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Jay Leno's 426-powered 1966 Dodge Coronet 500 is simple and simply fun

This week on Jay Leno's Garage, the man in denim presents one of his most subdued-looking cars, a 1966 Dodge Coronet 500. Despite that, it's one of his favorites. As he shows, the car is nearly free of any unnecessary options, excepting bucket seats and a console shifter. At least those are the only visible options, since the original owner also opted for the massive 426 cu. in. Hemi V8. What Leno really likes about the car is the honking huge V8 combined with the car's simplicity, especially the lack of frivolities like scoops, stripes, and wings. It's finished in a low-key, dark metallic green, and has plain-Jane "dog dish" wheel covers. The one downside to the vehicle is the lack of stopping and turning ability, Leno says, which is not surprising considering the four-wheel drum brakes and lack of power assist. And keep in mind, the Coronet is not a small car. Still, it's a mean green machine, and it sounds great. Leno also demonstrates the engine's capability to chirp the tires going into second gear, despite having a three-speed automatic and a relatively tall 3.23 rear axle gear ratio. Check out the video above to get the whole story and to hear rumbling V8 noises. Related Video:

2015 Dodge Challenger crash test results slip from last year's model

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has released the results of its latest round of crash testing, announcing that the 2015 Dodge Challenger has netted a five-star overall crash rating. Of course, Chrysler won't want us to tell you this, but that NHTSA overall rating is not the whole story here. As The Car Connection so astutely points out, five-star rating aside, the refreshed 2015 Challenger actually performed worse than when it was tested back in 2013. The V6-powered SXT model tested by NHTSA in this latest round of testing was only able to record a four-star rating in its frontal crash test, while it nailed a five-star rating in the side-impact test. The 2013 Challenger managed a five-star rating in the frontal test. Of course, while this rating is a sign of overall good news for Challenger fans, the car, as TCC argues, has yet to be tested by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. It'll be interesting to see if these NHTSA ratings translate to an IIHS Top Safety Pick or Top Safety Pick Plus. Scroll down for the full press release from FCA. All-new 2015 Dodge Challenger Earns Five-Star Overall Safety Rating From U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration 2015 Dodge Challenger coupe earns five stars overall, the highest possible score in NHTSA's safety rating program More than 70 safety and security features, including new for 2015 class-exclusive Forward Collision Warning, adaptive cruise control, Blind-spot Monitoring and Rear Cross Path detection All-new 2015 Dodge Challenger starts at $26,995 (excluding tax, destination and title) December 18, 2014 , Auburn Hills, Mich. - The all-new 2015 Dodge Challenger has earned a five-star overall safety rating from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Five stars is the highest possible safety rating given by NHTSA. "The new Dodge Challenger coupe further demonstrates our commitment to broaden the proliferation of advanced safety technologies, such as driver-assist features," says Scott Kunselman, Senior Vice President-Vehicle Safety and Regulatory, FCA-North America. In its assessment of the new Challenger, NHTSA notes the availability of Forward Collision Warning (FCW), which features forward-facing sensors programmed to detect the potential for certain types of frontal collisions. If detected, the driver is alerted with visual and audible warnings. The 2015 Dodge Challenger is the only car in its segment with such capability.

Florida Highway Patrolman seen watching YouTube in traffic

The Florida Highway Patrol is investigating allegations of a trooper watching YouTube videos on his official in-car laptop while driving. Lee County Florida resident James Peebles caught the alleged offender during his morning commute in early April, NBC2 reported. After exiting I-75, Peebles said that the FHP cruiser rolled up next to him at a stop light where he could clearly see the trooper inside watching a car race on Youtube on an official FHP laptop. Peebles put his car in park and snapped a picture of the cruiser before continuing to work. Later that day, he posted the photo to Facebook where it quickly went viral. "It blew my mind," Peebles told NBC2. "Everybody's human though, so I do know that we all make mistakes." NBC2 contacted the FHP for a statement after speaking to Peebles. An FHP spokesperson told the station that troopers are allowed to use their laptops while driving squad cars when carrying out official duties such as "simple inquiries" and "reviewing the nature of incoming messages". Other Florida motorists, like Jim Kosmerick who was interviewed by NBC2 for this story, don't consider watching an old race on YouTube to be official FHP business. "It's not official business, there's no way you can convince me otherwise," said Kosmerick. The FHP says that they are now aware of this fast moving viral image, and that they are taking the issue very seriously. They state that an investigation into the matter is underway, and that troopers are expected to abide by department policy and lead by example. Related Video News Source: NBC2 Government/Legal Weird Car News Dodge Driving Safety Police/Emergency Videos Sedan distracted driving Dodge Charger Pursuit