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Dodge Durango SRT Pursuit packs the 797-horsepower Hellcat Redeye engine

When the Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk launched we were stunned that it featured both the 707-horsepower Hellcat engine and all-wheel drive. But SRT has one-upped itself with a custom Durango for the One Lap of America motorsports event. It's called the Dodge Durango SRT Pursuit — nicknamed "Speed Trap" — and it has the 797-horsepower Hellcat Redeye engine, and it still has all-wheel drive! Besides the 90-horsepower advantage over the stock Trackhawk, the Durango SRT Pursuit race SUV gets improved handling via concept lowering springs and 11-inch wide wheels with 305-mm wide tires that are shared with the Challenger Hellcat Widebody. It has improved stopping ability from 15.75-inch brake rotors up front with 6-piston calipers, and 13.78-inch rotors with four-piston calipers. This is the same kind of setup as the Trackhawk uses. Oddly enough, Dodge left the factory heated and cooled front seats, but removed the two rear rows of seats for weight savings. The Durango also gets a roll cage and racing harness. The finishing touches include a cat-back exhaust and the low-profile police light bar and paint scheme. Now before you ask, there don't appear to be plans to put a Redeye-powered Durango into production. With that being said, the company clearly has the capability to mate that engine to an all-wheel-drive system, and it would be hard to imagine the company not capitalizing on that. Even if the powertrain didn't make it to a Durango, it would seem like a great complement to the existing Grand Cherokee Trackhawk, or even an updated version of it. Hint, hint, wink, wink, FCA. Related Video:

Dodge Durango could get eTorque mild hybrid system in 2020

The 2020 Dodge Durango appears slated to get a mild-hybrid powertrain option. That's the word from moparinsiders.com, which unearthed the news from documents relating to contract negotiation between the FCA and the UAW. Although the documents give no further details, it's a pretty safe bet that we're talking about Chrysler's eTorque mild-hybrid system, which was introduced on the Ram 1500 pickup and has since been extended to the Jeep Wrangler. Currently, the Wrangler offers the eTorque system on the 2.0-liter inline-four and the 3.6-liter Pentastar V6, both on the Sahara model only, while the Ram 1500 makes the mild-hybrid system standard with the 3.6-liter V6 and an option with the 5.7-liter Hemi V8. The V6 eTorque powertrain makes 305 horsepower and 269 pound-feet of torque (Ram) or 285 horsepower and 260 pound-feet (Wrangler). The Wrangler's four-cylinder eTorque is good for 270 horses and 295 lb-ft. The V8 version in the Ram is good for 395 horsepower and 410 lb-ft of torque. In all cases, the eTorque system does not increase peak output over the standard version of the gasoline engine. The mild-hybrid system does provide a minor fuel-economy boost. In the Wrangler, the 3.6-liter with eTorque has EPA city estimates that are 1 mpg better than without the system. On the Ram's V8, eTorque adds 2 mpg city and 1 mpg highway. (The 2.0-liter sees no improvement in its EPA ratings.) It's not known whether the Durango will add eTorque to its V6, or V8, or both. Either engine could do with a fuel-economy boost, as the V6 is EPA rated at 19/26 mpg city/highway (RWD) and 18/25 mpg (AWD), while the V8 version has estimates of 14/22 mpg. Related Video:

2015 Dodge Challenger Drag Pak previewed

Dodge and Mopar have never strayed far from success in drag racing, be it on run-what-you-brung nights at the local strip or at the highest levels of the sport. Hoping to both add to that heritage and capitalize on some of the media spotlight that's shown so brightly on the brand of late, Dodge has given us our first look at the 2015 Mopar Challenger Drag Pak test car.
Though this first iteration doesn't make use of the 707-horsepower Hellcat engine, it seems to be a pretty formidable racing package. Starting with a stock '15 Challenger, Mopar adds a full roll cage built to National Hot Rod Association specs. Rubber front and back is drag racing-ready as well, with 28x4.5-inch tires in the front, and fat 30x9-inch tires out back - all from Hoosier.
Powering the beast is a massive 426-cubic-inch (7.0-liter) Hemi Race V8, with output levels that are still unspecified. A Chrysler 727 automatic transmission connects up to a racing style shift lever, with integral line lock.