2013 Dodge Challenger R/t on 2040-cars

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2019 Dodge Durango raids the SRT parts bin for updates

Fiat Chrysler will squeeze some extra excitement from the upcoming 2019 Dodge Durango, by providing some modest updates. They include giving the three-row SUV new colors and broadening the use of elements of the Durango R/T and SRT performance models, among other upgrades when it goes on sale in the fall. It'll still be offered in five models — SXT, GT, Citadel, R/T and the SRT — with the same 295-horsepower 3.6-liter V6 as the standard engine. For 2019, the GT model will get the SRT and R/T's performance front fascia and LED fog lamps. It also has the option of an SRT-inspired hood with center air inlet duct and two heat extractors. On the Citadel models, second-row captain's chairs will be standard. There's also a new integrated trailer brake on models equipped with the Trailer Tow Package. New 20-inch wheel designs are available on various trims, and an available 825-watt, 19-speaker Harman Kardon sound system for the Citadel, R/T and SRT. Three new exterior color options appear, too: F8 Green, Destroyer Gray and Reactor Blue. SRT buyers can now opt for red seat belts and lightweight Brembo brakes with two-piece rotors. Its Hemi V8 still makes 475 horsepower as it did last year. The R/T model, meanwhile, continues with the 5.7-liter Hemi V8, also available on the Citadel, making 360 horsepower and 390 pound-feet of torque. Sepia leather seats are a new option. Order books are now open, but there's no word yet on price. Related Video:

Dodge says three new variants of the Charger and Challenger are on their way

Introduced in 2008, the current Dodge Challenger is one of the oldest new cars on the American market. It's not ready to retire, and documents published by Canadian union Unifor confirm it will remain in production until at least 2023. Better yet, the company announced it will release several new versions of the car in the coming years. Fiat-Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) narrowly avoided a costly strike by signing a new three-year agreement with Unifor, the union that represents most of its Canadian workers. It pledged to inject $1.58 billion Canadian (about $1.2 billion U.S.) into its local operations while creating 2,000 new jobs in the nation. Some of that money will be allocated to the Brampton Assembly factory located on the outskirts of Toronto, where it will be used to build three new variants of Dodge's Charger and Challenger models. Details about what the company has in store weren't included in the release, but Dodge has shown it's capable of mustering an unusually high level of creativity when it comes to keeping the Challenger and the Charger fresh. Hellcat, Demon, T/A 392, and Super Stock models have joined the range in recent years, and its efforts have paid off, as 60,997 units of the Challenger were sold in the United States in 2019. It even outsold the Camaro and the Mustang during the third quarter of the year. Annual Charger sales jumped by 21% to 96,935 units in 2019. With that said, Dodge's definition of a new variant is murky. It could be alluding to a trim level, an option package, a limited-edition model, or a face-lifted version. Regardless, we're betting they'll be exceptionally powerful. Chrysler will continue to build the 300 in Brampton through 2023, too, but there's no word on what the future has in store for the sedan. It's also relatively old, but it's not faring nearly as well as its Dodge-badged siblings. Sales fell to 29,213 units in 2019, a 37% drop compared to 2018, and the lineup was pared down for 2021. Moving west, the Windsor factory will be retooled to build plug-in hybrid and electric vehicles, and it will be assigned at least one new model, but FCA didn't reveal what it will be, or when we'll see it. Industry whisperings claim that's where the production version of the CES-friendly Chrysler Portal concept will be built.

Thieves still love older Hondas and pickups most, says NICB [w/video]

No one wants to have their car stolen, but a new study by the National Insurance Crime Bureau has some bad news for older Honda owners and pickup drivers. Fortunately, it has better news for drivers overall. The group is reporting that according to preliminary data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, thefts were down 3.2 percent in 2013 (versus 2012) to fewer than 700,000 cars. That's the lowest figure since 1967. That's also less than half of the peak of over 1.66 million thefts in 1991. "The drop in thefts is good news for all of us," says NICB President and CEO Joe Wehrle. "But it still amounts to a vehicle being stolen every 45 seconds and losses of over $4 billion a year."
Honda drivers might not find it such good news with older Accord and Civic models topping this year's theft study. Toyota and Dodge can't really celebrate, either, with two models each on the list, as well. Overall, this year's list was split evenly between foreign and domestic models, which were mostly pickups.
The 10 most likely vehicles to be stolen in 2013 were: