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2020 Dodge Challenger celebrates 50th anniversary with a golden special edition

Next year will mark the 50th anniversary of the original Dodge Challenger. And obviously Dodge wouldn't let that significant date go by without a special version of the 2020 Dodge Challenger. Meet the limited production Dodge Challenger 50th Anniversary Edition. The package is offered on the V6-powered GT with rear-wheel drive, as well as the R/T, R/T Scat Pack and R/T Scat Pack Widebody. The Hellcat and Hellcat Redeye are left out, but every 2020 example will get special 50th Anniversary badges to make up for that. On the outside, the package features a matte black hood, roof and trunk lid. V8 models get a body-color Shaker scoop. This marks the first time the Shaker scoop has been available on a Widebody Challenger. Despite having a Shaker scoop, the special edition cars also get the air intake headlights pioneered by the Hellcat, and they have a "50" printed on them to go with the other 50th Anniversary badging. All models get 20-inch wheels. These are finished in what Dodge calls "Gold School." These Challengers can be painted in one of seven colors: Frostbite, Hellraisin, Sinamon Stick, Go Mango, TorRed, F8 Green or the all-new Gold Rush. Inside the Challenger 50th Anniversary Edition are Nappa leather and Alcantara-covered seats and "Sepia" stitching and embroidery. It's all matched by carbon fiber trim with copper threads woven into it. The instrument cluster and the air vent badge are finished in the car's exterior color. Dodge will build only 70 of each model in each color as a tribute to the original car's 1970 model year. This means that there will be 490 GTs, 490 R/Ts, 490 R/T Scat Packs and 490 R/T Scat Pack Widebody models for a grand total of 1,960 cars. Each model has a different price for the 50th Anniversary package. It costs $4,995 for the GT, $5,495 for the R/T, and $5,995 for the Scat Pack models. The cars go on sale this coming spring.

Dodge Viper saved from crusher by students, but will it last?

The saga of the Washington state community college hoping to keep its allegedly pre-production Dodge Viper out of the maw of the crusher is going strong. Not only does the school still have the car, but there's a chance that the college might even get to keep it.
The whole situation flared up in March when the South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia, WA, received a notice from Chrysler Group that requested that the school's Viper be destroyed. The automaker had loaned the muscle car to it about a decade ago to use for educational purposes in its auto tech classes. With the Dodge growing long in the tooth, "it is unlikely that these vehicles offer any educational value to students," the company said in its press release on the matter.
However, the college balked at destroying its Viper, despite the fact it had signed a contract with Chrysler Group to do so. The school further claimed that its car was incredibly special because it was a pre-production example and just the fourth one made back in 1992. Although, as we pointed out at the time, the photos of the school's vehicle showed a coupe that looked like a newer Viper GTS.

NHTSA, IIHS, and 20 automakers to make auto braking standard by 2022

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and virtually every automaker in the US domestic market have announced a pact to make automatic emergency braking standard by 2022. Here's the full rundown of companies involved: BMW, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo (not to mention the brands that fall under each automaker's respective umbrella). Like we reported yesterday, AEB will be as ubiquitous in the future as traction and stability control are today. But the thing to note here is that this is not a governmental mandate. It's truly an agreement between automakers and the government, a fact that NHTSA claims will lead to widespread adoption three years sooner than a formal rule. That fact in itself should prevent up to 28,000 crashes and 12,000 injuries. The agreement will come into effect in two waves. For the majority of vehicles on the road – those with gross vehicle weights below 8,500 pounds – AEB will need to be standard equipment by September 1, 2022. Vehicles between 8,501 and 10,000 pounds will have an extra three years to offer AEB. "It's an exciting time for vehicle safety. By proactively making emergency braking systems standard equipment on their vehicles, these 20 automakers will help prevent thousands of crashes and save lives," said Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx said in an official statement. "It's a win for safety and a win for consumers." Read on for the official press release from NHTSA. Related Video: U.S. DOT and IIHS announce historic commitment of 20 automakers to make automatic emergency braking standard on new vehicles McLEAN, Va. – The U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety announced today a historic commitment by 20 automakers representing more than 99 percent of the U.S. auto market to make automatic emergency braking a standard feature on virtually all new cars no later than NHTSA's 2022 reporting year, which begins Sept 1, 2022. Automakers making the commitment are Audi, BMW, FCA US LLC, Ford, General Motors, Honda, Hyundai, Jaguar Land Rover, Kia, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi Motors, Nissan, Porsche, Subaru, Tesla Motors Inc., Toyota, Volkswagen and Volvo Car USA.