1970 Dodge Challenger R/t 6 Pack Convertible on 2040-cars

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Weekly Recap: Toyota propels hydrogen fuel cells

Toyota is serious about hydrogen fuel cells, and it wants the auto industry to follow suit. The Japanese automaker said this week it's releasing 5,680 fuel cell patents from around the world, including technologies used on its upcoming sedan, the 2016 Mirai. The move is unusual, but not unprecedented, as Tesla similarly released its electric vehicle patents last year. The idea for Tesla, and now for Toyota, is to spur development of alternative propulsion. "By eliminating traditional corporate boundaries, we can speed the development of new technologies and move into the future of mobility more quickly, effectively and economically," said Bob Carter, Toyota Motor Sales senior vice president of automotive operations, in a statement. Toyota's fuel cell patents will be free to use through 2020, though patents related to producing and selling hydrogen will remain open forever. Toyota said it would like companies that use its patents to share their own hydrogen patents, but won't require it. "What Toyota's doing is really a logical move, and really a good move for the industry," Devin Lindsay, principal powertrain analyst with IHS Automotive, told Autoblog. The announcement was made at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. It comes as Toyota prepares to launch the hydrogen-powered Mirai in a limited number late this year in California. The launch will be extended to the Northeastern United States next year. Toyota also has announced plans to support networks of fueling stations in each region to try to smooth consumer adoption. The Mirai has a 300-mile range on a tank of hydrogen, and it takes about five minutes to refill. Fuel cells have been receiving increased attention recently, and Audi and Volkswagen debuted hydrogen-powered cars at the 2014 Los Angeles Auto Show. Honda, another proponent of the technology, also showed its updated FCV concept in November in Japan. The company, however, has delayed its fuel cell sedan a year until 2016. Like Toyota, Honda says its hydrogen-powered car will have a range of 300 miles or more. Meanwhile, Hyundai currently offers leases for fuel-cell powered Tucsons, which have a 265-mile range, in Southern California. Despite the optimism some automakers have for fuel cells, the technology still faces barriers. A lack of filling stations has long held it back, and many consumers are not familiar with the potential benefits.

Dodge Challenger Hellcat X is 805-hp worth of charity [w/video]

Donating to charity is good for the soul. You feel good and help out those in need, and while you should donate out of the goodness of your heart, there's nothing wrong with getting something in return. That's doubly true if that something (or somethings) happen to run on gasoline... a lot of gasoline. For just $3 (plus $40,000 in taxes), you could park not one, but two high-powered Mopars in your driveway. The big item, of course, is the world's most powerful Dodge Challenger Hellcat. Dubbed the Hellcat X after the XF6F, a twin-charged US Navy prototype that evolved into the Hellcat fighter from World War II. Its 6.2-liter, supercharged V8 has been supplemented by a turbocharger, boosting output to 805 horsepower. Because, you know, 707 just wasn't quite enough. It should be noted that the Hellcat X isn't a production model – Fiat Chrysler isn't going to be putting a twin-charged Hemi into production – but that it's a one-off job built for the 2015 Chrysler Nationals at Carlisle. Joining the Hellcat X is a handsome, black 1970 Challenger 440 R/T. Complete with a four-barrel carburetor (yeah, we were hoping for a Six Pack, as well), a pistol-grip shifter, and menacing black paint, this exact car was the star of 2012's "Revolution Reborn" television spot. And if this car's on-air claim to fame isn't enough, rest easy knowing you're the owner of just one of 100 black 440 R/Ts produced in 1970. Now, single tickets do start at $3, although there are larger bundles available, including a $5,000, 6,000-ticket package. Proceeds from the drawing, which is being put on by Dream Giveaway, will go towards New Beginning Children's Home charity, which issues grants to everything from the National Guard Educational Foundation to Mothers Against Drunk Driving. You can check out more on the Hellcat X in the video, below. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Junkyard Gem: 1994 Dodge Caravan with manual transmission

The K Platform saved Chrysler from certain doom after the company's 1979 bailout by the federal government, and one of the most successful K-based vehicles was the one that spawned the American minivan craze in 1984: the original Dodge Caravan/Plymouth Voyager. Built all the way through the 1995 model year, these K-Caravans or K-Voyagers could be purchased with a four- or five-speed manual transmission, but just a handful were sold that way. Here's an extraordinarily rare late 5-speed example, spotted in a San Francisco Bay Area wrecking yard. The shifter location is a little awkward, requiring the driver to reach back a bit more than would be the case in, say, a Dodge Shadow (which shared the same powertrain). It's too bad that Chrysler never offered these vans with five-on-the-tree manuals. Even though plenty of Mitsubishi-V6-powered front-wheel-drive Chryslers of the late 1980s and early 1990s were available with manual transmissions (e.g., the Chrysler Laser/Dodge Daytona or the Plymouth Sundance/Dodge Shadow), Chrysler minivan shoppers who wanted a stickshift had to take the four-cylinder engine (either a Chrysler 2.2/2.5 or, in the early years, a Mitsubishi 2.6 Astron). This one has the naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter engine that went into so many Plymouth Acclaims and Chrysler LeBarons. In 1995, it was rated at 100 horsepower, which made for stately acceleration with a full load of passengers. For the 1989 and 1990 model years, a 150-horse turbocharged Chrysler 2.5 with 5-speed was the high-performance minivan setup... and you should let us know if you find a factory-built one. This is only the second example of a manual-trans-equipped 1990s Chrysler minivan I have found in the junkyard (the first was this '93 Voyager), and both vans were lightly-optioned El Cheapo models with cloth seats and hand-crank windows; the manual transmission was a bit cheaper than the automatic in those days. At least this one has air conditioning. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Advertising for these minivans tended to focus on price, price, price. Featured Gallery Junked 1994 Dodge Caravan with 5-speed View 18 Photos Auto News Dodge Minivan/Van dodge caravan