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Dodge Challenger Hellcat driver arrested hellbound at 160 mph

When fisherman catch big fish, they want the world to know about it. That's approximately how the Indiana State Police felt when they busted a 707-horsepower muscle car booking it at more than 160 miles per hour. The ISP were chuffed enough about the catch that they put out a press release titled, "160 Mile Per Hour Hellcat Tamed On The Indiana Toll Road." The Dodge Challenger Hellcat driver, J. Jesus Duran Sandoval, told the arresting officer that he was "just trying to get to Maryland." The incident began just after Trooper Dustin Eggert finished helping a stranded motorist on the toll road at about 7 p.m. Eggert was merging back into traffic when he saw the Hellcat blast past at well beyond the 70-mph speed limit, allegedly weaving through traffic and — shock! — not using a turn signal for lane changes. With a Bandit on his hands, Eggert took the role of Smokey, and just like Burt Reynolds movies, couldn't catch the offender. Seems that Indiana State Police Dodge Charger Pursuit vehicles are speed limited to 150 mph, allowing the Hellcat to pull away. Eggert radioed for officers ahead to look out for the red baron, but received an assist before other LEOs swooped in: Eggert caught up to the Hellcat 11 miles down the road when the red coupe got held up behind two semis driving next to one another on the two-lane toll road. Sandoval pulled over, admitted he was doing a little more than 160 mph, then delivered The "Maryland" Defense unfazed by the fact that Maryland was more than 500 miles from his location. Turns out that 38-year-old Sandoval, from Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, was also unbothered by driving on an expired license. The coppers took Sandoval to the LaPorte County Jail and booked him on reckless driving, bond set at $505, court date set for April 2. The ISP said this is the second time in two weeks they've busted someone doing more than 130 on the Indiana Toll Road. It's the second time in a year they've busted a Hellcat doing so — in April 2017, another pilot played Bat out of Hellcat at 158 mph, explaining his speed as a bit of show-and-tell for his friends in the car. View 142 Photos Related Video:

2017 Challenger, Charger Hellcats recalled for catastrophic oil-line failure

If you own a Hellcat, either a Charger or Challenger, built between Feb. 6, 2017, and May 30, 2017, you may want to consider parking it for a while. The reason for this is NHTSA officially acknowledged a recall from Chrysler for engine oil cooler lines that could fail, leading to major oil loss. Which of course could lead to severe engine damage. According to the recall information, the issue lies in the rubber used in the oil cooler line. Chrysler's testing revealed that the rubber didn't meet the company's criteria. As a result it was able to separate from a crimped aluminum portion of the line, letting oil spill out. The recall goes into effect on Sept. 22, which is when Chrysler will start reaching out to owners to alert them. The company will replace the oil cooler lines free of charge. Owners can call Chrysler's customer service at 1-800-853-1403 with any questions regarding the recall, which has the reference code "T48." Related Video:

Next Dodge Challenger to be electrified, says FCA boss

Dodge is the last of Detroit's Big Three to truly keep the muscle car purpose and heritage alive with the Challenger and Charger. As the Mustang and Camaro have transitioned to sports car-like experiences, the high-horsepower Dodges have stuck to their guns as straight-line behemoths with little intention of competing with the others in corner carving. People still dig the old-school-cool of cars like the Challenger, as sales actually went up while Mustang and Camaro sales took a hit in 2018. That said, new FCA boss Mike Manley said things will be changing in an electric way for the next generation, in a report by The Detroit News. "The reality is those platforms and that technology we used does need to move on. They can't exist as you get into the middle-2020s. New technology is going to drive a load of weight out, so we can think of the powertrains in a different way. And we can use electrification to really supplement those vehicles." News of electrified muscle cars is nothing new at this point. Ford says it's going to reveal a Mustang Hybrid in 2020. And with Al Oppenheiser (former chief engineer for the Camaro) moving to GM's electric division, you better believe Chevrolet is working on an electrified version of the Camaro. This, however, is the first solid evidence we have that FCA and Dodge are making such a move. What Manley said next is something we all know to be true, but a bit heartbreaking nonetheless. "I think that electrification will certainly be part of the formula that says what is American muscle in the future. What it isn't going to be is a V8, supercharged, 700-horsepower engine," Manley says. Even if it's a bit silly, we all love the Hellcat for its 707 horsepower V8. Clearly, plenty of other people do, too, because Dodge keeps cranking out more insane versions of the car with the Redeye and Demon. As for how much electrification Dodge's muscle car will receive, Manley wouldn't go into detail. Though he does say that electrification "can't be the dominant part." This should provide some solace to all those worried the gasoline engine could disappear from the American muscle car. Just as Dodge is reluctant to stray from the original intent of the muscle car, it's not hard to imagine the Challenger/Charger being the last to go full-electric. Gas engines supplemented by 48-volt systems or plug-in hybrids will most likely be the end result when we first see electrified Challengers.