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Georgia sheriff buys Dodge Charger Hellcat, and the feds want a refund

A sheriffs office in Georgia recently purchased a new 2018 Dodge Charger SRT Hellcat. It's currently being used and driven by Gwinnett County Sheriff Butch Conway. Now the U.S. Department of Justice wants its money back. All $70,000 of it. According to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the DOJ described the purchase as extravagant. The purchase was originally approved by the DOJ, with the money coming from asset forfeitures. The government has since questioned whether the car is being used for its intended and stated purpose — undercover and covert operations as well as the Gwinnett County Beat the Heat program. The Beat the Heat program is a nonprofit meant to "to educate drivers about the dangers of distracted driving and illegal street racing" by holding drag nights at local tracks. The Hellcat — along with a 1996 Chevy Impala SS, a 1990 Chevy Corvette and 2004 Volkswagen GLI — are all featured on the Beat the Heat website. All but the Hellcat are privately owned and funded. The DOJ prohibits the use of taxpayer money for "extravagant expenditures" and says the "the vehicle in question is a high-performance vehicle not typically purchased as part of a traditional fleet of law enforcement vehicles." The sheriff's office defended the purchase, stating that Sheriff Conway uses it to commute and "when he participates in field operations, covert and otherwise, with our deputies" and that "Conway maintains that this vehicle is an appropriate purchase, especially for an agency with a $92 million budget and the opportunity this vehicle provides in making our roadways safer." The DOJ has given the sheriff's department until July 31 to repay the money. Gwinnett County intends to comply with the reimbursement. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Dodge Demon makes so much torque, it needs stronger driveline parts

Torque is a lovely thing, a sweet and wonderful force that twists and pulls and can help propel a two-ton metal box forward at comical speeds. Torque is also fickle and will bend and break those same metal parts without a second thought, which is why the new Dodge Demon is compensating for its increased torque with some new re-engineered and reinforced parts. And there's software intended to combat wheel hop, which one of the most dramatic ways torque can break stuff. Week 8's video, "Race-hardened Parts," gives a hint towards what all these new parts can do. While we still don't know how much torque the Demon will throw out, we do know it's enough to warrant an upgraded prop shaft, half shafts, and a differential housing. The Challenger Hellcat, which is the basis for the Demon, makes 650 pound-feet of torque already. The new parts will go a long way toward making sure the work from the Demon's engine is properly translated into motion by those Nitto drag radials. The new prop shaft uses high-strength steel, heat-treated stub-shafts, and increases the tube thickness by 20 percent for a 15 percent increase in torque capacity. Additionally, Dodge says the upgraded differential housing allows for a 30 percent increase in torque capacity by using heat-treated A383 aluminum alloy and a higher strength shot-peened gear set. The 41-spline half shafts that deliver 20 percent increased torque capacity through the use of high-strength low alloy steel and 8-ball joints. In addition to the hardware, the Launch Assist software has been tuned to help alleviate wheel hop. Dodge says the Demon is the first factory production car that uses wheel speed sensors to detect hop and momentarily cut torque to compensate. This means a driver can keep their foot planted on the floor while the computer sorts out the traction. Previously, the best solution was to back off the throttle to manually cut the load. Finally, the Dodge Demon will offer a four-point harness mounting bar as an optional accessory. The part will be supplied by Speedlogix and fits in place of the deleted rear seat. Customers can install the bar without having to hack apart their cars to find a proper mounting point. Look for more teasers and info on ifyouknowyouknow.com in the lead-up to the Demon's debut at the 2017 New York Auto Show. Related Video: Image Credit: FCA Dodge Performance dodge demon dodge hellcat

Federal grand jury issues subpoenas to U.S. FCA dealers

Despite an attempt to clarify and backtrack, it seems the investigation into Fiat Chrysler Automobile's false sales reporting is picking up steam. According to Automotive News, FCA dealers and regional offices have received subpoenas ordering them to supply documents and testimony to a grand jury in Detroit. Of course, the dealers are objecting to the request. They claim the subpoenas are too broad and would require them to hand over too much personal information, like personal phone numbers of dealer employees going back years. The group wants to make it clear that FCA has clarified its sales reporting and that the issue is with the manufacturer, not dealers. The dealers say that FCA employee records and testimony should be enough. It's rumored that a dealer group is the one that sparked the investigation in the first place. FCA confirmed on July 18 that it indeed was under investigation by a number of federal agencies. Although they've clarified their position regarding sales reporting, the fraud investigation continues full steam. Related Video: