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2020 Dodge Charger Hellcat Widebody, Scat Pack Widebody get grip, go faster

You all knew this was coming. Dodge basically showed it to the public a few months ago. But it's finally official, the 2020 Dodge Charger Hellcat Widebody and naturally aspirated Scat Pack Widebody are going into production. Like the Challenger Widebody, the Charger version is defined by its, well, wide body, which is now standard on all Hellcats and an option on Scat Packs. The fender flares add a total of 3.5 inches of width. Dodge also tweaked the front and rear bumpers and added wider side skirts to help the flares blend into the body. The Hellcat gets a unique rear spoiler, whereas the Scat Pack sticks with the same one its scrawnier twin uses. 2020 Dodge Charger Scat Pack Widebody View 20 Photos But the big advantage to this wide body is the fact Dodge can stick way more tire under the Charger. All Charger Widebody models get 11-inch-wide wheels with 305-mm tires at all four corners. Each version gets revised suspension, too. The Hellcat gets stiffer front springs, thicker front and rear anti-roll bars and retuned shocks. The Scat Pack gets a similar update, but without the thicker front anti-roll bars. Both cars also get six-piston front brake calipers from Brembo with two-piece rotors. All these handling upgrades mean the Charger is an even more impressive track machine. Dodge says the Hellcat now pulls 0.96g on a skid pad, and the Scat Pack Widebody does a little better at 0.98g. The Hellcat has also improved its lap time of Chrysler's 2.1-mile test course by 2.1 seconds, and the Scat Pack improved by 1.3 seconds. Both cars are also still fast in a straight line, with Dodge saying the Hellcat will hit 60 mph in 3.6 seconds on the way to a 10.96 quarter-mile time. Which, Dodge proclaims, makes it the world's most powerful and fastest mass-produced sedan. The Scat Pack Widebody will hit 60 in 4.3 seconds on the way to a 12.4-second quarter-mile.

Roadkill Nights writhes with 200 Dodge Vipers

Some 200 Dodge Vipers from across the United States and Canada descended Saturday on Roadkill Nights, the FCA-sponsored event at M1 Concourse in Pontiac, Michigan, that turned Woodward Avenue into a drag strip. The Vipers were there to mark this month's end of production of the wicked, hand-built, highly customizable performance car after 25 years. Vipers of every generation, color and stripe arrived en masse under a police escort, from the blue-and-white GTS-R to cars dressed in appropriate Snakeskin Green. Check out the gallery above. Halfway around the world, meanwhile, other Viper fans are trying to mark the car's production demise by claiming the record lap time at the Nurburgring. They ran a 7:03.45 lap in late July. And according to a Facebook post yesterday from the group, they've secured funding for more Ring time to make another attempt. Roadkill Nights racing was continuing until 11 Saturday night, and included drag events featuring the new Dodge Demon. Related Video: Featured Gallery Roadkill Nights Dodge Vipers 2017 View 40 Photos Related Gallery 2017 Dodge Viper Special Editions Related Gallery 2016 Dodge Viper ACR View 87 Photos Motorsports Dodge Convertible Coupe Racing Vehicles Performance

Dodge could return to NASCAR, Marchionne says

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles CEO Sergio Marchionne said he'd "love to" bring Dodge back to NASCAR. The news could signal a potential shift in America's favorite motorsport away from today's three-manufacturer arrangement, but we're wondering just how much sense Dodge's return would make amid NASCAR's dwindling television ratings and attendance figures. It took a visit from Ferrari at NASCAR's biggest icon, Daytona International Speedway, for the Ferrari Challenge World Finals to get Marchionne on the subject of Dodge and stock car racing. When asked about the possibility on Sunday, the FCA boss revealed he'd just spoken to NASCAR executive vice president Jim France the night before about Dodge's return. Dodge announced its NASCAR departure in 2009, as it was in the grips of a major bankruptcy alongside cross-town rival General Motors. While GM's Chevrolet brand stuck it out and won three of the last four manufacturer championships, the final Mopar-powered team flipped to Ford in 2012. Marchionne takes the blame for the decision, citing reasons that are, frankly, very good. "I am the guilty party at the table. In 2009 we came out of bankruptcy; we couldn't [justify] racing in NASCAR when I was trying to pay bills and make payroll," Marchionne said, according to Autoweek. "I think we're in a different place now." NASCAR is in a different place, too. The sport has struggled with disappointing television ratings in the past several years, and it's not uncommon to tune into races at some of the sport's marquee tracks, like Bristol Motor Speedway, and see scores of empty seats. Sponsorship dollars are also drying up. That could explain Marchionne's non-committal follow-up comments. "We need to find the right way to come back in," Marchionne said, adding that he'd revisit the idea with Jim France and International Speedway Corporation CEO and NASCAR board member Lesa France Kennedy "in short order." Related Video: