2011 Cummins Laramie 4x4 Crew Cab Dually on 2040-cars

Auto blog

NC dealer creates the convertible Challenger that Dodge won't build

Dodge still hasn't turned the Challenger into a convertible, and the odds of seeing a factory-built drop-top muscle car appear in showrooms are decreasing annually. Tired of waiting, a dealership in North Carolina teamed up with a Florida-based body shop to create a topless alternative to the Ford Mustang and the Chevrolet Camaro. It's the real thing, and it's for sale. Keffer Dodge, Chrysler, Ram and Jeep shipped three 2019 Challengers to a shop named Convertible Builders, according to Motor Authority. After losing their lid, they gained a cloth soft top that opens and closes at the push of a button. There's no word on what effect the conversion has on handling, or what Convertible Builders did to offset the loss of structural rigidity. The build didn't include mechanical modifications. Two of the convertibles are R/T Scat Pack models equipped with a 6.4-liter Hemi V8 engine that serves 485 horsepower and 475 pound-feet of torque. It's not a supercharged Hellcat V8, but it's potent enough to spin the rear wheels in third gear. The third, R/T-based model features a 375-horsepower, 5.7-liter V8. While our dream build would use a six-speed manual transmission, all three come with an eight-speed automatic that sends the engine's power to the rear wheels. Keffer's website lists the gray, white, and red cars at $64,000, $60,000, and $56,300, respectively. The regular R/T Scat Pack Widebody model starts at $46,245, and the eight-speed automatic adds another $1,595, so the convertible conversion adds about $16,000. It's your only option, unless you're brave enough to chop the top yourself, or patient enough to wait until the early 2020s. Dodge has already started developing the next-generation Challenger, so the current car is unlikely to spawn a convertible before it retires. Its replacement due out in 2021 or 2022 will allegedly ride on a wider, longer evolution of the Giorgio platform found under the Alfa Romeo Giulia, among other models, and unverified rumors claim it's being designed with a topless variant in mind from the get-go. It might resurrect the Barracuda nameplate originally assigned to Plymouth when it makes its debut. Auto News Dodge Convertible Performance

Dodge brings Charger Widebody 'concept' to Spring Fest

Last week we asked if an Instagram user had really seen a Dodge Charger Widebody cruising suburban Detroit. The answer is yes, he had. Dodge brought its Charger Widebody concept to Spring Fest 14, a celebration of everything built on Chrysler's LX platform. Note the use of the word "concept," and a Fiat Chrysler spokesperson telling journos, "We are taking a Charger design concept to Spring Fest to gauge feedback from the huge Dodge Charger, Challenger, and Chrysler 300 enthusiast base that attends the California event each year." Mark Trostle, head of design for Dodge and SRT, shared a few snaps of the Charger Widebody to Instagram. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Now ignore the word "concept." Of course a thing isn't done until it's done, but two years ago a thread on Charger Forums mused on a Photoshop of the sedan as a widebody. User ResumeSpeed chimed in to say, "Rear is not accurate as it's being revised. 2020 model year. Two Charger WB models: Hellcat and 392 Scat Pack." Fast forward to February of this year when Mopar Insider said its sources confirmed a thick-hipped Charger R/T Scat Pack and Hellcat with "drastically different looking front and rear fascias." Then, earlier this month, Allpar received a slide from what looks like an internal Dodge presentation explaining the "2020 Dodge Charger Hellcat Wide Body." The sedan in the slide looks almost exactly like the "concept." And now this. They even designed it with the Dodge Durango SRT grille treatment, which seems like a logical part of that 2020 revision. Giving the Charger a nip and tuck, a little more tire, and a $6,000 surcharge similar to the Challenger Widebody makes too much sense to merely toy with and then file away. Check out this video for a complete walkaround, and stay tuned.

eGarage interviews a couple with 65 Vipers

Owning multiple vehicles can be a hassle worth enjoying if you're willing to spend the time and the money required to acquire and maintain them. But when it's hard to make ends meet while underused valuable hunks of metal, plastic and rubber sit happily taking up garage space, journeys into the depths of other people's well-developed automotive obsessions will either bring you and your cars closer together, or compel you to sell them off before you become one of those fanatics. A recent video by eGarage is one of those journeys, and it's not for the faint of heart: D'Ann and Wayne Rauh own 65 Dodge and SRT Vipers in a collection of automobiles that exceeds 100.
We're not sure if the couple has developed heat-resistant calves from stepping over Viper door sills made burning-hot by side-exhaust pipes, but we wouldn't be surprised if they did. We did learn that their obsession with the no-holds-barred sports car started in 2006 with a trip to a dealership to buy just one Viper, which goes to show how innocently car obsessions can start. But the Rauhs seem to be doing just fine - perhaps better - 64 more Vipers later.
Watch the video below for the full story and to see what eGarage claims is the world's largest Viper collection.