2011 Dodge on 2040-cars

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2024 Chrysler Pacifica celebrates 40 years of the modern minivan

While its nameplate is relatively new, the Chrysler Pacifica traces its roots to the model that defined the minivan as we know it today: the Plymouth Voyager. Chrysler is celebrating 40 years of building family haulers by making a handful of small updates to the Pacifica for 2024. Don't expect to find a "40 Years Edition" trim the next time you visit a Chrysler dealer. Changes for the 2024 model year are largely limited to new paint and interior colors. Red Hot and Baltic Gray join the palette, and buyers who order the range-topping Pacifica Pinnacle model can select a new interior color called Sepia. Chrysler has also pared down the Plug-In Hybrid range to two models called Select and Pinnacle, respectively. Customers can add the optional S Appearance, Premium S Appearance, and Road Tripper packages to the base Select trim. The final update for 2024 is minor but important. The Uconnect 5 infotainment system gains an Emergency Vehicle Alert System (EVAS) that warns the driver if it detects an active fire truck, an active ambulance, or "other nearby roadway hazards," according to Chrysler. Chrysler dealers across the nation will begin receiving the 2024 Pacifica in the coming weeks. Moving your family and your stuff for 40 years Plymouth, which Chrysler closed in 2001, built the first Voyager at the Windsor plant in Canada on November 2, 1983. The van went on sale as a 1984 model and became what most historians consider the first modern minivan. The idea of designing a box on wheels tailor-made for families wasn't new: the 1930s Stout Scarab, the original Volkswagen Bus released in 1950, the Fiat 600 Multipla launched in 1956, and the Renault Espace unveiled shortly after the Voyager filled the same void, but it's the Chrysler Corporation's definition of a minivan that stuck. The original Voyager was also sold as the Dodge Caravan (1984) and the Chrysler Town & Country (1990). The three models leveraged a unique set of attributes to stand out from other vans on the market, including car-derived underpinnings (many existing models were related to bulky commercial vehicles), front-wheel-drive, and a sliding door that made the cabin easy to get in and out of. Stow 'N Go seats didn't appear until the 2004 model year, but Chrysler's early vans featured removable rear seats for weekend trips to the hardware store. SUVs and crossovers often get blamed for killing the station wagon, but the minivan arguably started the war.

Autoblog Podcast #394

Episode #394 of the Autoblog Podcast is here, and this week, Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, and Michael Harley talk about the possibility of a supercharged Dodge Viper, the Chevrolet Silverado Rally Edition, the newly released supercharger kit for the Honda CR-Z, and rumblings of an Alfa Romeo 6C. We start with what's in the garage and finish up with some of your questions, and for those of you who hung with us live on our UStream channel, thanks for taking the time. Check out the rundown below with times for topics, and you can follow along down below with our Q&A. Thanks for listening! Autoblog Podcast #394: The video meant to be presented here is no longer available. Sorry for the inconvenience. Topics: Supercharged Viper Chevrolet Silverado Rally Edition Honda CR-Z Supercharged Alfa Romeo 6C In The Autoblog Garage: 2014 Ford Fiesta SE 2015 Cadillac Escalade 2015 Toyota Tundra TRD Pro 2015 Audi A8 L TDI Hosts: Dan Roth, Steven Ewing, Michael Harley Runtime: 01:32:30 Rundown: Intro and Garage - 00:00 Supercharged Viper - 44:25 Chevrolet Silverado Rally Edition - 55:19 Supercharged Honda CR-Z - 01:00:52 Alfa Romeo 6C - 01:07:29 Q&A - 01:13:41 Get the podcast: [UStream] Listen live on Mondays at 10 PM Eastern at UStream [iTunes] Subscribe to the Autoblog Podcast in iTunes [RSS] Add the Autoblog Podcast feed to your RSS aggregator [MP3] Download the MP3 directly Feedback: Email: Podcast at Autoblog dot com Review the show in iTunes

2018 Dodge Challenger GT Drivers' Notes Review | The right car for the season

Associate Editor Joel Stocksdale: Dodge uses the Challenger GT trim to denote its V6 all-wheel-drive model, but it seems apt for reasons besides that. The Challenger, even with a V6, is an excellent, affordable American grand tourer. It's still extremely stylish, despite barely changing looks since Dodge introduced it for the 2008 model year. The solid gray on this one was particularly attractive. It also seemed appropriate considering the Challenger's battleship size. This thing is truly massive. That's beneficial in the sense that it has an enormous trunk (perfect for touring), but not so much for maneuvering. But thankfully, it's easy to spot the corners, which helps a lot. The Challenger GT is a pretty able handler, too. It feels composed in corners, not too heavy, only mild body roll, and steering that weights up very naturally. The ride is relatively comfortable. It takes the edge off of most pavement imperfections, but you feel more than you might expect. So the Dodge Challenger GT has the style, space, and a decent balance of sportiness and comfort — which just leaves one thing left to address, the powertrain. And as it turns out, the V6 actually works quite nicely in the big Dodge. Under full throttle, you get an angry, throaty honk from the intake that, while not as smooth and classic as a V8, is still fairly satisfying. It also has more than adequate acceleration, if not exhilarating. It's a combo that makes not only a fun affordable GT car, but just a solid commuter with an extra dose of style. The only caveat is that if you need something more truly sporty, you may still want to look at a Camaro or Mustang. Associate Editor Reese Counts: I spent the latter half of last week in Idaho and Wyoming driving a pretty sweet Nissan 370Z in the snow. That car was equipped with tracks and skis and allowed me to do some pretty dumb things with few repercussions, though it was one of the loudest and most uncomfortable cars I've ever driven. Coming home to Detroit and a Destroyer Grey Challenger GT was a very nice change of pace. The thing is, this car is still plenty capable in the snow. I like the Challenger quite a bit, especially in the bonkers Hellcat and Demon guise. But not everyone needs a 700-plus horsepower brute that guzzles gas with a nearly unequalled thirst. The Challenger GT checks a lot of boxes. It looks good, it's comfortable, roomy and thanks to all-wheel drive, genuinely usable year round.