1954 M37 Dodge Military Power Wagon on 2040-cars

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The 2017 Dodge Charger Pursuit will always watch your back

Police cruisers spend the majority of their life parked and idle, waiting for the call to action. A parked car is a vulnerable one, especially when there may be incentive to disable or destroy that vehicle. FCA has worked with InterMotive, Inc., to supply safety technology that will detect movement behind the vehicle through the combined use of radar and the rear-view camera. Even better, FCA is putting this tech in every 2017 Dodge Charger Pursuit at no extra cost. According to InterMotive, the Officer Protection Package is designed to help awareness with an officer is parked and working inside the vehicle. The system will provide an alert if there is anyone moving behind the vehicle to ambush the officer. The system plugs into the OBDII port and is secured under the dash. The device can then be manually switched on. This triggers the rear parking sensors to activate and. If any movement is detected, the officer can look behind the car through the rear-view camera. The system will automatically lock the doors, roll up the windows and flash the taillights. No word on how much the system will cost for non-2017 vehicles, but it is available for order right now. Related Video: News Source: FCA Dodge Technology Police/Emergency

2018 Dodge Durango SRT First Drive | Speed, and space for six

We're gathered along with other members of the media at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway to drive a trio of new vehicles from Dodge's performance arm. Alongside a pair of SRT Challengers – the Demon and the Hellcat Widebody – the 2018 Dodge Durango SRT towers over the coupes, and is surprisingly menacing to behold. Its proportions may be relatively simple, but its hood scoop, air vents, and aero features let us know that this car is built for performance. A set of sporty wheels and bright Brembo brakes reiterate its purpose. A badge on the fender bearing the number "392," denoting the V8's displacement in cubic inches, gets us thinking about classic muscle. Even with the Demon sitting feet away, just looking at the Durango has us excited to drive it. Our first stint in the Durango SRT takes place on the infield road course at Indy. We had just gotten out of the Challenger SRT Hellcat Widebody, driving the same circuit, and we expected the Durango to seem tame by comparison. We were mistaken, mostly. The Durango SRT's seating position feels very upright, particularly due to a helmet that kept us from settling into the headrest. Still, we make ourselves comfortable, able to adjust the steering wheel right where we want it. Everything is in Track Mode – transmission, AWD, suspension, and steering – except for stability control, which is still set to Street. Taking off from behind Indy's famous bricks, throttle tip-in is quick, and the Durango SRT springs to life. The Durango feels fast under wide-open throttle in a straight line, which is impressive consider we had just gotten out of a louder, faster coupe. Dodge claims a 0-60 time of just 4.4 seconds, and it's that kind of acceleration that makes us agree with Dodge's boastful claim that the Durango SRT is a "three-row Charger." Then we take the first corner. The steering feels progressive, if not super tight, but the size and weight of the Durango quickly make themselves known. Body roll reminds us that this is, in fact, a tall utility vehicle, and definitely not a Charger. We lean to the side as the tires dig in, pulling the Durango around its axis and toward the apex of the corner despite the lateral momentum they are fighting. We're hesitant, but the instructor in the passenger seat coaches us to keep on the throttle despite what our inner ear is telling us. The Durango manages to stay stuck to our line as we push harder through the corners than we had thought possible.

Will airbags sandbag the 2017 Dodge Viper?

The Dodge Viper is speeding down the road to cancellation for the 2017 model year, and at least part of the reason for the V10 monster's death is a problem fitting it with federally mandated side curtain airbags. An anonymous source close to FCA US told Motor Trend the automaker can't install the parts because they would further limit the coupe's already tight headroom. The government believes the side curtain airbags can reduce occupant ejections during accidents, and all vehicles must have them for the 2017 model year. The Viper's slow sales also don't provide FCA US much motivation to work out a solution to this problem. The automaker moved just 676 of the handmade sports coupes in the US in 2015, which was down 11 percent from 760 deliveries in 2014. FCA CEO Sergio Marchionne hinted at the Detroit Auto Show that the Viper could return eventually. He doesn't like that the current model has a dedicated platform but indicated a new one could share the underpinnings with another of the company's products. Marchionne's current business plan for FCA stresses building the automaker's value, so it might be a while before we see the sweater-clad CEO focusing on a niche vehicle like the Viper. Related Video: