1973 Dodge Challenger on 2040-cars

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Dodge Charger and Challenger will live on, but a new Viper is unlikely

BALOCCO, Italy — As FCA's latest five-year plan was presented last week, most of the day was focused on four brands — Jeep, Ram, Maserati and Alfa Romeo. That left a lot of people wondering about the future of the Chrysler, Fiat and Dodge nameplates. At the last five-year event, Dodge was one of the main features. We heard plans for an expanded lineup that included refreshed versions of the Viper, Challenger and Charger, the last two riding on the Alfa Romeo Giorgio platform. Times sure have changed. Dodge isn't going away, but the brand will be narrowed and focused. Performance is the name of the game, but don't look for a new Viper anytime soon. FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne simply said it's "not in the plan." Marchionne thought it was a great idea but that it couldn't live on as a standalone product. If it does eventually return, expect it to share parts with other FCA products, possibly with one of the upcoming Maseratis. On the other hand, Marchionne confirmed that both the Dodge Challenger and Charger will continue to live on. In the last five-year plan, FCA said that the pair would share underpinnings with future Alfa Romeos. That was promising news for those hoping for smaller, lighter versions of each model that would be better suited to fight models like the Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro. It seems the Alfa Romeo platform is off the table. Marchionne said the current LX platform would indeed live on, though it would be "unrecognizable" compared to what we have today. The LX architecture is ancient, and, although it's been continuously updated, its basic bones date back to the DaimlerChrysler days. Marchionne said that the Alfa platform just doesn't have the character American shoppers are looking for in those vehicles. It's unclear when the next iteration of the Charger and Challenger will arrive, but expect another refresh sometime before 2022. Look for an updated version of the tried-and-true Hemi V8. Rumors continue to swirl about a larger and more powerful 7.0-liter variant dubbed the Banshee, but we'll have to wait and see how that pans out. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Star Wars Stormtrooper Dodge Charger Beauty-Roll

For those of you paying attention, we've really ramped up the old Autoblog video game these days. Our new series Car Club USA joins Translogic and The List, and there are more Daily Drivers and Short Cuts than ever. But sometimes, all you care about is the car. The Autoblog Beauty-Roll video series has one goal: bring you glossy video images of cars, and nothing but. We're collecting moving pictures of all the cars we test, inside and out. Each episode comes with a hit of engine sound – start-up and with a few revs – to round out the package. Set your resolution to max, kick it into full-screen, turn up the sound, and enjoy today's subject, the Stormtrooper Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack. Oh, and if you'd like more Beauty-Roll, click here to see the back catalog.

2016 Dodge Challenger and Charger Hellcats see doubled production

The launch of the Hellcat supercharged V8 in the Dodge Challenger and Charger for the 2015 model year was a massive success. The one-two punch of muscle cars probably grabbed the brand more headlines than it had seen in ages by offering a world-beating 707 horsepower from the growling engine under the hood. The only real wrench in the works was keeping up with all of the orders. For 2016, Dodge might have fixed that little problem with plans to make more than twice as many of these mean machines Despite production seeing a massive boost, a few customers with orders for 2015 examples will need to wait just a little longer to experience those 707 ponies. The automaker will cancel any unscheduled, sold orders for the current model, but those buyers will receive a discount on the 2016. Similar to last year, dealers will earn their allocation of the muscle cars based on Dodge sales and how long the Hellcats stay on their lots. There are some very tiny changes for any buyers who are holding out for the 2016 Hellcats, too. Mechanically, they are identical to the 2015s with a 6.2-liter supercharged V8 and eight-speed automatic. The interiors see some improvements, though. Both the Challenger and Charger now receive standard Laguna Leather upholstery and an improved 8.4-inch Uconnect system with navigation, an HD radio, and five years of SiriusXM Travel Link and Traffic. Orders for both open in the second week of August, and production actually begins in September in Brampton, Ontario, Canada.