models from Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Ram. In March 2015, General Motors made a similar switch to five-years/60,000-miles of coverage for Chevrolet and GMC, and FCA US seems to be citing this as part of the reason for the shift. "Following changes already made by competitors, FCA US is adjusting powertrain warranty coverage for 2016 model year vehicles to be more consistent with industry practices," the automaker said in a portion of its statement. The bumper-to-bumper warranty for these vehicles is unchanged at three years/36,000 miles. According to Automotive News, Fiat's warranty is remaining at four years/50,000 miles. When it changed the mileage limit, GM also halved the number of free service visits for Chevy, GMC, and Buick to two from the previous four. The automaker claimed that the reason for the adjustments to its coverage was that a long warranty was seldom a reason for customers to buy a vehicle. Related Video: Response to Query: 2016MY Powertrain Warranty Adjustment Following changes already made by competitors, FCA US is adjusting powertrain warranty coverage for 2016 model year vehicles to be more consistent with industry practices. For 2016MY, Chrysler, Jeep®, Dodge and Ram Truck vehicles with gasoline engines will be covered by a 5 year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty. The basic coverage, also known as "bumper to bumper," remains at 3 years/36,000 miles. # # # News Source: FCA US, Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Mark Ralston / AFP / Getty Images Chrysler Dodge Jeep RAM Car Buying Maintenance Ownership FCA warranty fca us powertrain